Clinicals

2006RNCS · May 28, 2008

Hi all - just a quick question, what exactly should I expect in clinicals? I'm in my junior year and will be starting clinicals in the fall (finally!). I'm starting to get a little anxious/nervous and I guess I just want some insight or personal experiences if possible.
I'm also wondering if any of you were intimidated by the nursing field when you first started? I'm having doubts that I may not be cut out or good enough for this career. I currently work as a CNA in a nursing home and sometimes I get flustered if I don't do something right and I just feel stupid. Does the insecurity fade with experience?
Thanks for your help!

You will do just fine! We all were nervous to first start clinicals, but it gets better each time you go to clinicals. You will probably start out doing assessments, care plans, etc. You will probably be given one patient to start out, and it should be one that is not too ill.

The unexpected, I believe, is the intimidating part of anything that we do. The insecurity of knowing what to do gets better with experience, but if you are a perfectionist, which I just having a feeling you may be, you will always be harder on yourself than on others. I speak from experience, because that is my personality, and it sounds like me you are describing. I am very hard on myself.

I am making a real effort in my life to "be good to myself." This is hard when I have always tried to be good to others, at the sacrifice of myself. Now, I have learned that to survive in life, and especially to survive in nursing, you must take care of yourself, be good to yourself, roll with the punches, and just know that everything happens for a reason, good or bad.

There will be a lot of emotions that you will go through. You will laugh, cry, kick, and scream, maybe all at the same time! Just remember, all of the nurses before you have gone through the same thing. We made it, and you definitely will, too. Good luck, and God bless!!!:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat

classicdame, MSN, EdD · May 28, 2008

I would be very concerned if you did not have doubts. It is a whole new experience and lifestyle and other people will be depending upon you to make good decisions so OF COURSE you are concerned. We all were at that stage. Just try to be a sponge and suck up all the knowledge you can - including protocols, nursing culture, documentation ---- not just school stuff.