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Discussion

Clinicals..

hello!

so..

I am in my first semester of nursing school. we are almost done with the semester.

clinicals are both exciting and exhausting for me.

right now, i am struggling with feeling so "new" and having so far to go.

specifically, I look at the nurses I work under during clinicals and think "man, will i ever be so competent and efficient and smart as them?"

nurses seem to know so much and do really important things quickly, and sometimes it just is hard to imagine myself being that way.

does anyone have any encouragament or similar feelings??

also, during clinicals i sometimes feel out of place. don't get me wrong, i want to be there and I love many aspects of it. again, its all just so intense and everything to me, and maybe its my lack of confidence, but its hard to imagine myself being such an awesome, competent nurse..

any advise, encouragement, or shared feelings would really be appreciated.

Happy Nursing!

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    I'd say what you are feeling is approximately 100% normal for approximately 100% of nursing students. Hang in there. ;)

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    Agreed, totally normal. In a year or two you will look back and be amazed about how far you have come in such a short time.

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    Yes, you will get there. This semester you are learning the basics, how to do CNA care, normal values, a standard head-to-toe assessment, medication admin rights, etc. You have to start somewhere. Each semester will build on the previous one, building new skills, expanded knowledge, critical thinking, etc. And once you graduate, you will continue to grow and learn, improve your time management, think critically, learn your specialty, etc.

    Becoming a competent RN does not happen overnight, it will take several years. Concentrate on mastering your head-to-toe, doing hands-on care (do not plan to rely on your CNA to do all that stuff, some specialties don't have CNAs--ICU mostly--and sometimes you'll be short-staffed and just not have one), and work on "connecting the dots" as far as disease processes, meds, labs, interventions, etc. You'll get there.

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    The more you learn, the more you realize that not every nurse is that great. They're human. They google things, they ask for help...

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    This is normal! By the time you get to your final semester you still won't know anywhere close to everything but you will feel like you are competent enough to be safe and know how to ask the right questions when you start as a graduate nurse.

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    You're learning every day. :) Hang in there - you're gonna be a great nurse someday!

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