Combating nerves

[alisonurse]

Yesterday, I had an instructor review for my first clinical rotation. My FOR's main advice for me was to tackle my nerves. I see what he means: I get ridiculously nervous any time I'm evaluated in lab or clinical. Even when I've practiced a skill until I feel (reasonably) confident that I know what/why/how to-- BAM, the nerves hit hard the second an instructor sets eyes on me.

Has anyone else suffered from nursing school performance anxiety? What's helped you?

[blaundee]

I'm not in nursing school yet, but here's how I learned to control my nerves- whenever I begin to feel nervous (because I'm being watched, am in a competition, or at a interview, etc), I tell myself that I'm not scared, I'm EXCITED! I'm excited to show off what I can do and what I know! Even if I'm not actually excited, I tell myself that over and over, and it actually helps so much lol