I'm a pre-nursing student and will be taking ANP I next semester. This will be my first class geared towards nursing (I have a previous B.S. degree in education). I've been out of school for a long time.
For any of you in the program, or already graduated, did you ever look ahead to try to prepare yourself for upcoming classes....or read other people talking about things (nursing lingo) that you've never heard about before and then gotten scared?
I've been trying to gather info to prepare myself for my ANP class but instead of feeling better prepared, I feel more intimidated and find myself lacking confidence. I try to remind myself that of course information I haven't had a chance to be familiar with yet will seem foreign and overwhelming to me.
I'm just worried that a part of me is trying to give up before I even get started. Any words of wisdom are appreciated. I'm a big ball of stress already and I haven't even taken one class yet.
This is my first semester in the program but I can understand what you are saying.
The first thing I will say is that starting on A&P now is not a bad idea. It certainly can't hurt you. There is a lot of material.
However, please do not try to get ahead and understand "lingo" or anything else that worries you. I learned really quickly this semester that even to understand everything I needed to do to finish the semester would be overwhelming. I started to focus on just one task at a time. For instance, I focused on the first test, the first lab, the first hw, etc.
Everything builds on what you saw before. In the first semester of the program, you will revisit your anatomy and physiology some and your chem too! It will all come together. The med term will come in to as you begin to learn the nursing process and your basic assessment skills. Your clinicals will teach you more term and expose you to common themes. I promise you will find that a lot of the stuff that sounds complicated on here really...isn't.
I did the same thing as you and I can understand why the professional licensed nurses on here seem intimidating with all of their fancy talk. :wink2:
BUT I focus more on their personal and interpersonal struggles with nursing when I read through their posts because this is by far, the most common thread starting issue for the nurses themselves. These problems are easily understood by all of us and really, the important thing is that you focus on picturing yourself in the situation and how you might resolve it and on what you learn from the way an experienced nurse resolved the situation, good or bad.
I believe that this the true "art" of nursing. This deeply personal struggle to balance stress, lack of validation and support, hostility and lack of appreciation with remaining free from judgmental and unkind behavior. Its a struggle we can all relate too but of course, its easier to review someone's online "vent" then resolve your own when you are in the situation. If you remain here on this site, then stay for this reason and this reason alone.
BTW, if one of the stories involves too much medical term to decipher without finding out what it means, google COPD med term (as an example).
Good luck. One foot in front of the other.:heartbeat
I still scare myself, and I'm in RN school. I hear this or that phrase, and wonder when in heck we actually learned anything about it...I just can't remember! And then I relax a bit, and realize I do remember; I just didn't get context well.
It comes in time. Don't worry so much about next week; think about tomorrow. Learn what you can now, but also remember you're learning a new language and a new way to think. Neither one is easy; and you'll do them just fine as time goes on.
I laugh at the poster who got worked up with O2 sat...because I did, too. That was after I had worked myself up over how to get a bp cuff on; and before I worked myself up on how to give a subq injection.
And nothing makes me feel better than being in a teaching hospital with Drs who know less than I do...like today, when a student Dr asked me what I&D meant. I confidently answered 'incision and drainage', and he was very impressed. He won't be for long, lol, but for today, it works. And when I asked another student doctor if she'd thought maybe perhaps r/o HIV on a patient...and she looked at me like I had just handed her the golden key.
Point is, we are all learning. I learned what I&D was yesterday, because I asked someone while looking at the file. Learning takes time, though...and in the span between then and now, fear will lurk and reach out and nibble your toes...and then, in a few years, you'll be posting reassurances to folks who wonder if you were scared at first, too.
It's all good. You'll be all right. Don't kill yourself to learn words when you don't have a context; learn what will be helpful for now, and the rest will come along.
My first day of A&P was completely overwhelming. My financial aid came through late, so the class had already been meeting for a week or so. The first lecture was on protons/neutrons/electrons. I had been out of school for about 15 years...... I thought to myself..... what in the world am I doing here with all these smart people????
As time went on, I learned to just stay in the moment ~ focus on the present task, and not run ahead in fear or anticipation. So that is my advice to you: you'll never get to A&P II without passing A&P I, and you won't pass A&P I without passing the next test, or getting through the next assignment, etc. Any time spent on worrying will only take away energy from something that you have to do RIGHT NOW. And, freaking yourself out can have the unintended side effect of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.
So........ just take it one lecture at a time. Breathe. Many before you have done exactly what you are doing and have come through just fine.
Another thought popped into my head about this thread. When I had to take Chemisty my first semester back in school after 20 years, I was freaking out. My chem proffesor said what you are looking at as a mountain now, you will look back on as an anthill. And he was right. The things you struggle with trying to learn today you will look back on soon and think...wow that was so easy compared to this...and then that thing too will seem easy in time.
I did the same thing - I have a design degree and then decided to go into nursing. I took A&P and Micro at night after work. I also got a job as a receptionist in a medical office. It was a big pay cut, but it has taught me a LOT both about anatomy and medical terminology, but also about relating to pt.s.
Stay on top of your reading and studying with A&P. Read these boards at least once a week just to keep nursing "in your head". You won't become a nurse overnight so don't panic.
Oh my lord yes, I know exactly what you are talking about. But let me tell you- I have only been in school since August and I have learned SO much that most of that feeling of being intimidated is gone. Well, sometimes I still do it to myself when I hear the students a year ahead of me talking...then the feeling comes back again!
I think it's only natural to feel the way you are feeling.
I tried to combat the helplessness by reading up on procedures, watching surgeries on youtube. I found that it only made me more nervous though. I suggest you sit back and relax and know that when the time comes for you to know the knowledge you will be ready. Don't forget that your professors know where you are coming from. Nobody will ask you to do something that they don't think you will be able to handle!!
A n P is basically memorized a 2000 pages in your head. If you have good memory, you will get an A. In my case, I took it twice. F on my first try. 69.9% the second time. But got round it to a 70%. Guess what?
I got accept it in the program. & finishing my 1st nursing rotation. About to start a new one in 6 weeks. ^>^
You don't have to be good in biology to make it in Nursing school. The class doesn't apply bio in it beside a ton of chemistry.
I made a point of not studying prior to the semester starting. I'll tell you why;
Because you will not study the things you need to know. You will stress and tire yourself out for no gain. Try to relax.
Enjoy yourself with the short amount of time you have before the semester starts!! Seriously. You will not have much personal time once the nursing school ball gets rolling.
Everybody in this thread is telling you to relax. This is SAGE advice. Do not ignore it. Once the semester starts, go along for the ride. It's a rollercoaster, I warn you, but try to relax now and be ready for it!
VICEDRN, BSN, RN
1,078 Posts
This is my first semester in the program but I can understand what you are saying.
The first thing I will say is that starting on A&P now is not a bad idea. It certainly can't hurt you. There is a lot of material.
However, please do not try to get ahead and understand "lingo" or anything else that worries you. I learned really quickly this semester that even to understand everything I needed to do to finish the semester would be overwhelming. I started to focus on just one task at a time. For instance, I focused on the first test, the first lab, the first hw, etc.
Everything builds on what you saw before. In the first semester of the program, you will revisit your anatomy and physiology some and your chem too! It will all come together. The med term will come in to as you begin to learn the nursing process and your basic assessment skills. Your clinicals will teach you more term and expose you to common themes. I promise you will find that a lot of the stuff that sounds complicated on here really...isn't.
I did the same thing as you and I can understand why the professional licensed nurses on here seem intimidating with all of their fancy talk. :wink2:
BUT I focus more on their personal and interpersonal struggles with nursing when I read through their posts because this is by far, the most common thread starting issue for the nurses themselves. These problems are easily understood by all of us and really, the important thing is that you focus on picturing yourself in the situation and how you might resolve it and on what you learn from the way an experienced nurse resolved the situation, good or bad.
I believe that this the true "art" of nursing. This deeply personal struggle to balance stress, lack of validation and support, hostility and lack of appreciation with remaining free from judgmental and unkind behavior. Its a struggle we can all relate too but of course, its easier to review someone's online "vent" then resolve your own when you are in the situation. If you remain here on this site, then stay for this reason and this reason alone.
BTW, if one of the stories involves too much medical term to decipher without finding out what it means, google COPD med term (as an example).
Good luck. One foot in front of the other.:heartbeat