Did all you Nurses out there feel this way?

princess007 · Jan 12, 2012

thats normal, and you learn by experience. doesnt matter how you good you are in school but when you are on the floor by yourself you will not remember everything in the books and you have to find your own techniques sometimes.but more you ll work the more experience you will get and more comfortable you will feel.those nurses you have seen must ve been through the same feelings.I had that too. You ll be fine. good luck.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jan 12, 2012

Wow - nursing school certainly did a number on you didn't it? I'm sure you began nursing school with a positive outlook and personal vision of what you wanted to become...... well, we managed to crush that right out of you, didn't we??? Sheesh, as if eating our younglings wasn't bad enough, we pretty much accomplish the process before you even graduate. I feel like I need to extend an abject apology on behalf of all us 'old' nurses. Somewhere along the line, the process has gone horribly wrong.

Please try to re-connect with your dream. Believe in yourself. You will make mistakes - we all do since it's part of being human. I'm sure that, given sufficient time and encouragement, you will recover from the effects of nursing school and go on to have a satisfying and productive nursing career.

BellsRNBSN · Jan 12, 2012

So I'm getting ready to start my final semester of Nursing, I've done great so far and aniticpate to continue with my good grades and graduate this May. But I can't shake this feeling, call it a little voice in the back of my mind, it's a haunting scary feeling that....once I pass my NCLEX (God willing), and get a job, (again, God willing), what if I'm a horrible nurse? What if I forget everything I've learned over the last the four years? What if I make a huge mistake? Along my journey I have met so many awsome Nurses, my Clinical instructors are great, many of the floor nurses I have been paired with just amazed me. What if I'm not half the nurse that they are? In plain English "What if I suck"? So I find myself fighting with this feeling day in and day out, it's mentally exhausting actually, and many times I've thought that maybe I should just drop out and find another line of work. I started Nursing school because I felt a calling 5 years ago, and it is my dream to help, comfort, and touch the lives people around me. If anyone has had a similar situation, I'd greatly appreciate hearing from you. Maybe I'm just crazy , Nursing school has been known to do that to students LOL

Does it help you to know that you're not the only one with such thoughts? I am a new grad, about to start my first nursing job, and I have definitely had the thoughts that you described, and I KNOW they will be on my mind during my first few weeks out on the floor. I believe it is VERY normal to be a bit frightened about becoming a professional nurse when you're fresh out of nursing school. I have had MANY nurses tell me and have seen from many threads on AN that the *real* nursing training begins when you get your first job. In the meantime, congratulate yourself for getting this far in nursing school and remain focused on your studies. Take one day at a time and try not to worry excessively about what lies ahead. And you can use your fears to make you extra careful, humble, and willing to learn when you do get your first RN job.

You're not alone! And it will get better! :hug: