Does anyone else feel inadequate

[Nicole2010]

I am in the middle of my 2nd to last semester of nursing school. In Decemeber I start my preceptorship. Ever since this semester has started, I feel like I know absolutely nothing & I wonder how I will ever get prepared enough to be on my own. I pull great grades & I know the information, but then I get to the unit & Im like tongue-tied. I do my assessments (which take longer than the unit RN assessment), give the meds, re-assess, and answer the call lights. We also are charting this semester, which was like a crash course. Im behind on my charting & never seem to get caught up. This is really starting to make me wonder why I wanted to be a nurse. On the other hand, I greatly enjoy the preoperative area & units with high patient turn overs, so may be I just dont enjoy med-surg nursing....

Anyways, I am curious to know if anyone else feels like they are not prepared enough to be solo or even an adequate nurse. I hope Im not the only one!

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

takes time....the more you do it, the better you get. Is there any way to request to take a hospital course in charting, or ask your instructor or a really good friend in clinicals for 15-20 minutes 1 on 1 with charting?

Your assessment will take longer than the unit RN assessments...they've been doing it a long time. Each assessment is different, but basics are lung sounds, bowel sounds, heart sounds, tenderness in the stomach, last BM, pedal pulses, any numbness or tingling, pain, and any other complaints....good luck you can do it!