Extremely nervous...

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2017

Everyone in my family such as my grandparents, cousins, aunts, etc keeps talking about how their excited for me to become a nurse and help them out medically as well.

First, put the kibosh on this right away. Once you are in nursing school, everyone and their best friend will come to you with questions that are not within your scope or knowledge to answer. Once, while I was a nursing student, a friend from church called me because his mom had fallen down the stairs and they couldn't get her up! I quickly advised him to call 911. Your family will try to ask you questions they should be directing to their doctor. You'll do well to learn a few go-to phrases like, "I'm still learning and I don't want to be responsible for giving you the wrong advice. Please call your doctor."

Second, do you want to be a nurse? It's completely normal to have some anxiety and anticipation when you're starting a new journey- particularly one that you expect might be challenging. But I wonder if part of your hesitation is because you think you're entering the program for the wrong reasons- like pressure from your family- and not because it's the career you really want?

If you're confident that nursing is where you want to go, then I think you can chalk up your feelings to normal, expected nerves that come with a big life change. Heck, last week I got the paperwork to finalize a mortgage contract and found myself on the phone with a lawyer discussing how I could get out of the whole thing! Of course, I had done a lot of thinking and planning before deciding to purchase this house, and I knew that it was a good decision, but the reality of the commitment still inspired a little panic. I suspect that's what's happening to you. It will be okay. You're a good student. If you're making B's while only "doing enough to get by" then you've got more than enough potential to be successful in an RN program. Congratulations on your acceptance!

KariT · Mar 27, 2017

Lol, I didn't realize that giving free medical advice to people as nurse is a huge no-no. Hopefully, my family won't bug me on that aspect. Also I do personally want to become a nurse and not for family, but because it is more like a calling for me. My family just makes me nervous on always wanting to good well in their eyes because I'm the first peson to go to college and I just feel like I owe it to everyone to succed which puts more pressure on me of course.

And think you for your kind words, I'm trying really hard this semester to make myself study even though it's been a struggle. I think that my lack of motivation stems from finally being accepted into a nursing program so there is less stress for me to shoot for an A in every class I take now. I kinda just want to relax which I know is bad.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2017

Lol, I didn't realize that giving free medical advice to people as nurse is a huge no-no.

As a nurse, giving your opinion within your area of expertise may not be a "no-no." But by that point, most nurses have gained enough experience that they "know what they don't know". For example, I'd feel pretty comfortable answering questions from my sister when her child is recovering from anesthesia. Not so much when my grandmother asks me if the dizziness she feeling is just a side effect of her blood pressure medication. It absolutely could be a side effect, but as a professional, I can't make that assumption. I don't know her full medical history and, in addition, cardiology and neurology are outside my area of expertise. As a student, everything is outside your area of expertise and you should avoid answering family/friend questions- for your protection as well as theirs. Because if Grandma has a stroke after you reassured her that her symptoms were normal side effects, you don't want that on your conscience.

If you can relax a little while still being successful, go for it!

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2017

It's not necessarily verboten to give medical advice, but in my experience most of the questions include "you need to see your provider/go to the ED." You have so few tools at your disposal in your personal settings.

For example, "Grandma is dizzy, what should we do?" Well any number of things can make an elder dizzy, none of which you can definitively assess without a lab, imaging, etc diagnostic tests -- and RNs don't diagnose anyway.

A few months ago, my mom emailed me a picture of my Grandma's arm. She was on Coumadin for a hx of bilateral PEs, got her flu shot, and by that night her arm was black and swollen from her shoulder to her fingers. My advice was get her seen -- that is NOT normal, and if her coags are that out of whack I was concerned about her having a spontaneous ICH.

A few years ago she was having loose stools, which started with her DM meds. One aunt suggested they cut the dose in half...what did I think? That is a discussion to have with her MD.

A fellow gymnastics mom once called and said her daughter fell off a bunk bed and had a good sized "goose egg" -- is the girl ok? Well not having CT vision, I had to give the "call the provider" advice. (Of course had she had any LOC or obvious sx, or any s/o a C-spine injury, my advice would have been to call 911.)

See the pattern?

Now, do you WANT to be a nurse? If so, I will advise you to stop putting minimal effort into your studies, while worrying that you won't do well. Do enough that you will do well.

emmjayy, BSN, RN · Mar 29, 2017

I'm finishing up my first year of nursing school currently and last week my dad came up to me to ask if it was normal that a doctor octupled my aunt's medication for her A-fib. I was like.... idk man. Ask her doctor??? Google it? Literally any resource, including the internet, is probably a better medical resource than me :roflmao:

As for your school concerns - talk to an academic advisor. You say you're accepted but not officially accepted?? What does that mean?

Purple_roses · Mar 30, 2017

Well if your main problem is that you can't get yourself to study, then I suggest you get off this site and open that Statistics book :cheeky:

I have ADD. I know the feeling of really wanting to do well but not feeling motivated enough. I don't know if you have something like ADD or if you'd just rather be outside in the Spring weather. Either way, the best thing to do is put your computer away...maybe even in another room...out of sight, out of mind. Maybe tell yourself "I'm going to read 10 pages or do homework/study for 30 mins, and then I'll allow myself to take a break." Find out what motivates you and then do that.

What is nursing school like? It's a perpetual feeling of "I would so much rather be in clinical instead of this boring lecture...or outside....or snuggling with my cat....or napping" but forcing myself to do what I need to do. And it's worth it when, after all of that hard work, you're finally looking at graduation dates, pinning ceremonies, and job orientation.

So bye for now! We'll see you in 30 minutes!

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jun 5, 2017

Lol, I didn't realize that giving free medical advice to people as nurse is a huge no-no. Hopefully, my family won't bug me on that aspect. Also I do personally want to become a nurse and not for family, but because it is more like a calling for me. My family just makes me nervous on always wanting to good well in their eyes because I'm the first peson to go to college and I just feel like I owe it to everyone to succed which puts more pressure on me of course.
And think you for your kind words, I'm trying really hard this semester to make myself study even though it's been a struggle. I think that my lack of motivation stems from finally being accepted into a nursing program so there is less stress for me to shoot for an A in every class I take now. I kinda just want to relax which I know is bad.

First, you won't know enough to give medical advice, free or otherwise. The best advice you can give is "call 911" or "call your doctor." As far as NURSING advice, by the time you get through nursing school, you will see why that is a bad idea.

The advantage that nurses have when giving free advice, is that when we say "Call 911" or "Call your doctor," people tend to take it more seriously because we are nurses. Except people that happen to be married to us or related to us. Sigh.