Feeling doubtful...just got accepted to Nursing school!

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Hello all! This is my first post here. A little about myself I just turned 30 woo hoo! Just got accepted to Nursing School, I start in August, been working on prereqs for 4 years and have been a CNA for 12 years. I am so excited to have been accepted to nursing school, I have maintained a 4.0 GPA in my prereqs, and now I am feeling doubtful about everything! I am worried about how to study, I know how to make A's in other subjects, but nursing school scares me. I am feeling doubtful about my ability to be a nurse, there is so much responsibility, I know its what I want but I am really scared! Has anyone else ever felt this way?

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I got an A in A&P I and II and my gpa went south in my nursing program. Partially do to poorly written exams.

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I've felt that way and it's fine to feel that way. You got into Nursing School for a reason. I suggest reading up on the many threads within AllNurses along with many other resources available to you. I was completely nervous after completing the foundations part of my LVN program and heading into Fundamentals of Nursing I was like "what is going on?" when I got a 76, 70, 76 on three straight exams in Fundamentals. I even questioned myself if I should be in this program. I changed my study habits, changed the way I did my study guides, took proper notes and paid more attention in class. My exam scores raised up after that and now I'm in my final term with about 1 1/2 weeks before I take my exit HESI exam and I'm glad I stuck through it because if I didn't I wouldn't have developed the passion for Nursing like I did throughout the program and this is coming from a student that didn't like nursing at all. Mind you I was 30 when I got into the LVN program. Good luck on your nursing school journey. Oh yeah, don't focus on what you did as a CNA for 12 years because Nursing is a whole entire new ball game so you will learn to develop your "Nurse" mind quickly.

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Thank you! Great pointers :) Yes, I am coming in with a clean slate ignoring most practices I've seen nurses out there in the real world do because I know everything is much different in school and the way things are taught. I work as a CNA in maternity now and I love it! However I am excited to start clinicals to get some exposure to different specialties.

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Nursing questions are different from any other class because they are APPLICATION based. You are given a scenario and based on the knowledge you have on that particular subject, you have to decide what is best for the patient. Once you get the hang of these questions, you should be fine.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Stop for a minute and think about all of the nurses you've worked with over the last few years. Now - don't you think you're just as smart (or smarter) than they are? So it is only logical . . . you're going to be OK in nursing school. If they did it, you can too.

Trust the process. You aren't expected to go from zero to full competency overnight. Focus on achieving the goals that are established for each step in the process.

I don't want to spoil the ending for you, but I can assure you that it's going to turn out OK.

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Congrats to you! Persistence pays :)

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Thank you that helps a lot.... í ½í¸Š

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be proud of every step no matter how big or small, you were accepted:up: congratulations

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I'm right there with you. I'm 31 and have been spending the past two years completing prerequisites. I was able to pull off a 4.0 and high score on my entrance exam and was accepted into the nursing program for this fall. However, I feel like I am forgetting everything! I keep stressing about every silly little thing.

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I'm right there with you. I'm 31 and have been spending the past two years completing prerequisites. I was able to pull off a 4.0 and high score on my entrance exam and was accepted into the nursing program for this fall. However, I feel like I am forgetting everything! I keep stressing about every silly little thing.

I have been feeling exactly the same way. I have KILLED it in my A&P classes. Straight As on every system. And now, since I've been accepted to a (highly competitive) nursing school I'm terrified that I have forgotten everything. Luckily I took really good notes for review, but I definitely know that panicked feeling. My aunt is a nurse and I shared my feelings about this with her. Her sentiments were similar to HouTx.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Precepting, Education.

This must be a fairly common feeling among nursing students about to begin a nursing program. Like you, I aced all of my pre requisites but when it came time to start the actual nursing program I doubted my decision. I remember unpacking my belongings in my apartment, sitting on the edge of my bed, breaking down and sobbing. Thankfully my mom was there to give me a pep talk. Like it was yesterday I remember saying through my tears "I'm not sure if I'm smart enough to do this." I got over my serous jitters and just took it one day at a time. I'm naturally an organized person but nursing school caused me to go in to organizational overdrive (not a bad thing). I never missed class and reviewed notes after class to elaborate on concepts that seemed more difficult to me. I took advantage of group study sessions. Times when I understood the material I would still attend group meetings so I could explain what I understood to my peers and further cement the concept in my mind. Some assignments can be done well in advance. Try to complete these asap and then later in the semester when you're mentally and physically fatigued you'll have one less task to complete. Develop a professional relationship with you instructors. If they see that you are serious about your education they will be more likely to invest extra time in you. These same instructors will also serve as personal references when you apply for your 1st nursing job so it helps if you are more than just the student who sat in the back of class and didn't engage. Try to enjoy the whole process. It will undoubtedly be stressful. But if you truly put the time in to succeed then you will! Good luck and congratulations!

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