Feeling like a super failure

[Kringe38]

We had our mid-semester evals today. I got a low score on med admin and will have to do a remediation session and then retry med admin in clinicals. I just want to know if this means I am a hopeless case and maybe there is just something about me that is not cut out for or not good to become a nurse.

I got so nervous during the med passes I tried to do (2 consecutive days). It was my first time ever to do IVP, and I just really didn't know how to do it. We had a real quick session one day at school back in the spring where they showed us different parts of the whole IV setup (saline lock at one station, priming the tubing at another station, spiking the bag at another station, etc.), kind of a whirlwind thing, and that's been it until now. I never really understood it all at the time but had heard from other students that it was no use trying to get tutoring from the lab because the equipment was so old.

So now I feel like a fool for not having called the lab to ask for a session. The instructor says that at least once a month I should have been re-reading how to do it, even if I couldn't get hands-on experience with it (when I stated that we never get to do it and it was my first time). I also got so flustered that I had to be prompted to identify pt with 2 identifiers and had to be prompted on all the other things, too, even on the second day. (I thought I would do better on the second day, but I really didn't). The instructor said I would have injected air if she hadn't "stopped me" and I am not safe. Uh, I sure as heck don't remember being about to inject air. I had to be prompted to push the air out of the flush syringe, but I sure as hell wasn't leaning over about to inject it or anything. I was just standing there paralyzed. I certainly wouldn't have just gone out willy-nilly and started injecting things I wasn't sure about.

I guess I'm just feeling like a big doofus, like I should have known more, should have been studying for this more, and maybe this all just means I should just quit before I get any more behind. I am honestly not trying to make myself into some kind of sob story that everyone has to pity, I just feel weird.

[sarahmizzou]

Mistakes happen to the best of us. Just don't get all bent out of shape on your first try. Think about it analytically. What is the problem? You were unprepared, nervous, confused? Try and pinpoint it, study more and ask for more help. Even if they seem like they don't want to help that is their job. Do what you have to do. It will get better. Good luck! Don't give up so easily. They are trying to weed out the weak. Every nurse makes mistakes it is called being human. Don't throw yourself a pity party just start making strides to improve that weakness you have and one day it make become your strength!

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Get over it. You made a mistake now learn from it. Its how you learn best if you have enough sense to realize what you did, apply appropriate blame and learn. I failed an entire class that I have since passed and am about to graduate in Dec now. You WILL screw up, it happens. Learning how to deal with it is just as important as doing it right.