Feeling totally dejected

nurse4forever · Oct 11, 2011

:hug: Sometimes I feel the same way... I just started NS too. I heard it gets better though. Over the weekend I spoke briefly to a friend who is a Nurse Practitioner and she says that school is hard and so much different from real nursing. She says to just hang in there because there will always be a need for nurses.

P B and J · Oct 11, 2011

I had one of those days today as well, but we're only a few weeks in. Busted my butt on an assignment, thought I had done well, and covered everything as much as possible, and got less than 1/2 the points it was worth. Come to find out, all but 1 or 2 people in our class got the same or worse grade than I did!

The instructor told us we are right where we are expected to be at this point... I can't see it however. She said she knew it was going to be tough on us, as we are all used to being straight A students, but it would make us work harder.

All it did to me was make me second and third guess every thought I had for the rest of the day. I have lost my confidence as well. Now I'm depressed, dejected, and don't know what to think.

I'm just trying to tell myself it was just one of those days, and tomorrow will be better, hang in there!

littlerayofsunshine, BSN, MSN · Oct 11, 2011

Thanks for your replies. I tried to think about what exactly is making me feel discouraged. Right now, it's just about everything. The thing is that there is nothing major or 'wrong', it's just that I can't find anything positive to hang onto. I guess the fact that I am not failing is positive, but I'd like more than that. Guess, I'll give it a few more days and hope this feeling goes away.

Ugh!

Megan30291 · Oct 11, 2011

I am right there with you. I feel like I have no confidence left whatsoever. I feel that confidence would help me out so much I just don't know how to regain any. I see my boyfriend who is in a semester ahead of me with tons of confidence getting A's on tests, so I know it helps. My problem is getting down how to answer nursing questions and to ease my nerves when it comes to check-offs. It's so bad it's to the point when I think of next semester, I think if I make it there.

Ackeem, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Oct 11, 2011

this is my first semester in and school is pretty rough you know, but try to hang in there it gets better.

tap87 · Oct 12, 2011

hang in there! it definitely gets better. i have about one year left and it is rough but i keep telling myself it's worth it. don't doubt or second guess yourself. nursing is an excellent career and don't worry about employment yet...things can turn around regarding the job market and you may get a job no problem when you graduate. just remember...it's hard to find jobs everywhere in todays economy.

if you study all the time and give 110%, you have nothing to worry about. :specs: you'll be fine and you'll get through it. my confidence is so much higher than what it was a year ago, thanks to nursing school.

and if you feel like crying...do it! it might be good. i had to take pharm and med surg in the summer (16 weeks of material smashed into 11 weeks for the summer semester)...after the first week i came home and cried for hours to my fiance, lol. but i felt much better and told myself i was gonna do it and ended up with A's in both classes.

You can do it!! Good luck! :nurse:

allnurses Guide · Oct 12, 2011

It gets better. It really does.

This is when you learn to be aware of the work load coming up in terms of planning and time management, but not focusing on it. The reality of it can be frightening and depressing, but working through it one requirement at a time really isn't that hard to do. You will find more free time than you can foresee right now and you will have ups and downs as you figure out how to balance the rest of your life with this and how to answer NCLEX style questions. It is really normal to feel overwhelmed and wonder what you are getting into and if you have it in you to do it. I can tell you, as I face graduating in about 8 weeks, that when you start getting toward the end, you will remember these doubts and it will make you see yourself in a very good light. You'll be proud.

You will make it. One step at a time.

SunshineDaisy, ASN, RN · Oct 12, 2011

I ditto the others! And, if you need to cry and scream then do it, let that stress go. it's hard and we all have to do it at some point!

sdemt · Oct 12, 2011

I didn't start gaining confidence in my abilities until last semester, and I only have 6.5 more months till graduation! And I question my self all the time, like today, today is not a good day for me. However, I do have more good days then bad so they keep me moving along. And I agree with the poster above, cry, scream, yell, cry some more, let it all out. It will probably build up again, but just know that your feelings are okay and you'll get through this. You were good enough to get to where you are and you're good enough to carry through till the end :)

AgentBeast, MSN, RN · Oct 12, 2011

It's a roller coaster. One day you feel like crap and think you'll never be able to make it as a nurse. The next day you feel like you are pretty competent and will make a great nurse. Just gotta roll with the punches.

crazytonurse · Oct 12, 2011

All completely normal! You will experience many different emotions throughout your journey and although in the moment they suck, eventually you will appreciate them as valuable learning tools. In the beginning it seems like you have one bad day after the next. However, there will come a point in your education that things began to "click" and your patient thanks you for all of your hard work and your instructor gives you positive feedback (just to name a few). Those experiences by far outweigh the bad. Keep pushing through, I have learned more about myself since entering nursing school, than I had in all my previous years of actually searching for myself.