First clinical rotation finished, "not so glowing" evaluation

Ruby Vee, BSN · Apr 25, 2012

i had no medical experience either, and my evals were pretty similar to yours. you've gotten some good advice. the best i can say to add to it is to tell you to learn to accept and learn from constructive criticism. if you can swing that, you'll be one gigantic step ahead of most of your peers!

Nurse Leigh · Apr 25, 2012

i would say what you are going through is quite natural. even as a second career student, i found nursing school clinicals to be fraught with anxiety--and that was dealing with one or at most two patients! (ok, so much of my time was spent copying my pt's labs and radiology reports, h&ps etc, for the reports and care plans (ack) i would have to do on them. somehow, i made it.

i can't begin to tell you how nervous i was during my first year (if not more) of nursing. i would try to organize a plan of action in my mind, grab my supplies i thought i would need and take off. inevitably, a wrench (or many) is thrown into the works. i would deal with whatever came up, then be all discombobulated and unable to get back on track. it was like i was so focused on what i needed to do that i had difficulty dealing with interruptions/obstacles. i really thought i would never make it as a floor nurse, especially on a busy tele floor like mine. i felt like nursing school had done nothing to prepare me to be a nurse.

and yet, time passes, as it tends to do. i still get flustered from time to time (you know, it is impossible to give meds on time when pharmacy does not send them till hours and many calls later) and my mind and plans still go off track. but i deal with it. i realize i can only control certain things, and stressing about those i cannot control is really on harmful to me. now it has been four years. i am still on that tele floor, and now i am often charge along with a patient load. but now, i am able to more clearly see the big picture and anticipate what certain events and situations will likely call for. this helps ease so much anxiety.

it take time. you are not expected to be there while you are still in school. so, take this time to learn, listen, and realize you are on track. you seem open to suggestions, which is a huge thing. i wish you the best.

Neohippy · Apr 25, 2012

it was like i was so focused on what i needed to do that i had difficulty dealing with interruptions/obstacles

that perfectly states how i have felt!

thank you, leigh, for the wonderful advice...the people on this forum is so fantastic and helpful.

wooh, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2012

You're organized and prepared, that's a big part of the battle. Being able to drop what you're doing to do something more urgent comes with time, but it also comes as a part of that organization. Writing down your to-do list allows you to save the brain in your head space to focus on whatever it is you have to do now. I have a check off system for myself, one line through it, I've done, x over it means it's done AND charted. So if I have to stop in the middle of something, I can go do whatever, then look at my sheet, and see immediately where I need to pick back up.

It also comes with comfort in the setting. If at all possible, get a job as a tech. They've got more patients than a nurse, so it's PERFECT training for multi-tasking. And it gets you comfortable on a hospital floor, meeting new patients everyday. Gets rid of some of those nerves, so you can save up all the nervousness for dealing with the scary clinical instructor.

CrazierThanYou · Apr 25, 2012

I would also be interested in "borrowing" your organization sheets. Please and thank you! My email is [email protected]

ou_absn_2013 · Apr 25, 2012

Would you consider uploading your report sheet? I am getting ready to begin an accelerated BSN program and have not medical experience. I am grateful or any and all helpful tips for making it through the program.

Thanks

mandy1623 · May 1, 2012

Things will get better as your confidence goes up. I just finished my first year of nursing school and i was a mess during my first semester of clinicals. Dont waste time comparing yourself to others, almost everyone will have an issue or make a mistake at some point. I almost didn't pass my first semester but now in my last evaluation i was told that i'm now above average for my level...quite a change. Just dont give up and believe in yourself. Go into clinicals each day prepared and tell youself that you know what your doing and you can do it. If you get overwhelmed just take a second and try to relax and clear your head...there were times i even went to the bathrooms for a min if i was able to just to try and refocus. You'll start to get into more of a routine and will get better at prioritizing as you get more experience. Just learn from it and try to fix it, good luck!

laladeedee · Jun 26, 2013

I have definitely experienced these types of issues before too. The only way to overcome this kind of stuff is to really just believe in yourself and tell yourself that you can do it. All I did was think positively and really make sure I become assertive in clinical, lose my shyness, and just get out of my comfort zone. If you don't try to get out of your comfort zone, you will never improve.

kaydensmom01 · Jun 26, 2013

I was the same way in clinicals. I was literally the first one there to get patient information because I was so afraid of messing up, yet I continued to look like the least prepared because of my anxiety. I too made common sense mistakes and was told that I did not make a good impression. I dreaded going to clinicals because I felt like I was so dumb. I continued to feel this for most of the semesters. It all started getting better when I made myself realize that I was setting myself up for failure. I had such high expectations of myself that I could never live up to them. I made myself see that all I could do was try my hardest and prepare as much as I could but there was still going to be things that I didn't know. It also helped when I gained more confidence by taking the hardest patients that I could do I could in order to gain experience, which lessened the anxiety.

Things really turned around at my preceptorship. I had doubts all through out school whether I had entered the right profession because I was so good at book work, yet I felt like I didn't do we'll in clinicals. All if my doubts were removed at my preceptorship because I felt like I was so much closer to the role of the nurse than when I was in school, and this is when things really started coming together for me clinically.

LittleWhiteDress · Jul 2, 2013

I also need those report sheets!!!!

alicia1021 · Jul 2, 2013

I would love the report sheets too if possible? [email protected]

allnurses Guide · Jul 2, 2013

It also comes with comfort in the setting. If at all possible, get a job as a tech. They've got more patients than a nurse, so it's PERFECT training for multi-tasking. And it gets you comfortable on a hospital floor, meeting new patients everyday. Gets rid of some of those nerves, so you can save up all the nervousness for dealing with the scary clinical instructor.

Wooh, this is so true.

So often students or future students ask, "Do I have to be a CNA or a PCT first?".

The answer is "no", but the point is not whether it is required, but that it provides invaluable hands-on experience:

*You learn the most basic nursing tasks-- tick that off your this of things to be nervous about as a nursing student

*You learn how to multi-task and prioritize those tasks-- tick that off your list.

*You become familiar will common patient diseases and interventions-- tick off that... your learning curve won't be so great, though you have much more to learn about those things.

*You become comfortable in the environment: chain of command, communicating with others, how to behave, how to speak and address concerns, etc.-- tick that off, too.

I'm sure there is more I left out.

Tick off those bug-a-boos and then those are things you don't have to fuss over when what you really need to focus on is the greatest queen mother nursing skill of them all, which is assessment... and critical thinking... and the why behind everything you do (labs, medications, treatments, etc., etc.).

I really think that my CNA/PCT experience helped me enormously in clinical and I always recommend it.