First clinical rotation finished, "not so glowing" evaluation

[Neohippy]

Hi folks,

I just finished Fundamentals of Nursing clinical rotation. We all received evaluations from our instructors on our clinical performance. As I struggled with nervousness in clinical, I wasn't expecting a perfect evaluation and expected, even welcomed, some constructive criticism, but it still bummed me out a little nevertheless.

I apparently am prepared on paper and do very well on assignments like cast studies, yet it doesn't translate over as well into my clinical performance. For example, I made a med error (gave a med late) and get discombobulated whenever my "routine" is interrupted and get behind and don't prioritize well. Some people are "naturals" in clinical, even without previous medical experience (I don't have previous clinical experience either, BTW).

I don't want to compare myself to others...I guess my question is, has anyone else experienced this when they were new in school and how did you overcome it? My mind goes blank when the instructor asks me a question and I make common sense mistakes. I do meditate and try to work on any anxiety before clinicals with self-talk beforehand, yet inevitably it still comes up and I go blank.

Thanks for listening!

[SubSippi]

I was also very nervous and anxious during my first clinicals. The nerves never left completely, and they shouldn't! But I can assure you, as you become more accustomed to functioning as an (almost) nurse, you'll become more confident, and more able to disguise the fact that you're feeling overwhelmed. Fake it til you make it!

A lot of the other posters have given advice about becoming more organized, which is key. In my opinion, clinicals are a lot about becoming more confident in yourself and your abilities, and the only way to do that is to jump in head first. Volunteer to do everything, especially if you're scared of it. The only way to quit being scared of something is to do it, and to do it more than once. You won't be allowed to do anything you're not fully capable of, and you'll have another nurse or your instructor there to help. They don't expect you to know everything. And if someone is rude to you, don't worry about it, because you still got your experience. Being flexible is an important part of being a nurse, and being able to prioritize will help you become less flustered when things go off track. Go in every morning expecting this to happen, and when it does, reassess your priorities, then do what you need to do!

I know it's disappointing to get a less than stellar evaluation, but your instructor was doing you a favor. Absolutely everyone has things they need to work on, and you are at an advantage knowing what your short comings are. You'll be amazed over the next semesters as you watch yourself progress.

[cherryblossom21]

I know that you posted this years ago but can I ask you how the rest of your semester went? And how you got through it? I'm in this exact position. I'm in my first semester and I made a med error and I'm also battling with anxiety during clinicals. I'm good at book work and I'm so scared I'm going to fail clinical.