First semester of clinical made me change my mind

[crownemarie]

Alright, so I have been completing pre-requisites for the past 2 years and now after my first semester of clinical I have changed my mind about nursing entirely!!!

My clinical instructor was not very active in her teaching and when I got to the clinical sight (a nursing home) I was very uncomfortable with my patients. I asked her to assist me in AM care on the first day of clinical and she told me to get another student....wow.

Maybe it's just me but I wasn't too thrilled about working with old people...say what you will but I guess you can say I'm afraid of sick old people, alzheimers, incontinence.....those diaper changes weren't my cup of tea and I'm not interested in doing that for the rest of my life.

This was my first time in that kind of setting. I hadn't done any volunteer work. Honestly I was in it for the job security and salary.

My initial plan was to go to veterinary school, I LOVE animals:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:D....but I knew it would take forever to get that degree. I'm only 23 now but I would like to have children one day, when my ovaries aren't too old and when I'm financially stable...which also persuaded me to go into the nursing field....but now I hate it. I don't want to be miserable in my career, nor do I want to be 35 having my first child when the chances of birth defects increase drastically.

I need some wholesome advice.....is it normal to be uncomfortable with your patients, especially geriatric patients?? I don't want to be in it strictly for the money if I'm not giving my all into it....

Thanks in advance everyone!!!

[Nepenthe Sea]

I can tell you that I was VERY uncomfortable in the beginning of clinicals (LTC/rehab facility). I wasn't the only one - we had a student drop out on the second day of clinicals! I had no previous health care experience, and had never taken care of an adult family member. It's very awkward at first. We see things that most people will never see and it can take some getting used to. What kept me going initially was my goal of being a NICU nurse, and I knew that before I could get to those babies, I would have to take care of big people first, so I kept at it. My next rotation was better, and every rotation since has gotten easier. Now I work in surgical ICU as a tech, and we see some REALLY crazy stuff there, and it doesn't even faze me anymore. It does help to get a CNA job if you can, because you get used to things like giving baths and cleaning poop - still my two least favorite things to do, but it doesn't bother me near as much as it did. If you really believe you want to be a nurse, then just keep on keeping on, and see if you can get to the point where it doesn't feel weird. And if it NEVER gets to that point, and you just don't like it - that's okay! It takes a big person to admit that nursing isn't for them. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. : )

[puStudentNurse12]

I would def wait at least another semester to see how you like things. I'm a student too and I was not sure about nursing when I had my first clinical. No sane person enjoys cleaning up vomit or diarrhea. One good thing about nursing is that you can do anything from desk work at a doctors office to trauma in an ER. I have a friend who's mom is a nurse and she doesn't take care of patients at all, she is in charge of discharge planning for the patients in the hospital. I would recommend you stick with it at least for a little while. I've also heard that if you can make it through the nursing home you can make it through anything... which I find to be pretty true in my experience. If you still hate it after being in the hospital though it might be smart to try something else. There's no point being in a career you hate if you don't have to be. Good luck! :)

[anneuhbanana]

I am shocked at all of the people telling you to not give up...but nursing isn't what you WANT...you are just in it for the money, and frankly, I DO NOT want my nurse to be someone who doesn't care about me and is just going through the motions so they can make bank. You will never be happy in it. The first day of class my teachers said if you are in it for the money you better run...FAST...why would you put yourself through all of this if it isn't something you want?

And clinical instructors are never by our side, they also tell us to get another student. They are not there to hold are hands, they are there to push us. There will be many situations that you are uncomfortable with, after the first week you realize that it is constantly uncomfortable and you get used to it.

[Rachelmm007]

I think that one of the biggest problems would be your lack of passion for the nursing career. While I don't ever agree with someone soley in nursing for the security and salary, I still have to agree with the other posters when they say to not judge it by the first clinical that you experienced...

[momtojosh]

anneuhbanana.....i agree completely!!.......while i was going thru clinicasl we had this RN we were suppose follow...well she was a complete BIT&*....she complained about us being there...complained about her PTs and so on.....she was rude to the PTs as well.....i thought in my mind,i DO NOT ever want this woman for a nurse if i have to stay here for something.....well....about 7 mos later,my mom ended up in the hospital...yup...you guessed it...she had THAT nurse.....i requested another nurse right away!!.....my mom even said she was mean and short.....so ya....if you dont have any compassion...pls dont be a nurse...

we all clean up the fluids we hate...

[Guest 360983]

Clinicals get better, but some parts of the job (like baths and cleaning up poop) will be in many aspects of nursing. As for old people, one of my professors put it this way: "If you aren't a pediatric or OB nurse, you are a geriatric nurse." If you just hated every second of clinicals and didn't see any redeeming qualities, you should drop it now. If you didn't love it but liked certain parts and can see what you want to do as a nurse, keep going. You could end up in a very different specialty like psych, where there is much less of the patient care, but you should still have at least a little attraction to nursing if you don't want to hate it.

If you really want to be a vet, and really understand what getting into vet school entails, go for it. You are young enough to follow your passion. If you don't get into vet school, you could always be a doctor. :)

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

I've never been interested in working in an area with long-term patient encounters even prior to getting into the program. Long-term care is obviously out. I've said many times if I can't find a "choice" nursing job I'll demote myself and go back to being a patrolman somewhere.

[Tyler77]

I have to agree with the previous poster, that telling you to "stick it out" is not the best advice. If you went into nursing for job security and salary benefits, get out now. Once you graduate your program and then realizing that nursing involves WORK, drama, cranky patients and their families, doctors with a superiority complex, co-workers with attitudes and drama, you will curse the day you decided to "stick it out." I've seen many a student go into nursing for the same reasons you decided on, only to not make it through the program or hate their jobs once they graduate.

No one can tell you to drop out or stick it out. You need to decide for yourself. I had a nursing instructor that had NO BUSINESS being around patients or students because of her vulgar language and immature attitude. (She "resigned" because word got back to her that the chair of the department was going to fire her). You can't tlet one rotation color your impression of nursing, but what goes on in your rotations is what the real world is like. And in the real world, ain't no students or a nursing instructor going to be around to run to. (Pee, poop, vomit, gross bodily fluids, yucky smells, bedpans, baths, rude patients, insane work schedules are everywhere in nursing. Better get used to it now).

[crownemarie]

Well I've sucked it up! I've had alot of time to think about what I'm going to do and my decision is to stay with nursing. I'm doing independent study and keeping in touch with previous classmates and faculty. I'm going to go for it. Bed baths no longer creep me out and I've come to the realization that there are going to be instructors who come off as rude, arrogant and unassistive but I won't let that stop me from becoming the best nurse I can be. Thanks for all of the support guys! I'll keep everyone posted on my journey!

[LaurenMarie]

The best advice I can give you is to think of them as your grandparents... there is something in a nurse that wants to provide care to people who need it. Think of taking care of the older patients as your grandparents. I think it would be foolish to quit now, you've only had ONE experience. You will be tkaing care of older patients alot of the time if you're on a general med surg floor, but nurses don't usually do the bed changing and cleaning diapers. Its your right of passage to do those things...everyone has to do them starting when they're in nursing school. You have to learn those things to be able to effectively care for your patients. I look forward to taking out foley's and changing diapers, changing wounds, washing a patients hair, because I know it makes them feel better. Thats the goal of nursing is to make your patients feel better while they are staying at the hospital. I will say that if you aren't getting the clinical experience you want it could be because you aren't putting yourself out there to learn. sitting back in the corners and observing people will only get you so far. You should tell the patient, Im your student nurse and Im going to be helping with your care today. Im looking forward to working with you because I;ll learn about your disease process. Watch nurse one time then copy her. You have to take control of your clinical experience because the nurses are way faster at it than you are...if you aren't showing interest in something that needs to be done, they'll do it in the time it takes you to make up your mind.

In my program, we have a check off sheet of skills we have to do in the hospital. We watch the nurse demonstrate the skill once and then next opportunity, we do it ourselves. This week in clinicals I've disconnected and IV and two Foley's, changed a wound, passed five patients oral meds (not allowed to do injections/IV's yet) all day long, helped a client get a clean urine specimen, did a fecal occult test (yes I had to dip the paper in her poop...), administered a PEG tube feeding, and charted rounds for my nurse every other hour. I changed a patient with help from a tech, because he had pooped on himself and got to feel around the inside of a 6cm deep gunshot wound.

You're the only one who can make the decision about your life...but if you're not into it, PLEASE spare the rest of us who may be your patients one day. You don't want to be taken care of by someone who doesn't want to be there anymore than I do.

[an2on, BSN, RN]

I'm still stuck on the fact that you ask your clinical instructor to help you!

[yakatchew]

I'm new to this site, but I'm glad to hear that you've decided to hang in there. I didn't like my first 2 clinical rotations (med surg I and psychiatriac rotations). Then came OB and I loved it. I'm doing pediatrics right now and I'm enjoying that, too. I also had the opportunity to observe a surgery and was fascinated. I'm not looking forward to my last 2 semesters, Medsurg II and III, but I know I'll make it through them. I just keep reminding myself that I have to do this because that's how students learn. I also keep telling myself that I don't HAVE to work in the hospital. There are so many areas to choose from. Don't let your disgust of one field turn you off nursing entirely.