my first semester in nursing school..need advice

[NursingStudent-Tati]

I am in my first semester in nursing school, So far i am passing everything..and I am very happy about that..but i worry everyday about whether or not i am going to be a good nurse.. there is so much we need to know, and so many precautions, it seems a lil scary, and you can not make mistakes because a patien'ts life is in your hands. I feel overwhelmed with everything we need to know..I am studying alot!! although i am not a quick learner, i am a slow learner, it takes me awhile to memorize things, and wen i forget somethin i get very angry at myself.. it seems like nurses have to be a walking encyclopedia, another problem is that i have trouble with skills, it takes me a while to learn them! over n over again, practice, practice, practice! n then some of my classmates, get it right away n in less time..sometimes i feel like a complete idiot wen i make the dumbest mistakes, n in a performance test, i kno everything because i practiced and studied but wen it comes to do the test, i will forget one thing, n get pretty nervous! ugh *sighs* any words of advice or wisdom for me? i hope nursing is for me, i am compassionate, determined, and most importantly i have a special nose, what i mean is that i can't smell alot of fowl sounds, which is bonus for me..don't you think lol..i am hoping that as time goes by everything will get better and that i can survive nursing school! I am mostly afraid of next semester..med surge which i heard is a killer!

[BellasMommyOBRN]

i have read so many posts from nursing students like yourself, that sound just like this one.

if you keep trying, practice, and practice and practice some more, it will become more and more natural to you. you are only in your first semester and it sounds like you are doing well academically so far. give yourself some credit, and give it your all.

[ButterPeacanRican]

i finish nxt semester and i was just like you when i first started. My advise to you is not to worry too much, you sound like a smart person so should have no problem passing. As far as feeling like there is so much you need to know, there is, but you have to also understand that we are not going to memorize everything. and memorization is not the answer, understanding the reasoning behind what you do is more important. just relax take it one day at a time and you'll do fine.

[OBGYN*RN]

Dont worry you will be fine. I'm a senior in the BSN program and there have been many times when I have felt like you..and still do at times. But some of the best advice I have been given is realizing that as a new graduate you wont know alot..point blank. You will get most of your skills..experience etc from actually working as a nurse. Nursing school is just a broad overview of what you will see and do as a nurse. The best teacher is actually doing. I hear all the time nurses say "I didnt even put in a foley or start an IV until after I got out of school". Hearing things like that always makes me feel better.