For all of you Nurses out there...

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I am finishing up nursing school and will be done the end of the summer. I feel like nursing school just blown my confidence all away. I feel like it's all down the drain. I also feel that my personality is just not the same anymore, and I'm always stuck doing school work while all my other friends are out having a good time. I don't like myself right now, and I think it's because Nursing School has done it for me.

I am almost done, and am just wondering for those of you who ARE nurses, is it truely really worth it?? Will I get my confidence back again? I hear stories about nurses being mean to new nurses, and if so then that's not going to help with confidence at all. :( Will I like nursing even though nursing school was horrible?---Is that normal?? I'm just starting to feel like maybe this isn't for me, but I'm almost done, so I'm going to finish it...and see what happens.

I just want to feel normal and happy again! :(

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Specializes in ICU.

That last semester of nursing school is tough but it will be over before you know it. As far as your confidence level goes, once you start working you'll start feeling it about 6 months in to your first job. Nursing school can be horrible but is in no way like "real world" nursing, so you're doing the right thing by not giving up.

My biggest fear out of nursing school was also encountering mean nurses and wondering if I would have support from my new team. I found that most nurses love to share their knowledge and are natural teachers (at least where I work; maybe I'm lucky). But even if your first job isn't peachy, remember that you have many other options once you get some experience under your belt. You don't have to be married to the job if you don't like it.

Hang in there. In my opinion, the struggle well worth it. Sending hugs and best of luck to you!

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Specializes in Home Health, Nursing Education.

I have moments like this through out almost everyday. I have one semester to go. I love it, but will I make it? The economy, the ratios, the millions of other new nurses. I will finish.. but then what?

I am scared of screwing up, scared that it may not be for me, too.

Hope you feel better. Sorry I can't help... but you are not alone. :confused:

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Specializes in LTC.

I'll be done in August and I'm feeling much the same as you. I've been so anxious in front of my instructors the whole time and now I wish they could go with me to my job! One of the things I pray for is a good, encouraging, patient preceptor where ever I go to work as a nurse for the first time.

My confidence is really shaken. I'm really glad you posted this. I was wondering if it's normal as we near the end.

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Specializes in ICU/CCU; PED'S; SURGERY; MED/SURG; NEURO.

Well Nursing must have interested you for you to have gotten an interest in it..nnow remember, as you begin your nursing career and making a salary and your friends were out partying, now who is better off?

I have been in nursing for ever (44years, yeah, I'm old..:) ) you will meet and interact with all types of people, just like in any career, good and not so good, why you have no confidence I don't quite understand since you made it this far..therer are many positions in health care so you will have options until you find you "niche". I am a Multiple Sclerosis Nurse Specialist and love it...I have done ICU/CCU..Med/Surg...OR...Peds....and here I am for over 14 years in Multiple Sclerosis..bad disease with wonderful people :).

Don't be so hard on yourself, look at what you have accomplished so far...hold your head up high and be proud of your accomplishment.

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Specializes in Dialysis,M/S,Home Care,LTC, Admin,Rehab.

Not everyone is attracted to be a nurse. Have a talk with yourself to determine why you were attracted, and what is discouraging you. It is so easy to be not happy and discouraged, especially at this stage of the game. I may be crazy, ( well, I am crazy)...but when I was in your shoes, I realized that I was stressed out and depressed, because I was grieving! I would miss school, the structure, the teachers, it's like, the honeymoon was over. Whatever you do, may I suggest that you be honest with yourself. Having said that, I am sure you will be (are) a fine nurse and have every reason to be confident :) Much luck and many blessings :)

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I was an LPN for 9 years before I chose to go back for my RN. I went back because I love nursing. I felt the same way in school. I didn't feel like myself and was tired all the time too because I was totally stressed out. So, I would say yes, it is normal to feel this way. Some nurses are mean to new nurses but that's not usually the case that I have seen. As long as you don't pretend like you know everything and do your best to be part of the team. That is part of the reason I love nursing so much. For the comradery.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Take a deep breath...

School is hard, and yes you have to make sacrifices. That's the way of school. I have found that with big sacrifices, come big returns.

It's all in the perspective.

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Not all nurses are mean and disrespectful. Yes, you will face people who are miserable and they try to spread their sadness by saying mean things about others. I also guarantee that one day you will find nurses that have a big heart and they will help you and respect you as if you were a relative. It is okay to get to know different people with different personalities, that way you know who is real, friendly, warm hearted and who is two faced. I just know that the best way to avoid people is to mind you own business and not to argue with them. Arguing proves there are two fools.Just remember you can't make everybody happy; and not everybody is happy, fun, honest, and respectful.

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Specializes in Dialysis, Home health.

Aww... you sound so sad:crying2:

Hang in there. I would have posted the same thing in my last semester, except I was too depressed to type.

You will have to find your niche after school. I know everyone says get into a hospital, do med-surg, blah blah blah....

I hated my med surg clinicals the entire LPN-RN year. I knew if I survived I would not step foot on the med surg floor again. And I haven't I am making 60k and i am not having to deal with any crabby patties, funky admin, hospital politics, and all the other crap I know I don't want to deal with...

Didn't even take me long to find my job. Again, you may want to do med surg and al that jazz, but guess what? I don't and won't. So if you are worried about liking nursing and being bullied, depending on if your life/finance situation can hang, you will either suck it up (grin & bear it) or move on.

Who knows...you may actually enjoy being a nurse. So in essence, time will tell.

:nurse:

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Specializes in medical.

Nursing school is very stressful. It is not easy for any new grad to start working on the floor as there are many things to learn. I was very stressed out as a new grad. Working in the hospital is stressful by default. How much stressful it is - it depends on the hospital itself, the coworkers, patient ratios and type of managers. I will say, after 4 years of working as a nurse on the floor, I'm glad I didn't give up so easily. I have a well paid job ( about 40$/hr) as I work per diem on a med-surg floor. There are a lot of people unemployed right now who can't find jobs easily. I'm glad I have something to hold on to. Do I like nursing? Overall, I don't mind it and like a lof of parts of it. I don't love it, but there are no perfect jobs. So please hold on to your school, pass the boards and even if you decide that nursing is not for you, you have always something to hold on to, if you need a job.

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Aww... you sound so sad:crying2:

Hang in there. I would have posted the same thing in my last semester, except I was too depressed to type.

You will have to find your niche after school. I know everyone says get into a hospital, do med-surg, blah blah blah....

I hated my med surg clinicals the entire LPN-RN year. I knew if I survived I would not step foot on the med surg floor again. And I haven't I am making 60k and i am not having to deal with any crabby patties, funky admin, hospital politics, and all the other crap I know I don't want to deal with...

Didn't even take me long to find my job. Again, you may want to do med surg and al that jazz, but guess what? I don't and won't. So if you are worried about liking nursing and being bullied, depending on if your life/finance situation can hang, you will either suck it up (grin & bear it) or move on.

Who knows...you may actually enjoy being a nurse. So in essence, time will tell.

:nurse:

I know what you mean, I noticed on this site some people say to go onto the med-surg floor right after graduating to get experience. But I didn't like it either. I didn't like my med-surg rotation at all and frankly, I didn't like the hospital feeling of "running around w/ my head chopped off" .... I'm just quite curious to see what kind of job you do?? I know that there are a lot of different paths you could go with nursing and that is a good thing about it.

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