freaking out about skills checkoffs...

Vershonda · Oct 24, 2011

Practice practice practice. This makes perfect. I understand your frustration but practing the skills and appear at ease makes instructors think you did every thing right. Be confident in yourself and the skills you do helps

spore2008 · Oct 24, 2011

I am about to begin nursing school so I have never taken the type of exam you are describing. That being said, I have been evaluated on my performance skills in an academic capacity many times and I always found the experience to be stress inducing.

I would not take an anti-anxiety drug before an exam if you are not used to the drug's effects on your body. If you routinely take these drugs and know how your body reacts, that is a different story.

By far the best way to deal with performance anxiety is to prepare. Before the exam/evaluation, take a deep breath and repeat to yourself, "I can do this. I will do this."

You will do fine.

Just_Dez · Oct 25, 2011

Do they give you supplies to take home and practice with? If not, if you're not feeling sure, let them know. Ask for some supplies to take home and practice with. If you do break sterile technique, if you tell them will they let you start over again? If we were to break sterile technique and catch ourselves we get to start again. I would really practice as much as you're allowed during labs/sims lab.

Before I start a check off, I go over it out loud with a friend, have someone whose checked off watch me and double check my technique.

maxcat · Oct 25, 2011

I prepare, and we have lots of time to practice. I practice in front of my group (of 4 students) and we have to check each other off. I wasn't even nervous before starting...I felt confident. Then, once I start, and I'm kind of talking through it as I go...my hands shake, I start to feel anxious, and that's when I am apt to forget something. It doesn't happen with every skill-mostly just the more involved ones (trach care, dressing changes...) that use sterile technique. I don't feel unprepared, I just feel that performance anxiety... not sure how to control it.

If we catch ourselves breaking sterile technique, we can stop and start again. We do get a skills bag, so I have supplies...but some of this still can't really be practiced at home (suctioning on the mannequin, etc...)

kjstrd · Oct 25, 2011

Maxcat, I am with you! I have severe test anxiety! I can do it completely right in front of other students but in front of the instructors, I freeze! I think I am intimidated by them! I have the parenteral validation tomorrow and am VERY NERVOUS!!! I feel just like you! I am 39 and have been a CMA for 18+yrs now so I should have no problem doing the injections, which I dont, but it is the thought that now I am responsible to make sure they can get the injection where as a CMA,the MD or NP was responsible and I just did as told!!! You and I seem to have a lot in common in this area, we should stay in touch and let each other know how it goes!!

crazytonurse · Oct 25, 2011

If we catch ourselves breaking sterile technique, we can stop and start again. We do get a skills bag, so I have supplies...but some of this still can't really be practiced at home (suctioning on the mannequin, etc...)

You can still practice the technique at home.. I used my son's albuterol spacer and it worked perfectly. Sometimes you just have to use your imagination. Good luck.

theantichick · Oct 25, 2011

I have a cohort who practices at home with a teddy bear. She goes through every step so many times that it's automatic for her. She's never gotten more than a couple of points off on a skills eval (like 2 points out of 175), and always for something totally minor.

My time is so limited, I can't put in the time and repetitions she does, so I end up with more points counted off... but I drill myself constantly in my head on the steps and on the big items especially those related to patient safety. I get a bit anxious when performing for the instructor, but it's not too bad, and I remind myself that I may lose points for style, but I am solid on my patient safety so I'll be ok. And that has been the case.

It really is all about being SO familiar with the process that you don't even think about it, you just automatically do the next step.

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Oct 25, 2011

If you do get a rx for an anti-anxiety med TEST IT out before the test :eek: You don't want to fall over- that does not usually go well :)

You know this stuff. Just keep telling yourself. :up:

During my skills finals, I was the "dummy" ( :cool: ) for "am care" and my classmate sticks a thermometer in my mouth (back with the glass thermometers). She's going on about the rest of the vitals, when my eyes catch a glimpse of RED....and the end of the thermometer...she stuck a RECTAL thermometer in my MOUTH --- AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH My instructor let her start over. I was traumatized for life Thankfully, at the skills lab, all items were purchased new, and not pocketed from discharged patients :lol2:

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Oct 25, 2011

You can still practice the technique at home.. I used my son's albuterol spacer and it worked perfectly. Sometimes you just have to use your imagination. Good luck.

If you're desperate, use a tube from the inside of a paper towel roll :)

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Oct 25, 2011

I used to hate skills check-offs initially because of anxiety. Practice makes perfect and the only way you will feel more comfortable is by practicing!

maxcat · Oct 26, 2011

Thanks for replies-what I ended up doing today is asking my instructor if I could re-do it. Not to pass or fail, but just b/c I wasn't happy with how it went yesterday. She was totally fine with that, and said she appreciated that I would make an effort to do that. I feel much better, it went 100% fine. Of course, the fact that it didn't really "count" probably helped, but still.