I'm a LPN student, in my second year (I chose the part time track). This year, I have clinicals, skills class, and med-surg. I'm a 4.0 student (even in my RN prereqs), have worked as a CNA, clinicals are going well...I am doing fine at the hands on stuff. Except for when it comes to my actual check off in lab, with the instructor.
I start getting anxious as I am doing the skill, and today I forgot a major thing. This is a skill I had done at least 5x with my group, correctly. I passed, nobody really fails the checkoffs, but we do have a final exam in Dec that can consist of 1 of a variety of scenarios. They are obviously a lot less forgiving of mistakes in the final, and I am completely hung up on the idea that I could mess up one thing, not realize it, and fail. And then would have to either repeat the whole year (b/c I can't continue this year) or switch out of nursing completely.
I just feel like my whole stupid career is hinging on some detail like breaking sterile technique, being too many points off on BP, etc... I'm 38, this is a career change for me, and I need to be working-I can't afford to dink around and try another year of nursing school, hoping I make it that time, if I flunk this final.
Any advice on keeping calm during checkoffs? I'm seriously thinking of asking for a xanax prescription... I know the material, I just need to keep calm and think clearly during these checkoffs.
