Freaking out soon-to-be first semester nursing student

ajulian87 · Jan 5, 2010

Thanks again guys for all of your kind words and reassurance. I just have to put on my brave face and just go for it! In my prereqs I got straight A's and graduated with a 3.94 cumm GPA...but the expectation of getting straight A's and even B's is slowly creeping out the window and I'm alright with doing my best, working hard and so long as I am PASSING the courses (C or better) I am content!

roma4204, BSN, RN · Jan 5, 2010

My advice: don't listen to any of the BS they try to scare you with. I feel like nursing school is really easy for some and really hard for others...meaning some should really think twice about being there. They tell you the 1,000 ways you can fail out, but honestly you will be fine. I had a bachelor's going into it which did help a little. The hardest thing is shifting your thinking to think like a nurse. Once you have that mastered (or at least how your profs want you to have it mastered) you will be golden. Seriously don't worry...unless you have a twisted instructor which did derail many of my classmates...but who knows what the problem actually was. Good luck :)

prairie66 · Jan 5, 2010

I will be starting 1st semester. I picked up the books today. Wow they are heavy. Do you guys have to carry books to school sometimes? I am so scared, I am taking AP 2 with my 1st semester of nursing class.

bonestAx · Jan 5, 2010

Totally normal. I thought I was going to be O.K. until I went to my first semester orientation. Where all the professors kept saying " it sounds like a lot but you all can do it." and " I hope no one here has a job". I do. And " I hope you don't think your gonna have a life now." I don't.

So I am going into 2nd semester now. And I am going to the 1st semester orientation. I do have a good reason to be there.(Nursing Student Association- VP) But I mostly wanna see that glazed over look on all their faces!

Stacio19 · Jan 5, 2010

Amy,
Take a deep breath and relax. I am starting my second semester next week. My program required a pile of books for the first semester, no additional to buy for the second. There will be a lot of reading but it is manageable. There are good videos on youtube and ati(assuming your program uses ati) Many people have done this before you, and they were human too. You will not have to tackle it all at one time. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Take a look at drug calculations and different types(catagories) of drugs and the "rights" of meds, this will put you ahead of the pack. How long until you are in clinicals? Good luck with your classes!
Charlie

Great advice. I still have yet to take the HESI A2 for entrance.

Stacio19 · Jan 5, 2010

Totally normal. I thought I was going to be O.K. until I went to my first semester orientation. Where all the professors kept saying " it sounds like a lot but you all can do it." and " I hope no one here has a job". I do. And " I hope you don't think your gonna have a life now." I don't.
So I am going into 2nd semester now. And I am going to the 1st semester orientation. I do have a good reason to be there.(Nursing Student Association- VP) But I mostly wanna see that glazed over look on all their faces!

I knew someone with a full-time, kids, and they survived through nursing school. I think it all comes down to time management skills and taking as many prerequisites before actually getting accepted.

MicheA · Jan 5, 2010

I'm starting my first semester on the 25th, and I'm starting to freak a little too :eek: My books are starting to arrive, and just the thought of having to haul them around is enough to make me nervous, never mind the rest of it LOL. Right now I'm waiting for the rest of my books and my scrubs to arrive, and I'm finishing off the last of the million tasks I have to get done in the next two weeks.

I was OK during orientation, but as the start date gets closer, I am getting more anxious. I wish it would just start already- at least then when I am anxious I can study or do something about it. Now it is all about the waiting...

ReeceB321 · Jan 5, 2010

Hey, I could understand the way you feel and it is perfectly normal. I am a junior nursing student and I do feel an elevated level of anxiety at times (especially right before my nursing tests, but always seem to pass through it). Just remember to stay focused and stay positive. You can do this! :nurse:

Abishag · Jan 5, 2010

I start nursing school in 3 weeks from today! I am just about ready, just wiating for the rest of my books and uniform to come in the mail. I decided it'd be a good idea to flip through all the books I just got in the mail today. BAD IDEA! I feel totally incompetent and lost at all of the information I'm going to have to learn. Any other students have this overwhelming flood of information anxiety? Any nursing students or NS vets have any advice? Is this anxiety and freaking out a sign that I wont be able to do it?? Thanks for any words of wisdom.
-amy

My words of wisdom is get used to the anxiety!! I just graduated a couple weeks ago and I can honestly say that every semester I felt the same way starting out. "Why am I doing this? I have no idea what i'm doing. What if I'm expected to know more than I do? Am I gonna screw up?" etc etc and so forth. It doesn't mean you are destined for failure.

There was a brief moment between my second and third semesters that I actually thought it wasn't for me. Basically I had received only Total Care patients that were one foot in the grave. I don't know how many hospice consults were done while I was assigned to the patients but allmost every single one. Not one of my patients was under 90yrs and we're talking about 20 patients in two semesters. It wasn't until I realized I was the ONLY ONE receiving all total care. When I brought it up to my instructors they were very apologetic. They didn't communicate what had already been assigned to me or not and since we rotate instructors every three weeks I was getting total cares every time (some diagnoses changed but basically same patient every time). I told them it was depressing that no one I was taking care of would actually live save a few. They apologized profusely and said they felt bad that was the impression I was getting in nursing school.

The next week I was given a younger patient with equally interesting diagnoses and doing well with therapy and I finally got it. I understood why I was there and all was well! I will say I almost fell over dead when my fellow classmate asked her in our third semester to help her with a bed bath because she had never done one!! :eek: :mad: I was even more floored when my other classmate told me in our last clinical rotation she had never inserted a foley catheter!! :eek: :uhoh3:

Anyhow, when it came to cardiac and critical care, I excelled though because of all my Total Care CHF patients. So in the end I'm thankful that I had those experiences and so thankful I stuck it out!! (And thankful I said something to the instructors) So I'm not sure why I went on this looooong rant but basically don't give up. Don't think you can't do it. The anxiety is there to stay but it gets less with each semester. You can and you will be a nurse!. :cool:

mammac5 · Jan 6, 2010

Rest assured you will not have to carry all those books around. Also, you will not use all of them at the same time. In addition...you won't be reading all of that material. Truth is, I haven't met anyone yet who is able to complete all the "suggested" readings for our courses. You do the best you can.