Clinicals!!!!

suzy253, RN · Nov 17, 2006

Relax, relax. We all learned 1 step at a time and were in your shoes. I'm sure you'll do just fine. :)

Megsd, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2006

I think everybody feels that way. I am the type to wear emotions on my face and during our hospital orientation for clinical this quarter several of our classmates and I looked like we were about to cry, and my CI made us do deep breathing exercises to calm us down. Then all quarter when we did something really cool she'd say "See? I TOLD you you'd be fine..." Clinicals, especially the first one, are exciting, wonderful, but yes, very nervewracking when it's brand new.

Just try to go into clinical with an open mind and remember that you know what you're doing! You'll be okay. :)

Trauma Columnist · Nov 17, 2006

New situations sometimes make me very nervous. I think all of us have some performance anxiety when we come into something new. Nursing is a hugely responsible position and one where we often can feel and wonder if we are doing the right thing.

Don't worry (I know easy for me to say). When I went into my APN clinicals, I was still nervous.

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2006

UHhhhh, yeah. I went in totally confident with my book/lab learning, and then BLAM!!! Patient problems, failed clinical, and a progress report later I righted myself. I got overwhelmed first week, had med error, didn't know meds were given before breakfast, didn't know client's routine, etc....

in my defense, instructor gave NOOOO info about how to care, just kind of got thrown in and fed to sharks.....

take a breath, do it, and know it does get easier......

llg, PhD, RN · Nov 18, 2006

One way to think about it is:

"If you knew it all before you went to clinical (or class), there would be no reason to go."

Think about that in a deep way. Nursing school clinicals (and later, job orientations) have 2 components. To succeed, you have to balance the two. On one hand, they are supposed to be learning experiences. That means you don't know all the material at the beginning of the experience. On the other hand, you are being evaluated on your ability to perform certain tasks and your ability to function safely in a real-life situation. Even if you are not be directly evaluated by your instructor or preceptor, the patient is always evaluating you and often your colleagues as well.

That's what causes a lot of stress in clinicals (and orientation). Many people have trouble coping with the fact that both processes need to happen simultaneously. They want the learning experiences to happen separately from being evaluated. But real life doesn't work that way. In real life, we are always confronted with new situations that require us to "learn as we go" -- but yet, we are still expected to perform well as we figure it all out.

So, it's really not unfair that students (and oreintees) have to both learn and perform at the same time. But it is a higher level of learning/performance than most people are used to. In a lecture class, you go to class to learn without having to worry about performing well at the test until the day of the exam. The learning is separate from the testing. That's not how real life works and that's not how it is in clinicals.

Focus on giving safe care and meeting the patient's needs before your own and you'll probably do just fine. It's often the students who are too focused on "making themselves look good" who make the worst mistakes because they were hesitant to ask for help.

Good luck to you all,

llg

Rosa2Little · Nov 19, 2006

I felt like that on my first day. Each day you will feel more confident. Now my last clinical day for the semester is on Tuesday. I'm so depressed!! Now that I'm comfortable, it's over!

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Nov 21, 2006

gee Rosa I am jelous, I would be elated if it was the last clinical day of the semester . Two more weeks after this one... then its break time thank goodness!

swtooth

raebabelvn, LVN · Nov 21, 2006

I actually working WITH patients today! I was amazed at myself. I was so at ease and since 3 of us grouped together, it made the day a lot smoother. :)