Do you guys feel like...

JentheRN05, RN · Sep 17, 2006

Just keep this in mind. It's how I got through school. Every first test is a practice test. I made myself believe that.

You will make it. You just have to believe in yourself. Trust me, every student nurse feels the same way. Most just don't say it out loud. But they feel it.

It will be done, and you will be a fabulous nurse. Keep your chin up and believe in yourself.

allthingsbright · Sep 17, 2006

Just keep this in mind. It's how I got through school. Every first test is a practice test. I made myself believe that.
You will make it. You just have to believe in yourself. Trust me, every student nurse feels the same way. Most just don't say it out loud. But they feel it.
It will be done, and you will be a fabulous nurse. Keep your chin up and believe in yourself.

Good advice about the "practice tests." LOL! Thanks Jen...

3kidsmom · Sep 17, 2006

Hi,

I feel like this all the time. I too do well grade wise but sometimes in clinical I feel so nervous. I think what scares me the most is that nursing people's lifes our in your hands. This wasn't the case in my previous jobs.

I guess we should start a mantra and say "I care, I try, and I do my best..that is what makes a good nurse!"

Good luck!

Kate

NICU_nurse2b · Sep 17, 2006

You will never make it through nursing school? I am doing well grade wise and in clinical, but I am so unsure of myself--everything seems very intense and I wonder how I will ever learn everything I need to in order to make it as a nurse. I keep hearing horror stories about NEXT semester and I am not even half way into this one. I am freaking out...
I guess I just wonder if I am the only one out there feeling like a big loser--like someone is going to find out and tell me I can't cut it. I fake it really well in clinical and look confident and calm, but inside I am so scared! I have these moments when I am starting an IV or a cath where I feel like I am looking on in disbelief that I am doing all this stuff...oh, and the IV thing is HAARD!! AGH!
Ok, thanks for letting me freak out here...
Wish me luck!

I feel the same! This week was especially hard! I feel like I want to puke most of the time. On the way to school my stomach feels like I am on a roller coaster! Since I started nursing school I have done something to my neck twice (I can barely turn my head now); my IBS is in doulbe time; my heartburn that I havn't had in years is in full force again. I feel like I am losing my mind and my body is completely falling apart. I just keep telling myself "I can do this" until I actually believe it! I hope that day comes soon!

iHeartNICU · Sep 17, 2006

Oh my gosh, I feel like this all the time as well. I do great grade wise and have also passed clinical my first year. Sounds good, right? Well, I continue to thinks that there's no way I can really be passing clinicals, I am so nervous all of the time that I'm going to hurt someone or do something wrong. I guess I need to be more confident in myself. It seems like my clinical instructors are or they wouldn't be passing me every semester. I dread going to clinicals most days. I hope once we start working and have had some real experience it won't be like this. I guess it all comes with time and lots of practice. Best of luck to everyone.

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Sep 17, 2006

Your absolutly NOT alone in feeling this way. Everyone in my clincal group feels the same way! I think it is very normal. My Med/Surg instructor told me we should be feeling scared and nervous and overwhelmed.

When I first got to clinical the first day I remember just being so shocked at how sick some of these people were. I was scared to go into a patients room, I was scared to do my assessment and touch the patient...lol! I was scared to take vitals! But 4 weeks into it, I am starting to feel a little more confident now. I went to do my assessment last week and felt very comfortable. I just kept telling myself (even though I am a student) that I am a professional and I can do this, the patient is looking to me.

I did walk in on a patient the other day and freaked out and didn't know what to do. She was older and must have been mental, she was standing there bleeding from her triple lumen, drinking out of her emises basin and pooping on the floor walking towards me throwing poopy and pee'ed on towels at me--all in full makeup and smiling at me!! Thankfully her nurse came in and took over, but I had no clue what to do and was scared.

I realize I still have a long way to go, but I can do this and you can too. I'm also getting a job as an aid here soon, I think that will help a lot as well.

moonischasingme1 · Sep 17, 2006

Your absolutly NOT alone in feeling this way. Everyone in my clincal group feels the same way! I think it is very normal. My Med/Surg instructor told me we should be feeling scared and nervous and overwhelmed.
When I first got to clinical the first day I remember just being so shocked at how sick some of these people were. I was scared to go into a patients room, I was scared to do my assessment and touch the patient...lol! I was scared to take vitals! But 4 weeks into it, I am starting to feel a little more confident now. I went to do my assessment last week and felt very comfortable. I just kept telling myself (even though I am a student) that I am a professional and I can do this, the patient is looking to me.
I did walk in on a patient the other day and freaked out and didn't know what to do. She was older and must have been mental, she was standing there bleeding from her triple lumen, drinking out of her emises basin and pooping on the floor walking towards me throwing poopy and pee'ed on towels at me--all in full makeup and smiling at me!! Thankfully her nurse came in and took over, but I had no clue what to do and was scared.
I realize I still have a long way to go, but I can do this and you can too. I'm also getting a job as an aid here soon, I think that will help a lot as well.

THAT is the strangest/weirdest image ever!!!

Beary-nice · Sep 17, 2006

Good luck to you...and one day at a time...that is the only way to fly

I had a professor who once told me "Don't even try to know it all...because you never will." In other words...chill. I have to remind myself of that from time to time but hey...this is the place to vent!

Take care!

WDWpixieRN, RN · Sep 17, 2006

We're only 4 weeks in to the semester, and 1 "real" clinical day....and the word that keeps coming up over and over again is OVERWHELMED!! I have barely figured out what we learned for the first test with vitals, assessments, and some other basics, and we're moving in to meds, pharmocology, etc...there are days my brain feels like it's going to just explode!! I am petrified I won't remember all of this stuff when it comes to application of the material....we were partnered for our first clinical day, but in no way do I feel confident nor knowledgable enough to do it on my own next time....plus the RN and tech were so busy doing other stuff, we ended up doing much on our own....my partner had hospital experience, thank heavens....

The instructors will say stuff to us during lecture that is going WAY over my head sometimes....I loved when they did a review of our 1st test and said "Well, we know we mentioned it in lecture"....well, DUH....if we had all caught that (plus everything else) there'd be no need to quiz us as we'd all have 100%....but things are talked about as if we already should know or have the information tucked away in our heads....and that's when I really freak out!! Sorry, I really don't know all the things I am supposed to do before administering certain drugs like apical pulses or their potassium levels, etc., etc....and when I look at my drug book, I wonder that I will EVER know all of this information too!! Scary, scary biz.....

No, you aren't alone...and I only can hope and pray for the day I feel confident and know that I know things to be successful in this career and an asset to the RN community!! ARGH!!!

allthingsbright · Sep 17, 2006

Thanks for the feedback everyone...

I have three exams and two clinicals in the next three days!!! This is our second round of tests-managed A's on the 1st 3 exams in the three classes I am in...

Only two more weeks of OB clinical then I have a 5 wk block off from clinical to just concentrate on my lecture grades--then mental health clincal for 5 weeks and the semester will be over! It goes fast!

GL to everyone else in the same boat...

RN1263 · Sep 19, 2006

You will never make it through nursing school? I am doing well grade wise and in clinical, but I am so unsure of myself--everything seems very intense and I wonder how I will ever learn everything I need to in order to make it as a nurse. I keep hearing horror stories about NEXT semester and I am not even half way into this one. I am freaking out...
I guess I just wonder if I am the only one out there feeling like a big loser--like someone is going to find out and tell me I can't cut it. I fake it really well in clinical and look confident and calm, but inside I am so scared! I have these moments when I am starting an IV or a cath where I feel like I am looking on in disbelief that I am doing all this stuff...oh, and the IV thing is HAARD!! AGH!
Ok, thanks for letting me freak out here...
Wish me luck!

sorry i didn't read the other post........

but, i'm 3rd semester (adn) and feel the same way most of the time! fake it til' you make it, that's my motto! this semester things are starting to come together a bit more and when that happens it's a light bulb moment...LOL.

the thing that gets me is i can sometimes feel overwhelmed and get depressed, because of that....so i try to find my way back A.S.A.P! even if that means i have to get on this board and ***** and moan for a week straight...haha. it helps though!:wink2: