graduate in 3 months & I don't know anything?

[stewiegriffin]

I'm in my final semester of an ASN program, 12 weeks from graduation, & I feel like I don't know anything.

I've given 3 shots, done 1 dressing change, d/c'd 2 IV's & that's about it.

I've given no IV pushes or piggybacks, not put in or d/c'd a foley, never tried to start an IV, no NG experience.

I get totally overwelmed when I have multiple patients. If my patient needs a lot of my time, then I run out of time on my computer charting. If I take time to do my charting correctly, then I don't have enough time with my patient's chart to get the info I need to do my homework later. As soon as I sit down to chart, my instructor or a floor nurse shows up & says let's go do such and such. It ends up taking 4 or 5 different tries to chart on one patient & I always worry that I'm leaving something out. And that's not even including giving meds, because we aren't giving meds this semester. I'd never get anything done if I was passing meds, too.

I've never watched a nurse do an assessment on a patient. I'd love to know if there's a better routine than the way I do it. I'd love to follow a nurse for a whole shift and maybe get some time-management & organization tips.

My grades are fantastic & my paperwork always gets top marks. My APA format is flawless. Unfortunately, none of that is going to keep my patients alive.

Is it normal to feel this way this close to graduation? Shouldn't things be falling into place by now? Maybe this is a sign that I'm in way over my head & I'm just not going to get any better.

[Natingale, EdD, RN]

Hey man good luck

I kind of understand where youre coming from. Instructors have to be there the whole time while passing meds, so they may limit 2 people per clinical shift

I think you will be ok, youre going to make mistakes. I read the first year in Nursing forum from time to time because its reassuring that other people are in your shoes. If I were you I would post there as well and see how many people felt the same way when they graduated, most of the people here (im assuming) are pretty much in the meat of nursing school and cant relate to you.

[jjjoy, LPN]

I feel like my time is being spent doing tasks that I've done for years (patient bath, feeding, bed making) and I'm rushing through the things that I need the most practice on.

My school had similar restrictive policies about practicing skills on patients that weren't assigned to you and without the clinical instructor there. And with usually just 2-3 patients a week, it was hard to get the variety of experience and exposure I was hoping to get in nursing school. We had several interesting but clinically useless observational experiences in various departments. We had just one short rotation through critical care where we got to pair up with a practicing nurse and were allowed to work under their guidance. It was the best experience but WAY too short. If I were to do it again, I'd have looked closer at the clinical training provided by the program before choosing a program.

If I were to be a new grad again, feeling as useless and inexperienced as I did then, I'd look first and foremost for a supportive working environment. I'd consider applying at the clinical sites that I felt best about. If I couldn't identify a supportive floor, then I might look for the most "boring" med-surg floor I could find. Boring as in frequent flyers with the typical chronic diseases who stay too long in the hospital. When EVERYTHING is new, having the same patient several days in a row can mean some small relief of familiarity. Unfortunately, lower acuity means more patients to try to keep straight in one's head and to juggle a multitude of responsibilities for.

Worst case, though, you quit or are asked to leave in the first few months. If you read the first year boards, you'll see that that's not uncommon. You needn't interpret such a situation as "failure" or "incompetence". That fits under "trial and error." The error being working on a unit that doesn't suit your learning needs. So then you try again, now with a bunch of new experiences under your belt and a better idea of what you're looking for in a place of employment.

Finally, someone here on allnurses compared earning a nursing license to earning a driver's license. You may have met all the criteria, passed the test, and are deemed worthy of holding a license, but that doesn't mean you're comfortable driving in the real world! Now that you have the license, you can get out on the roads and really learn to drive!

Good luck!!!