Has anyone had the worst day at clinical?

[tvolo]

I just need to vent a little. I am in my first semester of an ADN program and last week we started doing two day clinicals instead of one. Last was also the first week I was really on my own. I feel like I just did everything wrong. I had to give a bed bath, give meds, dressing changes, hoyer transfers, everything. The patient was very vocal about her pain throughout the entire day (normal for her) so it made it very difficult to focus. My anxiety level was through the roof, I was sweating perfusely and it took me all day to complete everything to be done and then document. I screwed up so many times. I really left so uneasy and I still can't stop thinking about it. I guess the CNA's were making fun of us (a fellow student heard them all talking about us in the hall, they didn't know she was in the room). To make matters worse, I forgot to put the med cart keys back and got to the end of the road and had to turn around and bring them back. Just as I was walking in the door my instructor was walking out looking for me. I was supposed to clean something too and I forgot. My instructor said not to worry she would do it but I feel like I am going to get in trouble. My instructor is awesome and really nice but I am still worried. Has anyone else had bad days in clinical?

[Carrie_MTC]

Too many to count lol. You kind of get used to it after awhile. My first quarter of med-surg I went home crying almost everyday. Now I have 2 quarters left before I graduate, and realize if I do something wrong or get yelled at just make it a positive. Like ok I will do better next time. Learn to not take things personally, trust me it makes it a lot easier. We have all been there.

[ColletteSN]

Bad days are going to happen. All of us have had them. Try and cut yourself some slack, I think just about everyone is scared to death and feels incompetent the first time they are on their own with a patient. Sure you may have made some mistakes but no one is perfect, you are there to learn. Next time you're going to feel a little more comfortable and you'll have learned from the things you may not have done perfectly this time. Just keep doing the best you can, not every day is going to feel this way.

[elkpark]

Everyone starts out feeling this way. While there's not much you can do about how staff at the clinical facility feel about and react to students, your instructor understands that you're just starting out and learning -- if you were already good at all of this, you wouldn't need to be in school and clinical, would you? :) It will get somewhat easier as you continue on through the program.

Hang in there! :balloons:

[JohnnyTICU]

Enjoy the bad experiences, because you will always build off them. Makes you better then the people who can breeze through it.

[Nepenthe Sea]

Clinicals were very awkward for me at first, also. I started out my first clinicals being sick and having had no sleep (evil care plan!). I felt that I did everything wrong. I fell asleep during our first post-conference and missed something really important about the care plan- that haunted me for a long time because I couldn't figure out that part of the care plan forever. I learned from every mistake I made, though, and I began to catch up. I am about to end my second rotation and now I feel like I'm doing good. My care plans are lots better and I feel more comfortable with what I am doing. I get good feedback from my CI.

As far as the CNAs making fun of you guys - well, that's just &*#%^y. I mean, how else are you going to learn? And were they just BORN CNAs, and never made mistakes?? Whatever. Ignore them.

Give yourself some credit. We are seeing people at their worst and most vulnerable. We are seeing things that no person should really have to see. It's weird. It will take some time to get used to. You'll be fine :)

[sneakymom2011]

I could have written this post.

I'm also a 1st semester RN diploma program. They put our clinical group on an oncology floor b/c there was no other place for us. We were supposed to be on a med-surge floor, but there's a group of upperclassmen there, and not enough patients to go around.

It has been one of THE hardest rotations. I've had really good patients. Then there was the one last week that was mad at the world, I felt like I could do NOTHING right, and I went home and cried Wonderful way to start off the Thanksgiving holiday.

I do have to admit, it has had it's high points. The nursing staff on that floor is wonderful. Any questions we've had they've answered. My clinical instructor (who's going to be one of our lecture instructors next semester for OB/Peds) has been wonderful too. She keeps telling us that she's learning right along with us.

Hang in there- I'm right with you. At least it's my last week of clinical for this semester coming up

Cheryl

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Seriously, in your first semester you can make tons of mistakes, and no one will judge you so long as you learn from them and keep trying. Keep trying being the real key, and ask lots of questions, even the stupid ones show you're able to admit when you need help.