help! Im losing motivation

Published

Specializes in Transplant/Surgical ICU.

Hey guys,

I'm in a 3 year long BSN program and I'm currently a senior. I just got my midterm evaluation for my clinical care rotation and I got a C :o!!! Never happened before. My instructor says I still have time to work up a better grade but I doubt that if I don't get my act together.

For some reason I feel exhausted and overwhelmed before I even start studying. I'm always looking for excuses to leave the house and postpone studying. I want to be done with school already! I also work full time as a care partner (CNA) and that also drains me. I'm still struggling to figure out if the stress of school or lack of money (hence the full time job) is the culprit of my exhaustion. Or maybe I'm just getting lazy?!

I'm also really tired of writing up care plans that I find useless and unecessary. I don't care to investigate problems and do more than is required as I previously did. I think I am really losing motivation, and that freaks me out cause I have a midterm on monday and I dont want to fail it. Anyway, has this happened to any of you? How did you overcome it? HELP!!

I have three more quarters left, and from what I hear this (ICU rotation) is meant to be the hardest quarter of all. Suggestions?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Persevere!!!!! Keep on going - you have a bad case of senioritis!!! (I contracted it as a junior, and then it never went away my senior year!!)

Get support from family and friends, be as nice to yourself as you can afford to, keep your eyes on the ultimate goal!!!!

Good luck - it's almost over!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I know how you feel. I think I may have developed senioritis too. I've got one semester to go (after this one that ends Aug 3rd) and I am so burnt out I can barely focus. All I want to do is sleep; forget getting any studying done. This semester I had 20 hours of clinical and 10 hours of didactic, and I worked 20-30 hours a week. Now my car has broken down, and it's gonna cost $1000 (that I don't have) to fix. I have two careplans to write, and 4 tests (2 of them cumulative) to study for over the next 12 days. I seriously question myself daily on whether or not going to nursing school was the right decision. I'm so stressed out, just the thought of studying makes me want to vomit :barf01:. But, I guess the best suggestion I can give is to take it one day at time. And, keep reminding youreself that the torture we're experiencing is only temporary. We'll be RN's soon!:cheers:

Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Moderator's note:

Please, everyone, let's keep to the theme of the thread and not get sidetracked. If anyone has any helpful words of advice for the OP, please post. If the words aren't helpful, then it's best to keep them to oneself.

I know in the last semester of my ADN program, I had just about lost all motivation. I felt exhausted and was so burned out. But I mustered up the strength to get through. To the OP - You can do it! Just take one day at a time, put one foot in front of the other. You have put many years' hard work into the nursing program, so don't give up on your dream now! You can make it :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.

I know the feeling. I'm about ready to drop out of my BSN program with one class left. No motivation whatsoever.

Just hang in there and try to get through these kinds of days and show up and walk the walk. 0You have a full plate, you should be tired. It's understandable. Just do it anyway. :)

Good luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

Alright, let me approach this differently. . .what you are describing (looking for excuses to leave the house and postpone studying, not caring to investigate problems and do more than is required, and losing motivation) is procrastination. Here is a link to a website that gives strategies on how to deal with this.

That you say you find the "writing up care plans...useless and unnecessary" makes me wonder that you are understanding the purpose behind these kinds of assignments. I spend a great deal of time on allnurses trying to help students understand care planning. Care planning and the nursing process is, in my mind, the essential theory behind being an RN and what separates us from the other healthcare professions. It is what is going to turn you into an all round problem solver in healthcare. CNAs do not learn how to do this and LPNs learn it, if at all, to a certain point.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in rehab, dementia.
Alright, let me approach this differently. . .what you are describing (looking for excuses to leave the house and postpone studying, not caring to investigate problems and do more than is required, and losing motivation) is procrastination. Here is a link to a website that gives strategies on how to deal with this.

That you say you find the "writing up care plans...useless and unnecessary" makes me wonder that you are understanding the purpose behind these kinds of assignments. I spend a great deal of time on allnurses trying to help students understand care planning. Care planning and the nursing process is, in my mind, the essential theory behind being an RN and what separates us from the other healthcare professions. It is what is going to turn you into an all round problem solver in healthcare. CNAs do not learn how to do this and LPNs learn it, if at all, to a certain point.

Hi, i am a new nursing student will be in a 10 month intense program. can you make any recommendations for study stills, note taking.? Thanks for your help.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
hi, i am a new nursing student will be in a 10 month intense program. can you make any recommendations for study stills, note taking.? thanks for your help.

there is a group of sites i generally recommend to students on how to study. study skills and note taking are included within these websites:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency.

Heres my advice:

1. You are close to your goal. Tell yourself this and be positive.

2. Do not worry about grades (remember that C=RN (or BSN). Gpa is not important to an employer as long as you graduated.

3. Distance yourself from the negative students (even if they are your best friends), their bad attitude will only bring you down.

4. Organize a schedule for yourself (and stick to it) that includes study time, time for yourself, and time for your family.

5. Ask for help if you need it from your instructors and classmates.

6. Remember that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Three semesters is not a long time.

I have been where you are now, and this is what I did to get through the rough spots. It really did help!

Amy

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Everybody has gone through this, but what I do is think about how far I've come! Do you know how many women would kill to be in your position? You've gotten accepted, which I know is'nt easy, and you have three years under your belt. You will be able to support yoursef for the rest of your life if you need to. What a blessing you've been given, stick with it, it will be over before you know it!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NS,PS,ICU SD, LTC,AL.

Dont' give up, I'm just getting started so I don't need to here I'm giveing up your acomplishment is my motivation. Pick yourself up by the boot strap and march on look how far you have come opposed to how much more I have left. It depends on how you look at the situation, is the class half full or is the glass half empty? I look at your glass as half full,( just an opinion) so put it on ice and chill it! when your done kick your heals up and shout be proud of the example you are setting for others to know that if you can accomplish we I can to. It might be a present struggle but the future benifit far out weighs the current circumstance. Hang in there. 18 year LPN returning to school, in prereq stage. YOU CAN DO THIS

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NS,PS,ICU SD, LTC,AL.

Dont' give up, I'm just getting started so I don't need to here I'm giveing up your acomplishment is my motivation. Pick yourself up by the boot strap and march on look how far you have come opposed to how much more I have left. It depends on how you look at the situation, is the class half full or is the glass half empty? I look at your glass as half full,( just an opinion) so put it on ice and chill it! when your done kick your heals up and shout be proud of the example you are setting for others to know that if you can accomplish we I can to. It might be a present struggle but the future benifit far out weighs the current circumstance. 18 year LPN returning to school, in prereq stage. YOU CAN DO THIS HANG IN THERE :balloons:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion