How long till you felt comfortable with the basics?

[Audi02]

I just started my first semester of nursing school. I am doing awesome on the book work and test (100% on everything so far). But I feel like a complete idiot when doing simple things like blood pressure and other vitals. How long does it take before I feel natural doing these things. I'm afraid I may be book smart, but lack actual skills.

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

it's like anything else...comes with practice and time....after a while the skills become 2nd nature...it's analyzing the data that takes some smarts.

[southernbelle08]

Yep, it does take practice and time to get comfortable. I would say, for me, by about 3rd semester I felt comfortable and like "Hey! I can do this!" Of course that is not to say I still don't have days where I am nervous and unsure, but that comes with it. Everyone had to start at one point or another - even those nurses you look at and think "Wow, I hope to have it as together as she seems to someday!" :) Good luck!

[anne_in_maryland]

I feel pretty comfortable with the basics now at the end of my first year. I still am not comfortable with injections. I just haven't had the opportunity to do them that much. You just have to jump in there and do it.