I feel like I don't know anything

[sarah38]

I am graduating in May and I am starting to freak out. I feel like I don't know anything when it comes to clinical skills. Unfortunately I got stuck with some pretty awful clinical instructors in the last two years. I rarely give meds or do any real 'nursing' work. I give my two patients bed baths, change their sheets, take vital signs and then I'm done. I am GRADUATING in a month and a half, I feel like I should be doing so much more What can I do in the meantime to develop more skills? I'm so worried I am going to get a job (maybe? haha) and not know how to do a thing and mess something up horribly. I applied to a ton of aide positions and externships last year and got nothing. Idk what to do.

[beth66335, BSN, RN]

Don't panic, when you graduate and get a job you will still be learning for about a year. Nursing school just gets you the book-learning base to go to when you start to use your nursing process on your patients. Plus, when you get a job you will have a nurse preceptor for awhile and you will learn lots from them too. Your employer will know you are new to this and they won't let you drowned :)

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Honestly that is such a normal feeling. I always say the real learning starts once you graduate and start working in an area

Best of luck

[DayDreamin ER CRNP]

I know a lot of students feel this way. I have been very lucky with my clinical teachers so far. BUT.... I think a lot of what I get to do as a student is because I am assertive in doing things for my patients. In our clinicals, we have our clinical teacher and she assigns us our patient each day. Each patient has his/her own nurse and that is who I shadow. I work with her and get her to tell me what she is doing with each pt that day and I follow her around and I basically insert myself to do her patient care for the day. Most patients have AM meds so I make sure I'm in my nurse's back pocket all morning and I get the meds and I administer them.

I have seen some of my fellow students do just what you are talking about and are only doing bed baths, changing sheets, etc but then they are just sitting at the nurse's station waiting for something to fall into his or her lap. I'm not saying you are doing that necessarily. If you are, it is time to get up and assert yourself.

Even if it isn't your patient, but it is your assigned nurse's patient, follow her in there and take charge.

If you are still not getting any experience, you need to talk to your clinical teachers and ask for more challenge. I think a lot of your clinical experience depends on you being an assertive student and seeking those opportunities to learn. Insert & assert yourself!

good luck!

meredith

[Nicole2010]

That is a very common feeling. My last day of school is on Monday & I still feel like there is so much to learn. I did receive some great advice from some of my instructors though. One of my instructors said, " It's okay that you are not proficent in IV's or NG's when you are done with school. As long as you are safe and ask for help, then you'll do great." Another teacher told me (who used to be a CNO and hire new grads) that the hospitals know that you don't know anything...right now you are a professional student, but a novice nurse. She went on to tell me that when hiring new grads, hospitals look for eagerness to learn, teamworking skills, ect... not that you are great at doing everything.

[indigorose]

It's a relief to know that I'm not the only one that feels this way! I graduate in Sept and I'm worried that I'm going to have a very difficult time during my first year as a RN. I would voice my concerns to your instructor and say that you need to be challenged more.

[9livesRN, BSN, RN]

it simply sucks, that so much time has gone by and you did not have the chance to learn the fun stuff, but then again, it would not be fun with grumpy clinical instructors, and they could probably even find stuff to complain about you, so in a way it is good that you "stood out of the fire" and layed low!!!!Some CI are known to create big bs issues!

anyways, you will get your preceptor on the floor when you start working, and will do it all together, and then you will still be a GN, so they will shape you up for your RN career!

take it easy, study hard... and graduate! Hey at least you have the "smarts" so NCLEX will not be an issue, what good would skills be if one could not pass the test?