I still struggle with my confidence!

[JVerne07]

Hey everyone, thanks for taking the time to read this!

I'm a student nurse in my final semester of school, and have been attending clinical in ER and ICU. I love these areas. Pacing is exactly what I have been looking for, and they click with my way of thinking -- "What deeper picture is there to see? Given the pathophysiology, what problems could emerge here, and how am I going to stay on top of them?" I think I could, with some experience and practice, be pretty happy over in critical care.

The psychological side of nursing has been my biggest challenge. I'm proud of my growth. I've learned that when I'm able to manage my stress well, stay positive, and stay confident, people are generally easier to work with. Others perceive me better, I am happier, my actual clinical performance is better.

Now the problem part! ER nursing! I'm faltering down in the ED. Some of my favorite instructors and nurses to work with are ones who hold a high bar, I learn so much from them. I am so grateful for a steel-faced instructor who pushes me. Where I'm running into issues, it feels like, is the sink-or-swim environment in ED. I think we've all encountered the kind of nurse that seems to be testing our mettle, and is less than constructive in the process. I realize that respect is earned in this area by stepping up and taking all that nice nursing school stuff in my head and *using it* to *do things*. Further, I can identify this type of personality as just sort of an unfortunate reality that I'll have to figure out how to cope with. Problem is, when I'm under these people lately, I absolutely WAFFLE. I hate it! I shut down. The way it's manifesting (for instance) is that when there are ten people milling about a code, I'll lose my nerve and not have the confidence to jump in and help. This is unlike me, clearly a plan of action is needed.

SO, what helped you step up early in your career? How were you able to maintain your confidence? What kind of mental exercises did you do, where did you find support systems? How did you continue build your skills later on in school? Advice and feedback are very much desired here!

[RNperdiem, RN]

Practice, repetition and learning from mistakes. There are no shortcuts and sometimes no way to avoid the growing pains.

Remember, be kind to yourself. You are a student nurse there to learn. If you were learning a new language, would you expect perfection with a couple of lessons?