I'm having doubts about nursing... :(

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Okay everyone, I am just starting my second semester of nursing school and I just had my first day at orientation on the med-surge floor that I will be at this semester. This is my first semester doing clinicals.. Long story short, I absolutely hated it. But there are several factors that may have affected my experience with it. Because it was orientation we were not set up with computer access so some of us were set up to shadow an RN, and others were set up to shadow a CNA. I got set up to shadow a CNA, I felt so unfulfilled.. We literally changed sheets, and cleaned poop the whole time. I was envious of my other classmates that got the opportunity to shadow nurses. The whole day I kept thinking to myself, am I really busting my a** in nursing school for this? It was extremely disheartening and discouraging. I went home almost in tears. Now let me back up and acknowledge the fact, that YES I WAS WITH A CNA, and I am sure it is much better actually shadowing a nurse. I was able to pop in and tag along with other classmates, but even then it was kind of boring. I know I should probably give it another chance but it was not a good first impression at all by any means.

I guess I just thought it would be more exciting... I would be able to use more of my nursing skills. I just don't know if I will ever like the med-surge floor.

Look, I understand that you were disappointed, OP. I would be disappointed too if I had been paired with a CNA during my clinical rotation. Frankly, how did your clinical instructors think it was acceptable to place nursing students on a rotation with CNAs? Personally, I would have complained to my instructors about the placement.

Med-surge is difficult. I remarked to a nurse friend today that several of my med-surge patients have been sicker than patients I took care of on a CV Progressive floor. But med-surge is good experience because it forces you to learn a little about everything.

Keep an open mind, and if you are paired with a CNA again, complain to your instructor. But please understand that nurses are often required to do CNA activities if the floor is short-staffed, or your CNA is busy elsewhere.

Prior to becoming a nurse, I never worked as a CNA, and as a result, I don't know the quickest and easiest ways to change a bed with a patient in it. It will serve you well to learn these skills.

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If you think you are going to learn everything about nursing after one day of clinical , you have no clue !!!! I've been a nurse for 9 years and learn something new every day. You should have learned that toileting and cleaning up patients makes them feel comfortable and human and promotes skin integrity. Instead, you rather vent aka complain about following a CNA. Well that should be the requirement !

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Thanks for showing me what type of nurse I don't want to be and how not to treat others. I will however head your advice and try the students section next time. Thanks.

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Thanks for showing me what type of nurse I don't want to be and how not to treat others. I will however head your advice and try the students section next time. Thanks.

You're welcome.

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Look, I understand that you were disappointed, OP. I would be disappointed too if I had been paired with a CNA during my clinical rotation. Frankly, how did your clinical instructors think it was acceptable to place nursing students on a rotation with CNAs? Personally, I would have complained to my instructors about the placement.

Med-surge is difficult. I remarked to a nurse friend today that several of my med-surge patients have been sicker than patients I took care of on a CV Progressive floor. But med-surge is good experience because it forces you to learn a little about everything.

Keep an open mind, and if you are paired with a CNA again, complain to your instructor. But please understand that nurses are often required to do CNA activities if the floor is short-staffed, or your CNA is busy elsewhere.

Prior to becoming a nurse, I never worked as a CNA, and as a result, I don't know the quickest and easiest ways to change a bed with a patient in it. It will serve you well to learn these skills.

Thank you Lil Nel, you are a gem!!!

All I wanted was to vent and not be scolded for it.. lol I am student and this is all relatively new to me. I was just anxious and excited at the same time. But not all of us were paired with CNAs, it was randomly assigned. There were more students then RNs on the floor so they just stuck us with whomever. Next time I go on the floor though I will have my own patient.

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Coming from someone who is in a profession where you should show empathy and compassion daily, I came here to vent as a frustrating student. Not every specialty of nursing is for everyone, and just because I didn't enjoy my first day of clinical doesn't mean I should get grilled for it either. I notice that a lot of people get shamed for the posts they make in this forum and I don't believe that is right. I never said I was too good to be with the CNA, that I hate poop or anything along those lines. It was humbling to see the CNA interact with the patient because he did such a good job. I have the upmost respect for him. So let me make that clear. I was just looking to learn more in the process, I saw the EKG boards on the wall and I had to go find a nurse to ask a question about a rhythm on the monitor. Everytime we went into a patient room the CNA, did not know why they were being hospitalized. It was those types of things that I felt I missed out on. I wasn't expecting someone to come in a stretcher while coding, and everyone running around like crazy.....

It was one day of orientation. Not even your first true clinical. How much did you expect to learn? Trust me the learning will start soon enough. You have many clinical days ahead of you. You aren't missing out on anything. Seriously, move on.

And I warned you about the asbestos undies. Wish you had said something nice about the CNA in your first post.

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Look, I understand that you were disappointed, OP. I would be disappointed too if I had been paired with a CNA during my clinical rotation. Frankly, how did your clinical instructors think it was acceptable to place nursing students on a rotation with CNAs? Personally, I would have complained to my instructors about the placement.

Prior to becoming a nurse, I never worked as a CNA, and as a result, I don't know the quickest and easiest ways to change a bed with a patient in it. It will serve you well to learn these skills.

For crying out loud it was one day in orientation to the floor. All they were doing is learning where stuff is. She's not going to be paired with a CNA for clinicals. Complaining to the instructor is quite frankly the worst thing she can do. Do you want her to have a target on her back?

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There will be many days you have to work without a CNA...you will be changing the sheets and toileting the patients.

There will be many days you are waiting for a patient to void/stool, and you will have a CNA, but they are tied up in another room and it will be you changing the sheets and toileting the patient, because if they don't void you will be bladder scanning them again.

If you push lasix/give suppository and nothing happens you will be watching them like a hawk, because it changes your assessment and you have a doctor who wanted them to pee/stool several hours ago.

If you work in the ICU, you may not have a CNA at all and you will be changing the sheets and toileting the patients.

So...none of this goes away because you become a nurse, it's just nice to have help when you're doing it.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

I remember my first day of clinical. Back before the earth's crust cooled. We were sent to a crappy nursing home where people stopped us in the halls to tell us how much they hated living there. I was assigned an elderly gentleman who could hardly see or hear and was told to make conversation with him. Well actually I was told to "assess his sexuality", whatever that was supposed to mean. (It was the '70s. They were big on that.) In fact, that was the whole damn rotation. It wasn't until the next rotation where we were allowed to change beds and clean dentures.

You will spend a lot of time feeling like you are spinning your wheels. Make friends with whomever you're paired with and learn whatever you can from them. You may actually be learning more than you realize at the time. You will not have much control over what kinds of experiences are thrown your way, but you can control your attitude.

Telling seasoned nurses they lack compassion and you know what kind of nurse you don't want to be: That's just a dumb thing to say and it's been done to death. It's actually become something of a standing joke among us crusty old bats.

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.
There will be many days you have to work without a CNA...you will be changing the sheets and toileting the patients.

There will be many days you are waiting for a patient to void/stool, and you will have a CNA, but they are tied up in another room and it will be you changing the sheets and toileting the patient, because if they don't void you will be bladder scanning them again.

If you push lasix/give suppository and nothing happens you will be watching them like a hawk, because it changes your assessment and you have a doctor who wanted them to pee/stool several hours ago.

If you work in the ICU, you may not have a CNA at all and you will be changing the sheets and toileting the patients.

So...none of this goes away because you become a nurse, it's just nice to have help when you're doing it.

And sometimes (often? always?) the floor is short staffed with not enough aides OR your aid is floated to a unit even more short staffed than you are. Then guess what? You or another nurse is assigned to be the aide for that shift. (Some nurses will get all beligerant about that situation; I personally liked the change of pace.)

It's early; give it time & you'll see/do plenty.

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For crying out loud it was one day in orientation to the floor. All they were doing is learning where stuff is. She's not going to be paired with a CNA for clinicals. Complaining to the instructor is quite frankly the worst thing she can do. Do you want her to have a target on her back?

The OP stated that there weren't enough nurses to go around. So, potentially she could be paired with a CNA again. But we know next time, she won't.

I complained ABOUT instructors during nursing school, and had lovely interactions with the President of the school, and the Dean of Student Affairs. If things hadn't been resolved, I would have taken my concerns even higher.

Sometimes, you need to stand up for yourself and your classmates and not be a scared mouse.

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I remember my first day of clinical. Back before the earth's crust cooled. We were sent to a crappy nursing home where people stopped us in the halls to tell us how much they hated living there. I was assigned an elderly gentleman who could hardly see or hear and was told to make conversation with him. Well actually I was told to "assess his sexuality", whatever that was supposed to mean. (It was the '70s. They were big on that.) In fact, that was the whole damn rotation. It wasn't until the next rotation where we were allowed to change beds and clean dentures.

That creates quite a vivid and unpleasant picture. I hope you were able to recover, psychologically. I'm not sure I would have had the strength! :speechless:

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