I'm running out of gas!

Keep on swimming...*pant* Keep on swimming...I'm running out of gas!

This first semester of nursing school has been short, yet long...and TOTALLY overwhelming and exhausting.

I have problems concentrating on study material anyhow but lately I just CANNOT bring myself to read another 50 textbook pages or look at one more freaking handout.

I try try try but it's sooooo hard. Could I burned out already so early in the game? :stone

I find myself just wanted to veg on the couch, watch a bit of TV, and cuddle with the hubby. My brain is saying "no more stuff!" And my body needs rest and sleep.

Any tips and tricks on sprinting that last 100 yards?

I study for one test at a time (the closest upcoming one) and that's always helped but uggggh...even that's not working now.

I feel overwhelmed, behind, blah, and exhausted.

I know I know welcome to the wonderful world of nursing but sheesh...

Give a girl a break!

Shel

[bigmona]

I don't have any tips for you.. I just know *exactly* how you feel. I'm exhausted and know I need to crack open those books right now but my body doesn't want to move after spending an entire day practicing skills at the lab.

plus I am totally broke, and just found out I am overdrawn on my checking account because all my student loan $$ has run out.

I can't deal with the stress!!!!!!!!

Keep on swimming...*pant* Keep on swimming...I'm running out of gas!

This first semester of nursing school has been short, yet long...and TOTALLY overwhelming and exhausting.

I have problems concentrating on study material anyhow but lately I just CANNOT bring myself to read another 50 textbook pages or look at one more freaking handout.

I try try try but it's sooooo hard. Could I burned out already so early in the game? :stone

I find myself just wanted to veg on the couch, watch a bit of TV, and cuddle with the hubby. My brain is saying "no more stuff!" And my body needs rest and sleep.

Any tips and tricks on sprinting that last 100 yards?

I study for one test at a time (the closest upcoming one) and that's always helped but uggggh...even that's not working now.

I feel overwhelmed, behind, blah, and exhausted.

I know I know welcome to the wonderful world of nursing but sheesh...

Give a girl a break!

Shel

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

You're being made into a nurse. Yep, it's exhausting and it's near the end of the term. What works for me is counting down the yards to the finish line with that much needed break in view. I had to let go of the "got to get an "A" mentality and cut myself a little slack in the reading department.

Think of yourself of the little train that could. I think I can, I think I can... woo, woo!! Take it one day at a time. Soon, it's all going to be in the can.

[manna, BSN, RN]

I don't have any advice either - but I can relate! Second semester of nursing classes winding down (we started during the summer) and I can't wait until our holiday. Didn't help having the whole week of Thanksgiving off - I completely lost my motivation and was nothing but lazy the whole time. Now it's hard to get back into the groove for check-offs, presentations, finals.. Just a few more days to go, and then a much needed break.. and my favorite holiday - Christmas! WOOHOO!

I have to work on paperwork/online testing tomorrow, give a presentation Thursday, have my last pharm test and assessment final next week, and then my pharm final and med surg final week after next. Just five more days left of school work, no more days left of sitting in lecture! Yay! :)

Good luck to everybody as the semester winds down...!

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

Eat well, sleep well, and try to take care of yourself first....then when that doesn't work (student nurse..oh heck that won't work anyway..LOL!)..then you try to do a bit of the old nursing priority listing....and relaxation is on the list!

You need relaxation...oh boy did I!!! I use to treat myself to a bath every night...nice lavender bath.....(oh that sounds good)and I would read while I was in the bath. I was also very lucky to have a 'servant' (LOL!!!!)...my hubby would draw the bath, and make sure it was always warm for me...sometimes my water heater wouldn't heat the water fast enough and he always had a nice pot of water on the stove incase I needed it! I just melted and got some private time to read and study on my own (and great place when you are bored to feel for your veins in your arms...LOL, I sware I learned how to do IV's by constantly searching for my own in the bath! LOL..oh you know you are a nursing student when..LOL!).

I also got some great books to help with what I was learning..and I have recomended these many times and have yet to get any negative feedback!!!!! They are the "Nursing Made Incredibly Easy" series of books..and a life saver for me!!!! I almost put up a bookself of just those in my bathroom for my nightly 'soak and soak it in!' sessions!!!!!!! And it is amazing what you retain when you are relaxed!!!!! Those soaks saved my hide in RN school!!!!!!!!!

I also searched on the net for certain conditions made my patients..not like web MD..but patients!!!! I got more info from those, and could link conditions and treatments to a story and face..and boy did I keep that info!!!! I memorize better that way...and I will never forget a sweet teen named Angie who taught me everything about dialysis and what a patient goes through...Or Jerome, a newly diagnosed diabetic at the age of 13...those stories and pics were so set in my mind I could use the info, even figure things out from that info, for all my tests..and to this day!!!!!!!!

Find ways to make that info fun, and books that make it fun! Take time to relax and take care of you. Take time to be with hubby (you need that support and I promise..he does too!!!!!! Being the hubby of an RN student isn't a walk in the park! LOL!). And go out every once in a while to do something utterly silly!!!!!

You will make it..heck if I did..LOL!!!!!

Good luck!!!!!!!

[lil' girl, LPN]

Boy oh boy can I relate. Seems like it is , if I can just get thru one more test and one more day. I don't have any advice cos I can't relax either! Just keep on keeping on and good luck

[NurseBunky]

Hey!!! Don't feel too bad. I too am going through the last stretch laziness. We had our final lecture today before our final exams next week and I totally zoned out on my professor. She's a great lecturer but I just couldn't stay focused. I started thinking about how much I was going to work while on the holiday break, who I had to buy gifts for, and what I was going to do Friday when I hopped on a plane to Orlando for 4 days!!!:) Whooo!! I can't wait til next week. Thank God for study groups otherwise I'd flunk my finals due to lack of studying.

Sorry I have no advice for you..just wanted to let you know you're not the only one feeling that way.

[shel_wny]

I find myself kinda drifting here and there doing a bit of this or a bit of that...cleaned the toilet...did the dishes....called my sister....ok ok two sisters *blush*...watered a plant...JUST ANYTHING TO GET ME AWAY FROM WHAT I INEVITABLY NEED TO DO BY TOMORROW.

Ugh, this is ridiculous.

One paper down and some heavy A&P 2 studying coming up.

Maybe this room needs some feng shui.

Shel

[DenaInWyo]

I JUST DON'T WANNA!!!!!!!!

I came here tonight thinking about starting a thread exactly like this. No advice for you, but misery loves company. I'm slogging through, but it's a constant battle of willpower. We went out of town over the Thanksgiving holiday, and I am having SUCH a hard time settling back in. Even my kids are being resistant to their normal routine. Even reminding myself of how much I want to be a nurse, or how much I owe in student loans isn't helping.

Right now I could easily name 100 things off the top of my head that I'd rather being doing than studying. Laundry and toilet scrubbing are in that list. Hm..I think a root canal is down there near the bottom somewhere, but still higher ranked than book cracking.:roll

Test on friday..sigh. See ya. Helllooo books.

Deana

[stressgal, RN]

So I'm not alone! I try to complete as many tasks prior to the last week of classes because I know I will resist all learning this week. Some things that help me through is a dry erase calendar that I hung on the door leading to the garage. This was originally placed there for my husband to keep track of me and my schedule :rotfl: but I find that I really enjoy coming home and erasing that days duties. I know, it's goofy but whatever helps right? I too take lavendar baths, with my text books each night. I even bought one of those racks that lays across the top of the tub to hold a book as many nursing books are huge. I don't want to strain myself trying to hold it up.

Stay the course, I guarantee about two weeks in to our holiday break we will all be chomping at the bit to get back to school. Always happens.

[mavnurse]

No, you're not alone at all. I have nothing left this semester except for two finals - one on Monday and one on Tuesday. So that's what, four more days that I should spend studying? I can't get myself to do it. I'll probably just end up cramming.

[rosendalemj]

call some friends and start a last minute study group when you are tired. You will find energy as a group.