I'm terrified

johsonmichelle · May 24, 2015

I have been officially accepted into my school's fall nursing program. My last prereq is this summer (microbiology) and I'm getting the jitters. I am terrified I'll fail. I'm terrified of what I don't know is to come. I know they say that I will have no life and I've seen a good friend go through it and she graduated. I have two children (7 & 2) and I'm 26 years old. My husband helps me with the kids but he doesn't understand the stress and commitment that comes with school. I don't want to be a disappointment and I want to get my degree so my children can have a higher quality of life. Am I being irrational? Any tips/tricks to survive my first semester? Thanks!

Well I had a gut feeling that I was going to fail even before i started my first semester. And you know what? I actually did fail my first semester. Nothing made sense and I did not really learn so I was not too sad to fail as I was not equipped to move onto the next semester. I repeated the first semester and I'm doing much better now. I'm going into my last year of nursing school, its only going to get harder but I feel that I'm equipped to handle my last year.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · May 24, 2015

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/is-this-you-969823.html

Every new semester we hear from students who describe themselves as scared about what they're about to start. Are you among them? I'd like to say you can relax, and offer you a little advice to help you do that. Yes, you can.

It's the new semester, and we're gearing up for the expected posts from new students with "Freaking out!!" and "SO Scared!!!" and "Terrified!!!!" in them.

One of the things you will learn in nursing school is never to deny a patient's feelings. Never, ever say, "Oh, don't worry about that, I'm sure everything will be fine." That makes a patient feel you aren't really hearing his fears, which he might have wanted-- needed-- to expand on, but now you'll never know, and you might miss something important that you needed to know. So I won't tell you not to feel the way you do.

I WILL tell you that there's nothing ahead of you that hasn't been done by many hundreds of thousands of people before you. You are not unique in this, and your fears and concerns are not rare. Not universal, but not uncommon either. When you start looking at yourself as one of many people in a shared situation, rather than someone whose problems are so scary they're almost paralyzing you, that can help you relax. In some ways it can also give you some insight into what your patient is feeling. One --one-- of the hardest things for new students to do is empathize with the patient experience, because they are so caught up in lab skill check offs and they see every patient as a set of skills to be applied. Well, try to remember your nervousness about starting school when you think about how nervous your patient must be about being in the hospital. You at least get to go home at the end of the day.

I WILL tell you that despite what you might hear from some grumblers, your nursing faculty really are interested in seeing that you learn to be a nurse, and learn it well. They will help you if you ask...but you have to ask, it's part of being a grown-up professional, and you'll learn that in school too even if it's not in the formal syllabus. Never, ever let a concept go by that you didn't quite grasp, because something else will depend on your knowing it later. If you find yourself a bit at sea, do not hesitate to see your faculty in office hours and ask for guidance or reassurance. Believe me, they've seen it all before, and can help you.

You might find that you would benefit from a weekly check-in, or a longer visit to go over every exam. Do it. Nursing school is cumulative-- you will be held responsible for having a good working knowledge of all previous material, including your prereqs. You will be expected to apply it at increasing levels as you progress through the semester. But hey-- this is why your program is set up the way it is, to help you learn what you came here to learn. The faculty are here to help you reach your goal.

I WILL also say that a little anxiety is a good thing. It makes your eyes focus more clearly and your ears hear more sharply, it jolts your liver to dump a lot of good sugars into your bloodstream to feed your brain and muscles a little extra ... these are all useful and functional responses to stress. However, being panicky is not functional, because it makes it harder for your rational self to do what it needs to do, what you want it to do.

You are in charge of your brain. You can tell it to shut the heck up when it starts getting you revved up. Now your responsibility is to tell yourself you are ready for this challenge, lots of people have done it before you, and by god, you're good looking and people like you. BANISH those words at the top of the page. Never let them leave your lips or your fingertips again. You can train your brain to be better at this, and that's how you start. It will feel better and work better for you. :)

And when you leave the house in the morning, take a peek in the refrigerator at the mayonnaise jar. Do what it says: Keep cool, do not freeze. I won't tell you not to worry, but I will tell you that lots of people, from admissions on down, think you can do this.

Have fun! Welcome to nursing!

:flwrhrts: :flwrhrts: :flwrhrts: :flwrhrts: :flwrhrts: :flwrhrts: :flwrhrts:

And let me add to this about your children: Think what a totally awesome model you will be for them as they watch you work hard to attain something that (as they will understand more and more as they grow up) strengthens your family and makes it possible for them to achieve even more. Think how you can do your homework at the kitchen table together instead of watching TV. Think how you can praise them when you come home from class and the seven-year-old has set the table for supper and the two-year-old "helped" by putting out the napkins. Think how they will learn skills that their more swaddled (I'm really getting to love that term) classmates won't, including how everybody in the family chips in to help everybody else. Think how lucky they'll be to have you and your husband demonstrating that.

You -- all of you! -- got this!

jena5111, ASN, RN · May 25, 2015

First thing: BREATHE. Relax. You've got this.

Second thing: Give yourself a chance to be excited and proud about being admitted to a nursing program. It's a major accomplishment. Enjoy it for a bit!

Nursing school tips:

1) Go to class. Even if lecture isn't mandatory, treat it as such. The students in my cohort who struggle the most are those who miss lecture and then wait until exam time to send emails requesting lecture recordings and/or notes from fellow students. Don't be that student! Go to class. You're paying for it, after all.

2) Do some reading before class. You don't need to be the world's foremost living expert on the lecture topic, but a little knowledge beforehand enables you to focus on whatever the professor emphasizes during lecture. You can also participate when the prof (inevitably) lobs questions to the class to make things a little more interactive.

3) Keep an open mind in clinical, etc. You'll hear horror stories about instructors, clinical sites, classes, etc. Form your own opinions. Nursing school can have its own version of "telephone" at times. Good to keep your ear to the ground while having your own experience.

4) Clinical is your ultimate learning time! Be positive and proactive during your clinical shifts. Eat breakfast beforehand, bring a good lunch/snacks, drink plenty of water. Do your prep work, learn from your assigned nurses, learn from your clinical instructors, help your classmates. Allow yourself to be immersed--even in an area you "know" isn't your passion.

5) Live your non-nursing life. Make time to exercise (for me, running is key), eat healthfully, see your family/significant other/pets, pursue hobbies (for me, reading is key). Nursing school is NOT so all-consuming that you can't have a life. Now--"life" is fuller at some times than others depending on the timing of an upcoming exam, mountain of clinical homework, or skills check-off. But overall, balance is possible :cat:

Honestly, I have loved nursing school. Who knew that one brain could acquire so much knowledge in such a short period of time (with plenty of learning to go, haha)? I am grateful that I had the option of changing my career path as an adult. I know plenty of people who feel trapped in less-than-fulfilling jobs/careers.

I wish you the best of luck. I bet you'll do great! :)

MeiDei · May 25, 2015

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/is-this-you-969823.html
Every new semester we hear from students who describe themselves as scared about what they're about to start. Are you among them? I'd like to say you can relax, and offer you a little advice to help you do that. Yes, you can.
It's the new semester, and we're gearing up for the expected posts from new students with "Freaking out!!" and "SO Scared!!!" and "Terrified!!!!" in them.
One of the things you will learn in nursing school is never to deny a patient's feelings. Never, ever say, "Oh, don't worry about that, I'm sure everything will be fine." That makes a patient feel you aren't really hearing his fears, which he might have wanted-- needed-- to expand on, but now you'll never know, and you might miss something important that you needed to know. So I won't tell you not to feel the way you do.
I WILL tell you that there's nothing ahead of you that hasn't been done by many hundreds of thousands of people before you. You are not unique in this, and your fears and concerns are not rare. Not universal, but not uncommon either. When you start looking at yourself as one of many people in a shared situation, rather than someone whose problems are so scary they're almost paralyzing you, that can help you relax. In some ways it can also give you some insight into what your patient is feeling. One --one-- of the hardest things for new students to do is empathize with the patient experience, because they are so caught up in lab skill check offs and they see every patient as a set of skills to be applied. Well, try to remember your nervousness about starting school when you think about how nervous your patient must be about being in the hospital. You at least get to go home at the end of the day.
I WILL tell you that despite what you might hear from some grumblers, your nursing faculty really are interested in seeing that you learn to be a nurse, and learn it well. They will help you if you ask...but you have to ask, it's part of being a grown-up professional, and you'll learn that in school too even if it's not in the formal syllabus. Never, ever let a concept go by that you didn't quite grasp, because something else will depend on your knowing it later. If you find yourself a bit at sea, do not hesitate to see your faculty in office hours and ask for guidance or reassurance. Believe me, they've seen it all before, and can help you.
You might find that you would benefit from a weekly check-in, or a longer visit to go over every exam. Do it. Nursing school is cumulative-- you will be held responsible for having a good working knowledge of all previous material, including your prereqs. You will be expected to apply it at increasing levels as you progress through the semester. But hey-- this is why your program is set up the way it is, to help you learn what you came here to learn. The faculty are here to help you reach your goal.
I WILL also say that a little anxiety is a good thing. It makes your eyes focus more clearly and your ears hear more sharply, it jolts your liver to dump a lot of good sugars into your bloodstream to feed your brain and muscles a little extra ... these are all useful and functional responses to stress. However, being panicky is not functional, because it makes it harder for your rational self to do what it needs to do, what you want it to do.
You are in charge of your brain. You can tell it to shut the heck up when it starts getting you revved up. Now your responsibility is to tell yourself you are ready for this challenge, lots of people have done it before you, and by god, you're good looking and people like you. BANISH those words at the top of the page. Never let them leave your lips or your fingertips again. You can train your brain to be better at this, and that's how you start. It will feel better and work better for you. :)
And when you leave the house in the morning, take a peek in the refrigerator at the mayonnaise jar. Do what it says: Keep cool, do not freeze. I won't tell you not to worry, but I will tell you that lots of people, from admissions on down, think you can do this.
Have fun! Welcome to nursing!
:flwrhrts: :flwrhrts: :flwrhrts: :flwrhrts: :flwrhrts: :flwrhrts: :flwrhrts:
And let me add to this about your children: Think what a totally awesome model you will be for them as they watch you work hard to attain something that (as they will understand more and more as they grow up) strengthens your family and makes it possible for them to achieve even more. Think how you can do your homework at the kitchen table together instead of watching TV. Think how you can praise them when you come home from class and the seven-year-old has set the table for supper and the two-year-old "helped" by putting out the napkins. Think how they will learn skills that their more swaddled (I'm really getting to love that term) classmates won't, including how everybody in the family chips in to help everybody else. Think how lucky they'll be to have you and your husband demonstrating that.
You -- all of you! -- got this!

Wow! Thank you so much for this post. You have definitely made me see this in a different light and helped still my fears. I am excited, don't get me wrong, but my fears have been outweighing my excitement. After reading this, I think my fears have been locked away in a box and I feel a little more ready to charge in with my determination and A-game.

Carpediem1012, BSN, RN · May 25, 2015

When I found out I got in, I promptly threw up. I also have two children, one with special needs. I am now done three years with only a year to go- on the top of the Honour roll too, I might add. Experience in life makes it all very doable. Go for it and enjoy the ride!

AngelKissed857, BSN, RN · May 25, 2015

If this is your last pre-req, I'm assuming you already have Anatomy and Physiology done? If so, don't sweat Micro! Not saying it's easy, you're going to have study your butt off. However, In my opinion, and the opinion of all the students I've gone through pre-reqs with, Micro is the "easiest" of all. It's a lot of memorization, but much less than the other courses. To me at any rate, it made sense. Here's one tip- if you memorize all the bacteria that are Gram Positive, you don't have to memorize any that are Gram Negative. Why? They are one or the other, most are Gram Negative, so by memorizing the Gram Positives, you're having to memorize far less, yet still learning everything you need to learn.

CVU_RN · May 26, 2015

You are not being irrational...NURSING SCHOOL IS HARD! But, if you really want it then you can get through it! Trust me...I just graduated and I'm about to take my NCLEX. I can't tell you the amount of times I wanted to give up and what all I have went through, but it was worth it!

dmedwards91054 · Jun 2, 2015

First of all BREATHE! Secondly, it is not the job or intention of your future professors to fail you or make your life miserable. Thirdly, understand that this IS a huge commitment. Your instructors will help you all they can. You must sit down with your husband and at least your 7 year old and explain the task you are about to undertake. Remind them of the sacrifices which will be required but also that it is for a short duration in the long run. Third, BREATHE! You can do this if it is something you really want and something your heart is really committed to doing. I think it is from what I read in your post. As a nursing professor, I can tell you that you will have good days and bad days, good tests and bad ones, tears and laughter. You will learn to love and hate your classmates. You will actually spend more time with them between clinical and class time than you will with your family over the next 2 years ( or however long your program is). At the end of it, all I can say is that it is worth every tear, every heartache, every disappointment and every joy that you will receive as a result of your undertaking. Don't let your fear stop you. Everyone is terrified when they start nursing school. Most, not all, make it. Those who are willing to put in the work and persevere, will not only make it but flourish in the nursing world which is practice after completion of your program. Realize you are embarking on a journey of life-long learning. You will never know it all. The goal of nursing school is simply to give you enough to start safely while you earn your nursing wings and learn to fly independently (never solo because none of us can ever fly solo-it takes a team). So now BREATHE and look forward to the worst and best time of your life. I promise it is worth it.

NurseJacelyn · Jun 9, 2015

I started nursing school the same year my youngest started kindergarten and my oldest started grade 1. It was not easy but I made it through...and graduated with Deans honour's! You've received some good advice on the actual school work so I won't repeat the same things. All I have to add is to learn to let go of things at home a bit. It won't hurt if you have pizza for supper, or if your knick-knacks are dusty, or if the vacuuming gets done only once a week instead of twice, or whatever else might slip a bit...you get the drift. Something has to give a bit or everything will give.