Imposter syndrome?

carti, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2019

I learned the most in my last semester of nursing school in my Capstone. Don't worry, you barely started school lol, you aren't gonna be an expert. Wait until the summer and tell us how you feel then.

Piper98, ASN, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2019

Me too!!! I have decent grades, but feel like I am learning nothing!! From what I hear, this is normal. I have heard that things don’t start coming together until the 3rd semester.

verene, MSN · Mar 3, 2019

Completely normal, and perhaps even more so in an ABSN program as many students used to have expertise in something else. You are only a few weeks into this thing, give it time for everything to come together - you should not expect to be an expert yet.

As someone who went through an ABSN program it does all come together eventually and I left school feeling comfortable that I could be a competent new-grad RN.

hawaiicarl, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2019

I came out of a four year degree program absolutely clueless. I could tell you about Orem, Pavlov, Mazlow, and a bunch of other useless crap (nursing management, and nursing research fall under this category), but not a thing about actually working with patients. (This may be a slight exaggeration)

Don't sweat it the majority of your learning will be the first 5 years or so on the job, there is a steeeeeeeeeeep learning curve.

Good luck!

Cheers

Cupcake2018 · Mar 4, 2019

Nursing school provides the foundation of knowledge needed to learn how to be a nurse and pass the NCLEX. The real learning will likely come through actual experience working in the field. I'm a student too and there are times when I feel clueless, but that is because I'm inexperienced. We all are, so you are not alone.

ShadowNurse · Mar 4, 2019

I've been a nurse almost 4 years. Nursing school doesn't teach you how to be a nurse. It teaches you how to think and practice safely enough to begin your real learning in the field. Don't worry; you are right where you should be in this phase of your education.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2019

18 hours ago, hawaiicarl said:
I came out of a four year degree program absolutely clueless. I could tell you about Orem, Pavlov, Mazlow, and a bunch of other useless crap (nursing management, and nursing research fall under this category), but not a thing about actually working with patients. (This may be a slight exaggeration)
Don't sweat it the majority of your learning will be the first 5 years or so on the job, there is a steeeeeeeeeeep learning curve.
Good luck!
Cheers

If you came out of a 4 year program being "absolutely clueless," that must have been a really crappy program. I came out of mine not being an expert by any stretch, but certainly competent to begin nursing practice.

allnurses Guide · Mar 4, 2019

The students who know they don't really know much are the best ones. The ones who think they are learning it all are dangerous.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2019

5 minutes ago, not.done.yet said:
The students who know they don't really know much are the best ones. The ones who think they are learning it all are dangerous.

I agree that those who come out thinking they know it all (and we've all seen them-they refuse to listen to their preceptors, have zero respect for the knowledge that years of experience brings, etc.) are dangerous. But someone who comes out saying that they've learned nothing-what in the world did they do for four years of their life?????? What kind of program offers four years of classes and clinical time but teaches its students absolutely nothing beyond the ability to pass NCLEX? People should get the word out about schools like that.

ShadowNurse · Mar 4, 2019

5 minutes ago, Horseshoe said:
I agree that those who come out thinking they know it all (and we've all seen them-they refuse to listen to their preceptors, have zero respect for the knowledge that years of experience brings, etc.) are dangerous. But someone who comes out saying that they've learned nothing-what in the world did they do for four years of their life?????? What kind of program offers four years of classes and clinical time but teaches its students absolutely nothing beyond the ability to pass NCLEX? People should get the word out about schools like that.

"Knew nothing" is probably an exaggeration on the poster's part. As in, had little practical experience but had theoretical knowledge that made them safe enough to practice.

NursePatches · Mar 5, 2019

On 3/2/2019 at 1:53 PM, Sara-no-H said:
If you look solely at my grades, it looks like I am doing well, but I feel like I don't know anything! Is this normal?

^^ SAMESSSS. Whats crazy is that I've started to interview for jobs already and was offered a job already. I graduate in May