Is anyone else petrified???

houstoncprinstructor · Jul 16, 2008

Hi all --
I start my ADN program August 18. I have straight As in all my pre-reqs and am even finishing up Micro and A&P2 right now with As so far, so that once I begin the program, all I have to take are nursing classes. I should be sitting pretty, but instead I am scared to death. (I originally planned to become an LPN first, as you can see from my username, but decided on a different path).
I am so thrilled to have been accepted and to be finally on the road to becoming a nurse -- I'm no spring chicken and have a lot of life experience to draw on. I am just really afraid that I can't cut it! Anytime I voice this to my husband, he just poo-poos it -- which I am sure shows that he has a lot of confidence in my abilities, and that's great, but I don't!
Specifically, I am the type of person who usually needs to have things repeated to make sure I've understood correctly (I'm pretty methodical), and also I am usually/often pretty unsure of my judgment when I'm on unfamiliar territory -- I'm worried these qualities will be my downfall.
Sorry for the long post! Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!:uhoh21:

Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. You've shown that you can get good grades, which means that you can understand the new material put forth to you. It shows that you have been a hard worker. Everyone has the same fears as you, young and old. Everyone is unsure of themselves. It shows you care, that you want to do a good job, and that you really want this. With those qualities, you are already ahead of the game. Yes, nursing school can be hard, and just because you learn something in a class doesn't mean that you will feel confident. It comes with time. Hang in there, and believe in yourself. You can do it!

missjennmb · Jul 16, 2008

I go back and forth. Sometimes I'm terrified and sometimes I'm so excited that I am just going to POP! I am taking one of my pre-reqs this summer though, and I realize as I look around me at the students in my class that some of them just don't want it as bad as I do. We had students stay for 4 classes and then drop out. FOUR! why on earth would someone waste 16 hours of their life if they were not going to follow through with it and take it seriously? I have to believe that out of those that fail, a large percentage are in that category where they didn't take it seriously enough or didn't put forth the effort.

There will be some who try hard and still fail, but I really don't think thats the majority. I try to keep that in mind when I start to panic. I also think back to the first time I was in college, when I was over confident and under motivated and flunked out of school and how much I've changed since then. I'm not any more "book smart" and if anything quite the opposite, but I understand the value of hard work a lot more than I did then, and I also truly understand the sacrifices that are being made for me to do this, and the "once in a lifetime opportunity" that this is. I am certain that I will not squander it, even if I have to go without sleep for the next year.

Jules A, MSN · Jul 16, 2008

I think it is normal to be scared but also add a bit of excitement in there. :)

Part of your nursing school experience is repetition so the skills become second nature to you. If you need more practice there should be lab times available and remember that if you need more help or clarification just ask. Your confidence will slowly increase so just take a deep breath, do NOT let your classroom grades slip because that is where we lost the most people, and try to enjoy all the new knowledge that you will be gaining. You can do this, look at how many of us already have!

nolastudent823 · Jul 16, 2008

i find myself doing the same thing- thinking way too much lol. my work schedule is kind of all over the place right now, so when i'm off(which is a lot these days), i find my brain wandering- am i going to do well? am i smart enough? will i study enough? it's all part of the process though. some anxiety is good- if you weren't worried at all, well then it would be time to worry...

Hoping4RNin2010 · Jul 16, 2008

I worry about it all of the time. I do great on exams (carried a 4.0 until I took A&P II in a 5 weeks summer session and got a B+ bahumbug!!). But I worry that I study well and wont be able to apply it. I worry that I will mix up something major and do someone harm. I worry that I am a great student but perhaps will not be a great nurse. I am my own worst critic and I'm sure I just need to ease up on myself.

So no, you are not alone!!!

Kim