Is it time to change programs

[snowwhite2002]

I am a 5th semester nursing student in the ADN program. I have made a series of mistakes this semester. Personally I don't want to relive them so I am not going into detail, but after much reflection I am really debating if I am capable of this job. I have also wondered if maybe I possibly had ADHD. I went to the doctor three weeks ago and I was told by the physician that I was probably just stressed since ADHD is not something you get when your older, you had to be dx when you were a child. Told me, "You know kids are abusing that stuff" and "just because you take a quiz in magazine does not mean you are ADHD". I am not a kid and I didn't take any quiz. He refers me to a psychologist who has canceled on me twice now due to her own personal issues (her father is sick). So now what do I do?

Last week I entered VS for Patient A in Patient B's file. The nurse caught it first and told me to correct it. I tried, but Meditech can not be updated when the information was sent from the capsule neuron. I think what I did was turn off the dynamap before sending the vitals to the capsule, then when I was manually typing them in from my handwritten values I input the wrong set. The nurse was aware of the mistake. I did not tell the instructor. She is extremely intimidating. Every student in her group is in agony.

I had just been reprimanded that morning for not getting morning report from my nurse. My nurse for the day was Dana. There is a nurse with a name badge that reads Candy, but goes by Danny (I thought she went by Dana). So I'm standing there right near my rooms waiting for who I thought was Dana to make her way over there to get report. So my teacher asks, "What are you waiting on". Reply: pointing to Danny, "To get report from Dana". Well of course Danny says, "I'm not Dana". So I look like a complete idiot. Then I find Dana and ask, "Have you already gotten morning report." She says "Yes". My teacher was not pleased. I never saw Dana go to my pts rooms. So I'm guessing she got report somewhere other then the nursing station and my pts rooms. So my teacher says "You just stood there by your rooms wasting time when you should have been searching for your nurse for the day." Well heck I thought I was watching my nurse for the day while I filled out the basic info on my assessment sheet and researched the charts of my pts for the day.

Anyway. Series of mistakes. Researched when I got home. Not sure why I'm missing things, most likely going from 2pt a day to 5. I just can't keep up. I'm rushing to get it done and I'm making mistakes. Everyone is telling me, don't quit now. You can always work in a doctor's office where it is no so fast paced. What are your thoughts/suggestions. Maybe I just don't have the aptitude for this field

[kaydensmom01]

I was the same type of student; I always felt that I was horrible at clinicals, I made stupid mistakes that nobody else seemed to, and just didn't enjoy being there. This completely changed during my preceptorship. I no longer came in the middle of a shift and was actually in the loop with my nurse; I felt more like the nurse because I seen how she organized her patients and time, and all of the information I learned seemed to fall into place perfectly and I actually felt much more capable of taking care of all of the patients- while enjoying being there.

I was sure that I picked the wrong profession before this, but sometimes it takes students longer for them to actually enjoy what they are doing by feeling minimally competent. I started to enjoy nursing when I wasn't under radar from my professor (which was essential to becoming a proficient nurse), and from actually caring for a full patient load WITH the nurse, because in clinicals I was often just hearing about her performing an intervention like calling the doctor.

[Karmatism]

I agree with the PP. I'd also like to add that the type of professor you have on the floor with you makes a huge difference. I had 2 professors like that - the ones who only mention everything you're not doing, or doing wrong. It's so discouraging. Also, chances are that the other students are making mistakes too. People don't typically call attention to it or make it public knowledge. I bet if you talked one-on-one with someone you trust, you'd hear the same thing.

It's funny you mention ADHD. I've never been diagnosed, but I'm certain I have it. If you want to be treated, then find another doctor who will really listen to you and help you decide on the best medication. I personally don't want to take meds, so I've been working on ways to compensate. My best 2 pieces of advice are to write yourself reminders so everything isn't floating around in your head, and to break your work into smaller, more manageable steps when possible. When I only have to focus for small chunks of time, I'm much more effective - and less overwhelmed.

You are so close to being done, it wouldn't make sense to quit now. Finish school, get a job and see how you do. Give yourself a reasonable amount of time to get comfortable and then reevaluate the situation. You aren't married to it if it ultimately isn't for you. But you can at least know that you did everything you could. You don't want to look back with regret and always wonder 'what if....'

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

IMO as an educator, OP's post is not a red flag for any sort of neurological disorder. As a matter of fact, it is an indicator that something absolutely normal is going on. OP (and every other human) has working memory limitations - which can vary from person to person. We all have a limit as to the amount of simultaneous 'operations' that our brains can handle. When you exceed this limit, things begin to drop off.... simply put, we forget stuff. If you want to learn more about it, look up "Cognitive Load"

Stress can decrease your cognitive load capabilities even more than normal. Taking anti-anxiety meds can also decrease your short term memory effectiveness (Catch 22, right?) Your best defense is to utilize a memory adjunct of some sort like a paper-based reminder list/organizer to keep you on task.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. As you become more familiar with 'routine', all those individual tasks will merge into what is called a "schema", which enables you to function very effectively without focusing on each teeny little detail. A good example is driving. Remember when you were a learner? All the things you had in your mental checklist whenever you go in the car? Compare that to now... you pretty much get in and go. If you're like me, you may even zone into 'auto pilot' and not realize it until you're halfway to your destination.

Believe it or not, this is also going to happen in your nursing practice. Five years from now, students will be looking at you and wondering "how does she do everything so fast??"

[Karmatism]

That's an interesting point HouTX; I hadn't considered that. Do you have any other tips to share?