I will be attending nursing school in the Fall of '06 and am feeling a little apprehensive about clinicals. The parts I am really scared about is learning the invasive procedures like inserting a Foley or an NG tube or starting an IV. As new grads I was wondering if these procedures scared the heck out of anyone while in school and how you dealt with getting over this fear. I really want to be a nurse and don't want this "challenge" to stop me. Every time I walk into a hospital I feel like this is where I belong. I have all of my science and gen ed requirements done and will have only clinicals to focus on. Also, do these procedures hurt the patient or are they uncomfortable?
I suppose these procedures will be the least of my worries when I become a new nurse.
I will be attending nursing school in the Fall of '06 and am feeling a little apprehensive about clinicals. The parts I am really scared about is learning the invasive procedures like inserting a Foley or an NG tube or starting an IV. As new grads I was wondering if these procedures scared the heck out of anyone while in school and how you dealt with getting over this fear. I really want to be a nurse and don't want this "challenge" to stop me. Every time I walk into a hospital I feel like this is where I belong. I have all of my science and gen ed requirements done and will have only clinicals to focus on. Also, do these procedures hurt the patient or are they uncomfortable?
I suppose these procedures will be the least of my worries when I become a new nurse.
Peace and grace to all
Nurse Wannabee
Hi Nursewannabee...I don't know if you've seen this on the nursing student thread or not but I found these free videos that demonstrate various nursing skills. Hopefully this will help you feel more confident.
What a great website! Thanks so much for sharing!!! I have always had a fear of needles and the previous responses have really given me hope that I can overcome it and be a fabulous nurse!
I am so glad I am not the only one that feels this way. I know I want to be a nurse, but all of these things make me very nervous. I know I do not want to work in a hospital where I am having to do these things on a daily basis, but I know I can work through this feeling. I too hate the thought of hurting people, but other nurses have told me you are helping much more than hurting. This helps me to feel better about pursuing my dream.:)
I am so glad I am not the only one that feels this way. I know I want to be a nurse, but all of these things make me very nervous. I know I do not want to work in a hospital where I am having to do these things on a daily basis, but I know I can work through this feeling. I too hate the thought of hurting people, but other nurses have told me you are helping much more than hurting. This helps me to feel better about pursuing my dream.:)
Hi
I am sure there are a lot more of us that are nervous out there. I will try to take it one day at a time. I am also an older student (40) and I was surprised to read your post. What type of setting are you looking to work in? I myself will probably work in a Dr's office if possible.
I am sure there are a lot more of us that are nervous out there. I will try to take it one day at a time. I am also an older student (40) and I was surprised to read your post. What type of setting are you looking to work in? I myself will probably work in a Dr's office if possible.
Peace and Grace
H
I am kind of thinking Oncology, but I know that will probably involve sticking on a daily basis. A Dr's office would not be bad I dont think. I dont think I would mind that at all either. I would want one with weekends off if possible. I am really keeping all options open in my mind at this time. I know it will all fall into place.
Starting IV's was THE MOST fear that I had starting to work the first time. I absolutely dreaded it!..but I found that if you watch a seasoned nurse start one and watch his or her techique then it will be easier. be tenacious!
I have been starting iv's and catheters on newborns and children for 13 years! so you can do it!
Most hopsitals do not let RNs insert NG tubes; it is usually an APN, or a resident MD. Many places have workshops that teach new people how to do IVs and venipuncture, too. Ask your prospective employers about this. Some organizations have an IV tram that inserts IVs for patients who need them, e.g. starting IV therapy or pulled out an IV or similar. Some places also have advanced PCTs who can draw blood. They won't be able to start lines, though. Finally, many units have a policy that you make 2-3 tries at starting a line; if you are unsuccessful, then call another RN for a try. Most floors have one or two people who are pretty good at lines. If not, anesthesia is a good bet, or someone from an ICU or burn unit. They have to do lines all the time for fluid rescusitation, so these folks are good at it.
Foleys aren't too bad. I had more trouble with gals than guys at first, but I am a man and some women want another woman putting it in. Often, if the patient is returning from surgery, you'll be DCing the Foley, not starting it. Just ask around and get someone more experienced to help you.
Last thing: recognize that some patients are tough for everyone! I'm talking about older people, obese patients, patients with scaley skin, etc. They pose a challenge to anyone. Those are the ones that you request a PICC line for!
This thread has been great for me. I have been struggling for a while about the technical aspect as I know my talents lie in absorbing and retaining tons of information and they definitely do not lie in awesome technical skills. I am thinking about applying to an accel BSN program.
I briefly did the basic skills portion of an LPN program after getting my BS. I had to retest on bedmaking because I was so nervous about testing that my hands got all sweaty in the gloves and I just could not do it! LOL I could not make a tight corner because I was so freaked out. I aced all of my written tests, but failed bedmaking the first time around. :roll That intense fear is one of the reasons I dropped the program. I got tunnel vision. I hope that the years and intervening life experiences have matured and mellowed me a bit.
I am so glad to know I am not alone. Those people who are just awesome at tech skills and brimming with self-confidence sometimes make me feel even more nervous about it and I am so happy to find that there are others like me.
This thread has been great for me. I have been struggling for a while about the technical aspect as I know my talents lie in absorbing and retaining tons of information and they definitely do not lie in awesome technical skills. I am thinking about applying to an accel BSN program.
I briefly did the basic skills portion of an LPN program after getting my BS. I had to retest on bedmaking because I was so nervous about testing that my hands got all sweaty in the gloves and I just could not do it! LOL I could not make a tight corner because I was so freaked out. I aced all of my written tests, but failed bedmaking the first time around. :roll That intense fear is one of the reasons I dropped the program. I got tunnel vision. I hope that the years and intervening life experiences have matured and mellowed me a bit.
I am so glad to know I am not alone. Those people who are just awesome at tech skills and brimming with self-confidence sometimes make me feel even more nervous about it and I am so happy to find that there are others like me.
Hello Choc
Wow. You sound just like me. I too dropped out of an LPN program due to extreme nervousness during clinicals. I would have been graduating this April if I had stuck it out. I always felt that my classmates were more comfortable during clinicals than I was. Of course most of them had been LNAs or CNA's prior to attending school and I was not. No mattter how many times I was told I was doing fine during clinicals I always had that overwhelming anxiety and would not sleep one wink the night before. I was the top of my class with the theory part of the program and my instructors were shocked when I decided to drop the program because of confidence issues.
I really regretted my decision of dropping out and every time I walk into a hospital I always feel like this is where I was meant to be. So I have decided to go back in September for an Associate RN degree. Right now I am taking micro to finish my science requirements.
Are you in nursing school right now? Maybe we can keep in touch and help booster each other's confidence while in school.
Wow. You sound just like me. I too dropped out of an LPN program due to extreme nervousness during clinicals. I would have been graduating this April if I had stuck it out. I always felt that my classmates were more comfortable during clinicals than I was. Of course most of them had been LNAs or CNA's prior to attending school and I was not. No mattter how many times I was told I was doing fine during clinicals I always had that overwhelming anxiety and would not sleep one wink the night before. I was the top of my class with the theory part of the program and my instructors were shocked when I decided to drop the program because of confidence issues.
I really regretted my decision of dropping out and every time I walk into a hospital I always feel like this is where I was meant to be. So I have decided to go back in September for an Associate RN degree. Right now I am taking micro to finish my science requirements.
Are you in nursing school right now? Maybe we can keep in touch and help booster each other's confidence while in school.
Best to you
Nursewannabee
Too funny. I did not get as far into clinicals as you did (dropped during my first term of med/surg) and some of my fellow classmates got a little upset when I dropped because I was way at the top for theory and they felt if I thought I could not hack it, how were they going to make it.
I'm not in school yet. I am considering applying to a BS to BSN program, at the college I got my BS from (I have most of the prereqs out of the way already from getting my BS). I'm not sure right now - a big problem is my 3 kids are kind of young and dh travels a lot for work. I may want to wait til they are a little older (they are 7,3, and 2 and even the 7 year old needs help with his activities of daily living). We move every few years, but I am pretty sure that wherever we go in the states there will be an RN program, so I am currently weighing waiting and having a relatively easier time of it when my kids are a little more self-sufficient (eg can do their homework alongside me instead of needing my 100% participation, etc...).
I have been struggling for a while about the technical aspect as I know my talents lie in absorbing and retaining tons of information and they definitely do not lie in awesome technical skills.
It seems that in nursing school, there are the students who get A's and struggle a bit with the technical skills and then there are the students who struggle to get B's and C's and have wonderful technical skills.
I'm only 3 months out of nursing school and am a working new grad. The first thing I noticed was that doing the technical skills is easier when you are a nurse than when you are a student (this is coming from the A student/wobbly tech skill person).
In school, the simple act of giving a p.o. med can be overwhelming. Your teacher is hovering over you and your whole life seems to be riding on getting a little pill into a little cup and into someone's mouth without making a mistake and perhaps blowing your clincal day with an "unsatisfactory" mark.
By the time you have graduated and are starting as a new nurse, you are just as nervous but it seems that you are cut more of a break. If a pill drops on the floor, it's like, "oops", and you fix the problem not "I MIGHT FAIL NURSING SCHOOL!!!"
I'm still VERY nervous when doing technical skills. Please know that it gets easier with practice. Some people get things right away and some other people take 5 or 6 tries to get something just right. It's very frustrating to be the one that isn't "mechanically inclined" at first, but eventually you will get there. You will.
SoulShine75
801 Posts
Hi Nursewannabee...I don't know if you've seen this on the nursing student thread or not but I found these free videos that demonstrate various nursing skills. Hopefully this will help you feel more confident.
http://www.cotc.edu/Professional/Streaming/Archive/nursing.htm
Good luck to you. :)