kind of nervous

[becky5438]

Ok, real nervous, tomorrow is my first day at the hospital. We are just going to do vital signs and bed baths. I'm real nervous about the bedbath thing. I'm not a CNA and have never worked in healthcare but I feel really awkward about bathing someone. Did anyone else feel this way, and how did you get over it. I'm also terrified that I am going to forget something simple like introducing myself or washing my hands or even talking to the patient. Does everyone feel this way at first or am I too nervous.

[lorba]

I know exactly how you feel!! We are doing our clinicals at a nursing home for the first semester. We don't actually start until October 6, but that's all I can think about. I worry that I won't be able to hear the blood pressure, or feel the pulse. I worry about talking to the patients, and having them get annoyed at me for asking them too many questions or doing too many things to them..lol. Since I started I've been so stressed thinking about this, but others in my class feel the same way. I know that it won't always be this awkward and we'll get more comfortable with it in time.

Good luck!!!

[Kitty Hawk, ADN, RN]

It's perfectly normal!

I think only CNA's feel comfortable in that situation, I also had zero health care experience.

I remember being afraid of most aspects of not feeling like I knew what I was doing. The best teacher for me really was experience. I just graduated from my program this past June and you'll be amazed how you'll feel at the end even though you may go through a good part of nursing school a wreck!

Do they definately have patients that they know will need bed baths? In my program we had to interview the patient and gather info before touching them. Then we'd go back the next am and do vital signs, baths, linens. However 9 out 10 the patients I had were self sufficient and didn't want someone to bathe them, so honestly I didn't get a lot of hands on. Plus in the begininnng they would have us double with another student. Are you on your own?

What I did focus on the times I did do them, was maintaining patient respect. Talking to them and treating them with dignity making sure to have areas not being washed are covered and of course giving them the option to wash peri area etc...themselves, most really preferred to do what they could.

No matter I always gave them the wash cloth for their face, so did my classmates. I know what they're trying to teach in nursing school, but on one hand you have the hospital emphasizing for the patient to do what they can and then you have school's sending in the students treating the patients like infants that can't wash their face. I think what I'm trying to say is that the hype of the labs never lived up to the reality of the hospital situation. In other words, is was never as bad as I imagined.

To not forget the things you mentioned. Just take a moment before you go in and think. 1. Wash hands, 2. Hi, my name is "X" I'm your student nurse this morning" The rest you'll roll with it. Don't worry! You'll do great!!! Stay positive! :)