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Discussion

Making mistakes

Hi everyone!

I have always been nervous performing skills infront of people. I do not have problems with exams, or learning a skill. I also maintain a 4.0 average.

It was the first day of my second Medsurg clinical in a new hospital yesterday, and I completely fumbled. A number of factors made me nervous and second guessing all of my thoughts, and I made many mistakes.

I forgot to bring in another cap when I flushed the IV. I forgot to bring in a glass of water for her PO meds - twice! I didn't bring all the meds I needed into the room for med pass, and had to go get them all of these things after I entered the room.

My instuctor then questioned everything I did - right fully so. I am surprised I wasn't written up. She did tell me that I had good responses to her questions, and my documentation was good.

I know my stuff, but when I get nervous and when the patient is upset about her circumstances, having other students observing, and the instuctor questioning me, I messed up.

My question is has anyone else made mistakes like this? I feel like I am inadequate. Will this nervous feeling ever go away? In my mind, I know what to do, but for some reason I make mistakes like this.

Dont sugar coat anything. I want to be a nurse but I feel as if I am not performing to what I should be by now. I am in my third semester of the BSN program- three more to go. Does everyone make mistakes like this?

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    Perhaps have the things you need written down before you go in a room? That way, you can have a tangible list even when you're flustered and don't have to worry that something slipped from your mind.

    It gets easier with practice. Hang in there. :)

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    Yes. Have made mistakes like that. Generally though those are the best learning experiences and probably won't make them again.

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    No, not everyone makes the kind of mistakes you are making. We all make our own. For the most part we learn, get more comfortable with practice and pretty much get over it. Not that we don't strive for perfection, but we have to come to terms with the fact that we aren't perfect and won't ever be.

    It's a tricky balancing act for the rest of your career to make every effort not to make mistakes but acknowledge that mistakes will happen. Admit your part in the process because usually it's a failure of process, make the corrections you can and MOVE ON. Dwelling in your mistake sets you up to make more.

    Does it help that you are at the most mistake prone part of you career and it generally gets better from here? There will constantly be new technology, protocols, medications and jobs where you will start over in your path from novice to expert. You can start learning now how to handle your mistakes and make them learning experiences rather than dead-in-the-water imperfections.

    You will learn soon enough that there is more than one right answer and a 4.0 is more the measure of factual regurgitation than critical thinking. Sounds like you are performing satisfactorily in your instructor's estimation. Clinical skills take time and practice. Keep on the path, make incremental improvements and you will get it.

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