Need advice please :) nursing student

whitgriff22 · Sep 2, 2011

I am a senior in my bsn program--graduating in December :yeah:

I think that it is completely normal & acceptable to be nervous about the application aspect of nursing. You will be performing skills that you have never done besides simulation & people's lives are at stake. I think that you just need to trust that you have been prepared as much as possible by both yourself & your instructors. Your clinical instructor should be with you for any new skills that you perform to talk you through it. As with any new skill, practice makes perfect. The more you practice, the more confident you will become. I think you will be surprised at how much you can actually do when you try. Good luck in your program :)

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Sep 2, 2011

Everyone brings a different strength to the table in nursing. Some of us love the conceptual stuff but aren't IV whizzes. Others are awesome during a code, but they may not be as good at explaining patho or other theory.

I'm passionate about nursing as well, but I've just taken an educator position in our NICU. The babies have survived almost six years with me at the bedside, but now I think I've truly found my niche. Over time, I bet that you will find yours as well.

Rob72, ASN, RN · Sep 2, 2011

I opened the latest edition of Managed Care this week, and saw more drooling blather, proclaiming the need for higher educational standards, and "thinking" in nursing. :rolleyes:

If you haven't worked as a tech/LPN/whathaveyou, its going to be nerve wracking at first. Don't worry, just do what you've trained to do. IME, most schools are spending waaaayyy too much time on theory, and not creating technically comfortable (or, in some cases proficient) grads.

If you have time, practice your procedures & exams with a group; at the least, practice on any and all available family members, preferrably those who don't mind giving you a hard time, without making an unbelievable scenario. :cool:

Good luck, & like the Aggie says, you'll find you niche.

raecudzy1, BSN · Sep 2, 2011

Hello there!

Well I am a CNA and in the nursing program. I found being a CNA and working as one helps a lot, but at the same time, I still do get nervous!!!

When you're in your clinicals you need to be positive, and go into it with an open mind. When you're interacting with patients you need to be kind, and caring and I found that humor always helps and maybe even joking around with them helps tremendously. Of course you will encounter patients with diseases like dementia, but you have to still treat them like you would your grandma.

Anywho, I do get nervous, honestly. Just be confident in your knowledge and your skills. Ask for help from the staff, instructor, and even other classmates, and then in turn help them!

The first day of my clinical I had a very quiet patient and his family member answered everything and I was so nervous. The next week I was dreading clinicals, but I had an AMAZING patient who was super funny. That made my whole clinical day, - I felt like I could do anything. I immediately turned into super nursing-student!!!! After that I never dreaded clinicals again (even when I had some uncooperative patients).

Anywho, the right patient will come along and make your whole day, or you will see how much you love caring for others, and the next time you're at clinicals you will know in your heart you're ready for the experience it gives you!

Connie1109 · Sep 4, 2011

Do practice NCLEX questions for the class you are taking, look at the success book such as Med-Surg Success: Course Review Applying Critical Thinking to Test Taking it'll give you practice questions and rationale for every answer. It helped me a lot because it doesn't matter how much you know if you can't answer the questions all the studying is pointless and doing practice questions helps a lot

Hope this helps!! Good Luck!!

butterfly134 · Sep 4, 2011

Practice in the skills labs!! Practice makes perfect and the more you do something the more confident you will become :) Don't be afraid to ask for help from your lecturers its just as important that you get help, the same as if you friend asked a lecturer for help with physiology. gud luck! :)