Nervous in clinical, making mistakes!

[nursingchick42]

Hi everyone!

I am in my surgical rotation in nursing. I feel sooo stressed out about clinical everytime and get so stressed about memorizing the side effects/actions of meds. I have been very nervous in my last semester experience on a medical floor, and feel like my professor really lowered my confidence (totally different story on its own haha), but now i am on a surgical floor this semester and its much faster, and theres meds and dressing changes and alot of IV related stuff. I am having a tough time not being confident with my skills and second guessing myself, or when i am nervous i rush things and tend to mess up on small things such as getting an air bubble out, med math, alcohol swabbing when my prof is with me, as she makes me very nervous!! Also i am having a difficult time getting used to the face pace activity on this surgical floor and therefore having a hard time with time management, any suggestions??

HELP! what should I do? how can i overcome my nervous-ness and build my confidence up to a point where i am not second guessing myself and making small mistakes every now and then and having them add up.

[mistymae22]

I know exactly what you are going through. I find myself making dumb mistakes too or even asking dumb questions to my preceptor, because she also makes me nervous sometimes. All I can say is to hang in there, ask questions if you don't know anything. Make sure you ask for clarification on doing something if you aren't sure! And if you don't know something or forgot something, always say that you will look it up, and take you word for it. Also, don't think about messing up. Because if you think about it too much more than the task itself, you will most likely end up messing up. I'm on the same boat as you! Just trying to take it day by day and task by task. Always think and take your time!! (: