New to med field and Afraid of the unknown

[AngelsRnurses]

Hi, everyone! I been reading for a while but this is my first time posting so bear with me. I have been going to school for a long time as a part-time student while working in a full-time dead end production job for almost 9 years and finally quit in March of this year after having my second child. The whole time I was majoring in business but everytime I'm in the doctors offices or the hospital, I felt the calling and somewhat at peace. I been debating with myself for a long time and decided that the business environment isn't for me. I pick up all the courage i could to recently became a CNA despite of all the unpleasant stories I heard about being an CNA. I want to become an RN but my fears of the unknown like horrific open wounds or protruding broken bones keep me doubting myself on whether I can be a nurse. Despite my fears I keep on going, hoping that my fears would be the same like my first impressions and fears in the 1st few weeks of CNA training. I really want a career in nursing because I believed that I can be one Of the best nurses out there. I just want some advice on how to overcome that fear, be successful in school, and keep all the info I learn from escaping in head. Thankyou! I will appreciate any advice I can get.

[Guest717236]

hi,

see if you can arrange a shadow opportunity with a nurse in the specialty

that you may be interested in. if you feel called to the work, you will

be surprised at the amount of courage and steadiness you will have.

fear comes from the unknown. talk with student nurses, experienced nurses

about their growth curve in nursing. it takes[color=#000] perseverance, dedication,

and patience along with a willingness to grow steady.

and learning and growing never end, there are always new opportunities [color=#000]along your journey....

remember, your nursing student peers most likely have never had these experiences either, so you are not alone.

your instructor and the nurses you work with will

help you learn as you encounter each challenge..

[color=#000]

best wishes!

[merlee]

As you become more knowledgable, you will gain more confidence. You are unlikely to see protruding bones unless you work in the ER or OR, or one of your kids has a very bad fall/accident.

You may possibly see some bad wounds working as a CNA if a nurse needs some help turning or positioning a patient.

Information WILL stick in your brain!!

Sounds like you are a compassionate, intelligent person - just what our profession needs more of!

Best wishes!

[littlewingrn]

You sound like me! I took classes part time for a LONG time, trying to better myself, but not sure where I was going. I had always had nursing in the back of my mind, but never felt I was smart enough. I never excelled in math or science classes. I picked up A&P and LOVED IT! The human body is amazing. When my mom got sick and was hospitalized several times, I always watched the nurses in awe. They were so smart and confident and knew so much. I began doubting myself again. I trudged along though, working full time, dead end job, part time school. I finished all my pre-reqs finally. I had to make the decision. I am not a blood and guts person either and continued to doubt myself even though I had decided that nursing was exactly where I wanted to be. I took the plunge, took out a small loan, worked part time and went to nursing school. Guess what? I loved it! I graduated and had problems finding a job, like most of the new grads. I took a position in LTC. Not my first choice, but again I loved it! I loved the residents and was fortunate to have a great DON and facility. My dream was to be in the hospital though. I applied and applied and finally got into a residency program within the......ER!!!! I just started recently. Again, the doubts came back. What was I thinking? The ER? Blood and bones and trauma! Actually, that is a different team. I LOVE THE ER!!! I would have never thought in a million years that I would end up where I am and loving it. Don't doubt your abilities or what you think you can't handle. You really don't know what you can do until you are placed in the position to do it. You may find your greatest fears are actually you strengths! I have a lot to learn and a lot to see yet, but I know I am where I am supposed to be. It is something you have to see for yourself and figure out. I would not have listened to anyone who told me that this position would be my dream job. Listen to your heart and go with it. If nursing is in you and is truly what you want to do, you will find your niche and love it too!

BTW, I was afraid of wounds and such too, but at the LTC, I shadowed the wound care nurse for a bit and learned so much and now find wounds very interesting as well. Still not sure I could handle seeing a major trauma, but then again, you never know what you can do until you are in the position to actually do it! Just never forget the patient behind the wound, illness, etc.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Rest assured. I have been in this job for a very long time, since 18 as a CNA, and I have never seen any horrific wounds or protruding bones. And I make sure I don't.

My fear are colostomy/iliostomy bags. Those are nasty.

See if you can shadow somebody and congrats on being a CNA. It's a great place to start. You can watch from the sidelines and see if it's really for you.

[nightengalegoddess]

Just do it. You are amazing already..able to overcome anything. As long as it isn't your kids with protruding bones, you'll be fine.

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

Those people who have those open wounds and protruding bones need someone to take care of them. Some people are up to it and some are not. Its kind of like having a baby, one smile is worth a hundred dirty diapers (OK well maybe 50).

[ktliz]

The first time I started nursing school, I attended the first day of class, and a huge wave of self-doubt came over me--I dropped out. Now, 2 years later, I am again enrolled in nursing school (with my anxiety under control) and I'm loving it!

Fear is COMPLETELY normal; just don't let it paralyze you. Whenever you get that nagging self-doubt, recognize it, accept it, and move on. :)

[avionics]

I think fear is the result of intelligence, imagination, and the unknown combining in new and horrible ways. Sometimes its more of one than the others...It is important to analyze which of these is most likely the cause so that we may know if we should listen to our fears or discount them.

I am scared as well, because I know anything in the medical field is no joke, with real consequences for our mistakes, plus having a position of responsibility that few people outside of the medical field can truly comprehend. So anybody new to this field that is without some fear-I would not trust.

In my experience those that are truly fearless are likely just too ignorant to fully grasp the situation...

The attribute of courage is found in how we work through our fears, rather than in the absence of fear. Courage, like fear, can be built over time by practicing it until it becomes second nature. The trick is to build the right one of them up as either one definitely grows if you let it.

[NSGstudent12]

Those are some great and up-lifting responses.. I think every student goes through the time where they don't know if they are gonna be able to do it, I know i did! I'm sure I will get that feeling again before I graduate in May also ha. Just reading these comments makes me feel a ton better! Thanks.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Once you get a little experience under your belt, I think you may find that the unknown is a lot of fun! I love the challenge of knowing that every day will be a little bit different, or that my ordered and planned schedule for the shift could change suddenly as a patient's condition changes.

Good luck to you!