What are you most freaked out about learning in nursing school? What makes you the most nervous? I am worried about taking blood. My hands tend to shake a little, even when I am not nervous, but really bad when I am nervous. I plan to take beta-blockers in nursing school so poor patients don't have to see shakes the clown coming at them with a needle.
I have been really trying to desensitize myself to the idea of sticking a needle into someone's vein. I look at people's arms a lot and visualize calmly and gently finding a vein, making the stick, etc. I know that seems strange, but just trying to gear up for it.
For all of you experienced students - do you usually get free time in the labs to just practice and practice on the models?? Do you practice blood draws on your fellow students?
yeah me too!! how do i get them? I am afraid of FAILING...im also afraid of what i will do when i see some major blood and trauma...never seen it live before (just on tv lol) also im worried that ill hurt someone by accident:(
First day of nursing school, my instructor (who happens to be one of the most wonderful and inspirational people I have ever had the good fortune of meeting) told the entire class "Our #1 goal as instructors is to make sure that when you graduate we've taught you how to not kill anybody!" :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Thing is, when you get right down to it that is really what we learn in our short time in school. We learn the basics, ABC, keep em clean and happy, 6 Rights, and DON"T KILL THEM. Our true learning will happen when we do this every day, when the critical thinking we had to use on tests, on papers, in class, and in clinicals is used without the instructor standing beside us or in the next room.
One of the nurses I worked with in clinicals told me the day you are not a little nervous (read scared) and are not concerned about your care is the day you will hurt someone. A piece of information I hope I always keep with me.
As for something for the nerves, I don't recommend any sort of med unless you truly need it and it is prescribed (in fact many facilities have rules on med use during work). I have found that the best nerve calmer is being prepared :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: Doing preclinical paperwork, practicing skills, and having faith in myself has cured me of being a complete basket case.
Yeah, my first IM scared the crap out of me , but I had gone over it several times before giving it, and I knew it couldn't go as bad as my first SC (no gloves, didn't check the arm band, and I dropped the needle after putting it into the skin :chuckle :chuckle :rotfl: ). I gave the injection with my instructor (the very instructor I had cut off the week before on the way to the site :uhoh21: :rotfl: ) looking over my shoulder, and when it was done was told I done it perfectly. All the things we fear are things we haven't done yet, give yourself the permission to not be perfect.
One thing I tell my students to do is to always have a small bottle of VICKS Vaporub available at work or clinical. Put some just inside each nare and it will help a tremendous amount with bad smells.
Gagging too much/at inappropriate times.
I have a bad gag refelx when it comes to certain smelly things.....For instance, now don't laugh, the smell of rotting food, and this is really bad--the other day when I was changing my nephew's diaper (he's not even 1 yet) I gagged so much that I threw up a little in my mouth! This has never happened with my son, who's 2 now. He's even vomitted all over me, and I didn't gag once.....
I've talked to one of my friends who is a CNA and entering the program this fall, also. She says I'll get used to it. She did! I hope so! :barf01:
My biggest fear is needles. I never look at them. When my 3 kids get immunization, I ask the nurses to get help, and I turn my head away. This freaks me. What kind of nurse am I gonna be? God help!
I too hated needles, couldn't even watch them on tv. This was my greatest hurdle in becoming a nurse, then one day, in the practice labs at UNI my friend suggested we practice on each other. We used sterile subcuts,1 each, and just had a jab, empty of course, without injecting anything. I was amazed at the lack of pain or sensation. This worked for me! I am now over (I hope) my needlephobia, and have given many without terror or shaky knees. Good luck.
I also had a HUGE fear of needles....so when we began learning injections, I practiced on myself. I used sterile saline that the school gave us, along with the needles, also provided by the school. My hubbie, who can start IV's on himself (thanks to the Army - Infantry), let me practice IM's on him. The subcutaneous injections got me over my fear of sticking a needle in flesh. My kids, then 4 and 7, also let me do SQ on them as well. When it was time for them to get their scheduled immunizations, the nurse who knows them well, asked what on earth we did to get them over their hysterical fear of needles. I guess they smiled through the entire process and even said they liked "getting shots"...LOL.
I was a bit embarrassed when I had to have my blood drawn after practicing on myself. My arms had little marks all over them and the lab person looked at me funny....I quickly stated that I was a nursing student who had been practicing injections on myself!!! I also had to explain to my son's friend who walked in our house as I was sitting at the table with a needle sticking out of my arm....uh, not a good first impression, you know?
I also had to explain to my son's friend who walked in our house as I was sitting at the table with a needle sticking out of my arm....uh, not a good first impression, you know?
Great mental picture!...haha, sounds like something I'd do!
I fear needle of course and knowing what to do at clinicals at first. I don't wanna be standing there with the deer in the headlights gaze going on.
I hear you!!! But I think that we need to take our discomfort out ot the equation and try to concentrate on the patients' discomfort. Of course, it is easier to say at times, but I think that we need to keep this in mind.
This is actually my first post ever! I usually just read through everything and soak it all in....anyway, when I do finally become a nursing student, my fears are that I will no longer have any sort of life (constantly studying, studying, studying!) and that I will be asked questions I should know the answers to, but all of a sudden don't!
My biggest fear as a new student and still is now in an arrest. After 2 years and 6 placements, including ITU. I have still not been present at an arrest.
What worries me even more is I'll get through my training without one and then I'll be a qualified nurse and be expected to be involved and know what to do
My biggest fear as a new student and still is now in an arrest. After 2 years and 6 placements, including ITU. I have still not been present at an arrest.
What worries me even more is I'll get through my training without one and then I'll be a qualified nurse and be expected to be involved and know what to do
Any facility worth their salt won't expect you to know everything. They will expect you to know health care provider CPR, but you should be put with a nurse who has been there for some time and is comfortable in her job to teach you what you don't know.
I to have many fears about going to nursing school. I shake very much and i was unaware that beta blockers can help with that something for me to think about. Also im very shy so i dont know what im going to do when we have to give a report in front of the whole class. My voice starts to shake my face turns red as a beet. My other fear is that im very poor im math and i know im going to be up to my ears in math. But my ultimate fear like others is failing i wanted to be a nurse for so long and still do and i believe ill make a good nurse and i would hate to get all the way there and fail Tiffany
Don't be too stressed about taking blood it is not as bad as you think.
I'm in my third year of nursing (Australia) and last year we had plenty of practice taking blood from the models and fellow students. I promise you once you have taken a few lots of blood you will become a natural. Good luck with the rest of your course and don't give up. you think it's hard now but it does gets easier I promise.
regards
nicole (Aussie chick) :)
What are you most freaked out about learning in nursing school? What makes you the most nervous? I am worried about taking blood. My hands tend to shake a little, even when I am not nervous, but really bad when I am nervous. I plan to take beta-blockers in nursing school so poor patients don't have to see shakes the clown coming at them with a needle.
I have been really trying to desensitize myself to the idea of sticking a needle into someone's vein. I look at people's arms a lot and visualize calmly and gently finding a vein, making the stick, etc. I know that seems strange, but just trying to gear up for it.
For all of you experienced students - do you usually get free time in the labs to just practice and practice on the models?? Do you practice blood draws on your fellow students?
NHNurseMan
36 Posts