Not sure nursing is for me anymore

[lynnburg]

I feel like a failure. I've been going to school for 6 years now and don't have a degree because I keep switching my major. I finally found nursing and really liked it at first. Now I think I'm failing clinical and I feel awful. I have all As in every nursing class I've taken so far but I just can't seem to apply it. Everytime I start to feel confident in my ability, I make a stupid mistake or my clinical instructor makes me feel dumb. She has failed people in the past, which makes me worry. She just referred me to the nursing lab at school to practice skills. It just sucks because I've put so much effort, time, and money into this just to not really enjoy it and feel like a failure. Anybody else feel like this?

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

Lynnburg,

Don't beat yourself up! There isn't a single nurse who knows everything. However, together, we do. I am sure like all other nursing programs, you practice skills for a few hours, and then checked off on them. I suspect you have not had the opportunity to practice some of those skills on patients while in clinical. The goal upon graduation is to be a safe, beginning nurse. You will have a lengthy orientation when you start your first job. During that orientation, you will again practice the skills as they come up. You may complete your orientation without having checked off on dropping an NG tube. That's okay- because one day you will have a patient who needs one. When that time comes, you will have resources available to you.

There's nothing wrong with additional practice of your skills. Practicing will afford you the opportunity to become more proficient and comfortable. I hope this information helps. Do not be so hard on yourself. You will one day be an expert nurse in your specialty.