Nursing School Blues??

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2006

Join the club. I just did my first research assignment for clinical and am totally overwhelmed. Add my english reading, my client database, my nursing dx's and goals, starting new job, demoing foley cath tomorrow, cooking, english paper and nursing seminar paper, I've got a bit on my plate for next 3 weeks. Looks like I know how I'm spending my weekends!!

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Oct 18, 2006

It must be because I think I am suffering from it too. I am doing fine in clinical stuff but the tests are kicking me in the butt, and it is hard to take since I had a 4.0 for my pre-requs. Writing in my journal helps, they say your suppose to journal so you can look back and see how far you have come. I hope I just make it to look back! LOL I am getting B's mostly, but I am thinking if I am getting B's now what will it be like in a year?

I know B's are good for nursing school, and I know you are not suppose to compare yourself to other people, but even thought I get B's on my tests I always get like one point under the class average and that makes me feel dumb. But heck I am above the class average for our nursing philosophy paper

shomelggs · Oct 18, 2006

Hey don't beat yourself up, you just need to get used to the situation. We all have bad days-and good days. Focus more on the good day you want to have and hot the bad!!!

Sounds better looking at it that actually living it. I feel not so smart most of the time while in nursing school.---

SmetRN2008 · Oct 18, 2006

I'm suffering as well. It also doesn't help that I've had problems w/ depression and anxiety in the past and now it feel like it's all coming back. I'm half-way through my first semester and I'm just overwhelmed. I had a 4.0 in all my pre-reqs and now I'm getting a B. I feel lost 99% of the time and we start clinicals a week from today and I'm scared to death!!! I've also lost the motivation to study...I have to "force" myself to do it now instead of actually wanting to. I just keep telling myself...only a year and half and I will be an RN. Then I can get into the field I enjoy the most and hopefully things will be ok from there. I just have to make it through these next 3 1/2 semesters first. It also doesn't help that all I've been hearing is how easy the fundamentals are compared to everything else, especially med/surg. Ugh....however, I WILL NOT give up. The only way I would is if I flunked out which will not happen either because I won't let myself. So I will be an RN, I want it really bad....it's just a long, hard road getting there.

StakRN · Nov 2, 2006

im in the same boat. I am graduating in December from an ADN program and I feel like I am not ready, it's not so much on the didactic part I am having a hard time with, it's the clinical portion. I'm in team leading now which means we get 4 - 5 patients now and I don't know how I can do my complete assessments in 1 hour before giving the 9 am medications. (and giving the 9 am meds to 5 patients is a different story-because each patient has about 5-10 meds each that I have to look up)

Everytime I am on the floor I feel like am I not doing anything right -i feel so dumb, and if I am doing something right, it takes me forever to finish a task, so that means everything else I have to do will be late.

I am so glad for this forum, it's nice to know that I am not alone. I just always tell my self "no one said this was going to be easy" and I look up to the nurses and say "someday I will be as efficient and good as they are, so"

RN1263 · Nov 2, 2006

i graduate in may and yep nursing school IS an emotional roller coaster!!!! :uhoh3:

pre-reqs were a breeze compared to the rn program.......just don't quit unless you're positive nursing isn't for you, because MOST nursing students feel like you do at one time or another.

GratefulHeart · Nov 3, 2006

You know how there is post pardum depression and pre mestrual mood swings.... can there be such a thing as Nursing School Depression??
Well if there is such a thing, I must be going through it!
I'm on my second semester of the ASN program, I get high 80's and low 90's on my exams and I haven't had no problems in clinicals so far.... I know I'm a good student but lately I've been self doubting myself, wondering if I would ever be a good nurse. I've lost my motivation to study as much as I used to. I always have a headache and I'm soooo tired all the time. I know Nurising School is rough and I expected it to be hard work so why am I feeling so down and self doubting myself?
I just got a job as a nurse tech and my first day I messed up on all the blood pressures, the tech that was training me just gave me a wierd look. I don't know why I was off on the blood pressures, I know how to take BPs but I kept messing up.... I felt like an idiot because I should have been able to take all the vital's, that's was one of the first things we learned in school. That experience did not help my mood at all!
Has anyone ever gone through something like this??

Yeah, that happened to me too - the first time I was in nursing school. I ended up dropping out BTW, but I had a 4.0 and was the star student in my class (uhhhhh). I didn't realize how deep tired I was in every way at the time, but looking back many years later I can tell you now that it was because my life was way out of balance. Too much work, too little sleep, too much caffeine, too much seriousness all the way around...and not enough laughter, playing, enjoying each day for what it's worth, and simply letting go of perfectionistic tendencies.

Do take care of yourself. 8o)

msmona · Dec 30, 2006

SOOOO GLAD for all you who shared your story. I did not pass my 3rd semester clinicals and really have been tossing a lot of stuff around in my head. Thanks for letting me know I am not alone and it CAN be done.

BoonersmomRN · Dec 30, 2006

You are so not alone in this.

I am about to begin semester 3 and all I have done all break is cry it seems. Cry or be horrendous to others it seems. *sigh*.

I just got a job as well and the thought of that, along with school, is making me very very brittle right now. I swear I even took a pregnancy test - thinking THAT could be a reason. It was negative

((hugs))....I feel ya

nursekatie22, RN · Dec 30, 2006

I'm newly out of school and I know exactly how you feel. Felt that way pretty much the whole last half of my last semester; just started doubting, not even caring about tests, etc. You'll get through it even though it seems like it's lasting forever....hell, if I can do it, anyone can! :idea:

damarystx · Dec 30, 2006

I'm going into my last semester of a 2 year program and EVERYONE ahs gone through this at one point. I actually kinda flew through the first 2 semesters chalk it up to good coping skills but middle of third I cracked, for about a week I cried at the drop of a hat, thought I couldn't make it through the rest of the program, everyone around me has gone through it at one point or another, one of my friends walked out of class in tears one night during my week long breakdown, the class had been kind of challengeing and we must have gone through 1000 slides in the last 15 minutes of class alone (all of our classes are on powerpoint) all we could do is walk out at the end of class, hug, cry, and encourage each other...we made it through. And so can everyone else. Hang in there, it will all be worth it in the end

Sheri257 · Dec 30, 2006

I went through a major depression every semester. By the second year, I pretty much expected it ... which kind of made it easier, since I was used to it by then.

I don't know what to tell you except that, at least for me, it is normal ... mostly because of all the stress. You just struggle through it because, what else can you do ... except quit which, isn't an option for most of us.

:typing