Nursing student w/ no previous healthcare experience

[futureNURSE388]

Hi everybody! I'm a 6th semester nursing student who will be graduating with a BSN in May 2012. I'm very confident with my assessment skills and passing medications safely, and know that I have learned so much thus far in nursing school. However, I have no previous healthcare experience and seem to have the most trouble with the little things. For example, transferring patients with many different IV's, oxygen, monitors, etc. I always feel like I'm tripping over the patient and feel like it takes me forever just to get them disconnected to go for a walk, to the bathroom, etc. Also, putting attends on older or immobile patients. I can never seem to get them on right or well enough that they stay attached. CNA's are not always available and I want to get good at doing total patient care, because it is likely I'll be working the night shift when I graduate and won't have a CNA to help. I really want to make sure that my patients are safe and I frequently feel like I'm bugging my nurse mentor for little things that should be no trouble. I desperately want to be a competent nurse, but this is really getting me down. Any tips you could give me would be much appreciated!

[2ndyearstudent, CNA]

Any tips you could give me would be much appreciated!

Go get a part time job as a CNA.

[JROregon, ASN, BSN, RN]

we had to get our cna certification before applying for nursing school but since i'm not a cna, i'm always a little lost on those details as well. fortunately half of my clinical-mates are cnas and i pick up a lot from them. find someone you can practice with in lab or ask a nice student who is also a cna to help you with each skill.