Ok Class of 2017, Where are you??

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Hello my fellow nursing students. I will be starting my nursing classes on July 6. That's only 12 days from now! :nailbiting: I'm both excited and nervous. We had our first orientation yesterday, well it was more like a meet and greet. I have been on YouTube all day looking at videos on nursing school supplies. So I will be starting my school shopping this week. When did you get your school supply list? I was hoping to get mine at orientation, but nope no list! I hope that we can keep each other encouraged through the process. Congratulations to everyone who got accepted into the program.

Hey! My second quarter is wrapping up this week with all kinds of testing. Final is next Monday, then Spring Break for about a week and a half. Last quarter was awesome. This quarter was... difficult. But I am going to pass and then relax for a week and then roll right on into Spring quarter. :)

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Been a while since I posted! Just got back from spring break, which felt very long for some reason (for which I am grateful!). OB was pretty great. Being the birth nerd that I am I did fairly well with very little studying. Clinicals was awesome! I didn't get to see a lady partsl delivery, however it completely 100% reaffirmed my desire to be an L&D nurse. It's where I'm meant to be.

We submitted our choices for clinicals/schedule for 3rd semester which is Psych and more Med Surg. All the choices were awful. Everyone hates them. Feels like we came last to the party and all the good food is gone.

45 days till the last day of class.

50 days until my final!

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About halfway through the semester. We are now moving to a telemetry floor for the rest of the semester. It feels like it's dragging. And don't even get me started on the stress level

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47 more days until my last final this semester. Last week was my first week back from spring break (1 week). Doing reasonably well. A in nutrition (so far), B in A&P II, B in English 102 (though there's still plenty room for changes as we've barely done anything - she allows revisions on papers, and I'm not sure what my revision got on my first paper), and A in Med Surg. I really can't complain with having 14 credit hours. Out of everything, A&P II seems more difficult than anything else, including Med Surg!

I feel like I'm drowning in clinicals. I'm passing, but no matter what I do, I can't seem to boost my confidence levels, and that's what's making me feel like I'm drowning. I felt better during my clinical last week, but any little blunder would do me in and it'd take a bit to get back with it. Because of clinical, I'm honestly just ready to give up as I don't know if I'll ever be able to just fake it until I make it. I don't have the confidence like my classmates do. Everything they do seems so effortless. The only time I felt very comfortable and felt like I really belonged was during my OR rotation. I loved, loved, loved OR. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love what I do in clinicals. I just absolutely suck at confidence, and it's really noticeable. I also can't help but feel intimidated by the nurses. They've all been nice, so it's not like they've given me reason to, but I guess I feel more like they can see right through me and see that I'm not nurse material. The good news is I did feel much more comfortable last week. I gave my third injection ever and it felt very natural and comfortable (my first two times I was pretty much freaking out).

Provided I don't give up and make it through clinicals, next semester is going to be brutal. 13 credit hours in 10 weeks. Med Surg 2, Psych, pathophysiology, and life span psych. If I make it through the rest of the semester. I'll have 2 weeks in between semesters.

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Don't give up!

You don't know how your co-students really feel...

I get comments all the time like, "you're so confident" or, "how do you have so much self assurance?" Even from my clinical instructors. But guess what......

I am completely "faking til I make it!!"

I second guess myself at every turn. Clinical mornings, before we start, my anxiety is off the chart. But acting like "you go this" goes a LONG way. It seems to calm my pt's and other students ask for my help, and in turn, I get even more hands on experience that I wouldn't have had if I acted like the nervous wreck I really am. Give it another semester. If you really love the OR, just think about that during clinicals and it will help.

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Don't give up!

You don't know how your co-students really feel...

I get comments all the time like, "you're so confident" or, "how do you have so much self assurance?" Even from my clinical instructors. But guess what......

I am completely "faking til I make it!!"

I second guess myself at every turn. Clinical mornings, before we start, my anxiety is off the chart. But acting like "you go this" goes a LONG way. It seems to calm my pt's and other students ask for my help, and in turn, I get even more hands on experience that I wouldn't have had if I acted like the nervous wreck I really am. Give it another semester. If you really love the OR, just think about that during clinicals and it will help.

Thanks!

I just hate it because I look at my classmates and see future nurses. I look at myself and feel like a fraud. I really have to get this. I knew my confidence issues would be very difficult to get over. It's really only been the only negative of my clinical performance reviews. And both clinical instructors I've had so far both have said that they've been there, and they have confidence that I'll get through it. They've both seen me do better each clinical, but just not good enough.

I actually wanted to avoid looking at my clinical review from last week. I ended up getting it over with and looked at it. I knew I felt more confident in my last clinical, and my instructor even noted that on my progress sheet. So maybe if I can continue to do what I did last time and build on that?

I was diagnosed with postpartum depression last fall, but I've been awful at taking my antidepressants because I've just been so busy and my schedule is all over the place, plus juggling the kids (especially my 6 month old - he has reflux so bad that his weight dropped to the first percentile, and I've been really stressed about if there's going to be any long term issues because of it, and just trying to get through his reflux in general). I've started taking them again and am going to make more effort to take them. I know that is part of the problem, especially when I just tell myself over and over how badly I'm doing in clinical which only makes it worse because it's what I expect of myself. So that's my first step. I scheduled an appointment Monday with my doctor to see about something for anxiety. I've struggled with anxiety before, but I got to a point where I knew how to cope with and manage it without medication. With everything that's going on, I'm going to see if he'll give me something for anxiety as I really think that's a big part of my problem too (the antidepressants don't touch the anxiety). I really think that's playing a big part of my clinical experience and how I've been feeling in general. I've finally accepted that I need a little extra help with it, so I'm getting that taken care of now and hopefully that'll put me in a better frame of mind.

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38 more days until I can day I'm done with my first year of nursing. So surreal! But those 38 days include 2 tests, final exam, 2 more quizzes, 1 presentation, 1 APA paper, and 1 more care plan. Yeesh

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Hello everyone! I feel like I am intruding because I am not a part of class 2017, but I'll post anyway haha.

I just got accepted to a BN program in Canada last month and I start this fall. When I got my acceptance letter, I hurriedly searched for AN threads and I found this one. I read this thread from start to finish and I still keep an eye for updates. I feel like time went by so fast and so many of you are almost done with your first year! I hope you can share updates when you have free time and I wish you all good luck on the rest of your journey! :)

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Hello everyone! I feel like I am intruding because I am not a part of class 2017, but I'll post anyway haha.

I just got accepted to a BN program in Canada last month and I start this fall. When I got my acceptance letter, I hurriedly searched for AN threads and I found this one. I read this thread from start to finish and I still keep an eye for updates. I feel like time went by so fast and so many of you are almost done with your first year! I hope you can share updates when you have free time and I wish you all good luck on the rest of your journey! :)

Congrats on your acceptance! :)

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After tomorrow I have 3 weeks left of class + finals week. 1 more nursing exam + final. 2 more quizzes in A&P, 1 lab practical + final. Nutrtion, I don't know maybe a case study, quiz + final. English 2 presentation, outline, rough draft, final paper and done (April 26 - which is nice as it frees up an evening during finals week).

Next week is my last clinical day for the semester (obviously!). After my appointment with my doctor, I got something for anxiety, and I'm pretty much a different person during clinical. Things are starting to fall into place, and I'm starting to go with the flow. It's improved the way I talk to my patients even though I still really have to work on that. My wording always sounds awkward and forced. I mean everything I say, but it always comes out so awkward. I've just never really been the vocally expressive type, so it's kind of unnatural, in away, to say some things even if I sincerely mean what I say. I'm hoping that'll improve over time as I become more comfortable in my communication skills.

But otherwise clinicals are starting to go well. I still get really nervous before, but as soon as we're on the floor, it goes away now. I'm so happy about that. My instructor has noticed.

Oh, and I got my first 100% on a nursing exam last week. I was shocked.

Other than that, looking forward to my 2 week break. I plan on catching up on some sleep and getting a little extra before the insanity that'll be starting May 23. Though I have some fun days planned with the kids. I'm also doing Relay for Life with some classmates as well as joining my instructor and her family and friends (and probably other students / school staff) on a walk in support of her daughter.

So, after this semseter... 3 semesters left! Which is so hard to believe. If I get through summer semester, then I think my excuses will be running out as to why I think I'll fail out. The last two semesters will certainly be challenging, but I feel like if I could get through these first 3 semesters (baby first semester, 14 credit hours second semester with a super fussy baby and a toddler in her terrible 2s, and a 10 week 13 credit hour summer semester), then I can't imagine what could possibly stop me (other than laziness and procrastination) from getting through the last 2.

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Specializes in Adult Psychiatry, Correctional/Forensic Psychiatry.

This semester, I am taking OB, Pediatrics and Nursing Informatics. OB was a 6 week course and now I am currently in pediatrics for the second 6 week session. Nursing informatics is the whole semester. I got a B in OB, I loved it! It was definitely my favorite course that I have took so far. I definitely would like to pursue a career in the NICU or Mother/Baby and would love to be a midwife.

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4 weeks left til the end of semester two. I will officially be halfway done!

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