Pre-grad blues :(

i felt like that this past week. its ok. youll get better you just need to get into a groove.

maybe go to practice lab? so u can diddle around with the pumps so when it starts alarming you are more comfortable?

i know that im not, but i feel incompetent some days..because i see others flying through meds or assessments and im like what am i doing wrong?!?! arrrgggh?!?!.

sigh.

soon enough you'll be out of school :)

Clinicals are tough! You have the preceptor on your back, the floor you're on has nurses who sometimes don't always love students, the tests, the studying, it can all get very overwhelming so don't be too hard on yourself. I'm a new grad that graduated last May and the first job I took at an LTC I cried pretty much every day. I thought I was ready and had thick skin, but it broke me down almost daily.

That only lasted about a month and I've been in a hospital for about 4 months now and the orientation was like being in school all over again with a preceptor and everyone watching your every move, but it has made me a better nurse. My first few days alone were overwhelming and I shed a few tears in the break room, but you get over it, pull yourself up and remember that you have patients counting on you for their care and you push through and learn from your mistakes.

Trust me when I say that nursing school is nothing like real nursing, at least not in my opinion. A med pass can take a while in the real world, but it does not take anywhere near as long as it does in nursing school. You do need to learn how to troubleshoot the machines because it is the future of nursing and it's always changing, but the place you work should teach you how to handle it. If you can't find help, make sure the patient is safe and then go find help. The good thing about nursing is that you are never alone, there is always help available, sometimes you just have to look for it.

There will always be days when you feel incompetent like you are not a good enough nurse and so forth, but if you keep your patients safe and do the best you can and ask for help when you need it, you will be ok, just have faith and confidence in your skills that you have learned and keep practicing and study and you'll get through. Hang in there, it does get better!!

I am starting my pre-grad in two days and I feel exactly like you do even before starting it. I feel incompetent. I am afraid of making mistakes...I have not made one in my previous clinical experiences. However, considering that in pre-grad I will have to work for six days a week, chances of making mistakes is higher. I dread the very thought of it. I agree with the comment above. I believe that I need to be more confident, so that I can overcome the fear of making mistakes. This will help me be more independent rather than looking for someone to confirm that whatever I'm doing is correct.

I am glad I read your post at the right time. I needed to know that I was not alone and also, needed a dose of optimism which the comments gave me.

I hope all of us turn out to be fantastic nurses because I know that we're working hard to be so! :)