Pre-nursing Students, CNA's, Current Nurses.....

BR NURSE2BEE · May 29, 2009

Hi jennydavid,

I'm also a pre-nursing student and I have the same type of concern about mental health nursing. For some strange reason it just makes me a little nervous but I hope that I can get over that fear before I start clinical.

Be_Moore · May 29, 2009

L&D. I took care of a patient s/p c-section last night in the unit...ugh. Lochia...fundus checking...feelings of anxiety and awkwardness all over again! But don't worry, you don't have to do anything in school for too long.

2BSure · May 29, 2009

I wonder if you might benefit from volunteering at a hospital for a little while. Some ER depts. have volunteers -- mine is just getting a program together for that. Maybe work as a CNA. The difference I have seen in NSs who make a point to expose themselves to the healthcare environment CAN be incredible (it can, of course, lead to over confidence too but that is another issue).

Is it possible that your idea of an ER is what you have seen on TV shows? I mean no disrespect when I ask this. Not all ERs are the same, some are relatively tame, most of the time. The same goes for psych wards -- not all are the same. I thought psych was extremely interesting.

Try your best to not have a preconceived notion -- that is what leads to fear/nervousness. As a student I was petrified of ER and now that is where I work and love it. I thought I would love surgery until I rotated through, observed some ortho procedures and that put me off completely.

donnasRN · May 29, 2009

Hey, I will be starting an accelerated BSN program in the fall and I have the same worries. I've been working in psych for the past 8 years and it's no where as terrible as it's sometimes made out to be - Often I feel I've seen it all and nothing can shock me, haha. On the other hand, I have no real medical experience so I am nervous about med/surg, maternity, peds, etc. But, all need to be conquered in order to make a great nurse! :)

2BSure · May 29, 2009

Honestly, I think it is quite healthy to be a bit nervous.

alex_hamilton18 · May 29, 2009

I am a third year (of four) nursing student in Canada... I too was nervous about Psych. To tell you the truth, the Psych rotation was one I enjoyed the most! Mental health patients are extremely marginalized and stigmatized in our societies... keeping that in perspective and trying to eliminate personal bias and fear made it much easier for me. I also discovered that working with these patients, treating them as human beings (not as an illness to be afraid of) and exploring the pathophysiology of mental illness made things easier as well. I actually found psych to be a very rewarding and enriching experience.

Everything is scary when its new... we fear the unknown I think.. You will learn... and you will prosper through exposure to the multitude of experiences in nursing school!

Good luck!

-Alex

P.s. despite what the media tells you, individuals with mental illness are far more likely to injure themselves than anyone else... its the extreme cases that get the most publicity and sensationalization on our cable news networks! It's sad really....

tfleuter, BSN, RN · May 29, 2009

Pre-nursing here, and I am most concerned w/ L&D and NICU. I get chocked up at the thought of having to witness a newborn pass away or suffer. Seeing the grief of the parents after a still born or miscarriage. I think even worse would be to witness how unloving some can come off as towards their new child and I know it would bother me to wonder if s/he will be well cared for once leaving the hospital. I have no personal experience w/ this, but an acquaintance who worked in L&D was telling me stories about this. I thought I would want to work in that kind of setting until she told me about all the bad things who witness along with the good :scrying: I know this is true of every unit, but I feel exceptionally sensitive to newborns and babies, so these units might not be a good fit for me.

Of course, I won't know until I start clinicals in those settings, so I want to go in with an open mind.

Mrs.BSN71109 · May 29, 2009

I'm a new grad and I felt similar to how u feel now when I began my program..... don't worry EVERYONE feels scared about something in nursing. I was really afraid of critical care and ER patients now that's all I want to do. Just make sure that your apprehension doesn't interfere with your learning, stay open minded !! :specs:

cursedandblessed · May 30, 2009

neonates-they scared the heck out of me, until i saw a birth and realized if they could go through that and survive, they could survive my caring for them.

i really want er or psych nursing. i'm really good on my feet and quick thinking 99.9% of the time. i actually pick the patients with mental health diagnosis besides their admitting diagnosis because i find that so interesting. my patients with depression really seem to appreciate having a student nurse to dote on them and listen to them. i've been able to help get a social worker to help out with some patients family issues. i felt really good that day.

Definingmyfuture · May 30, 2009

Thanks guys for your replies. I am starting my CNA program in August and I am also checking into volunteering at the local hospital. I hope that the experience will settle me a little bit. It's nice to know that these feelings are normal. I just want to be the best nurse that I can be.

thanks again guys

KateRN1 · May 30, 2009

OR. I am *so* not a surgical nurse. I can't even watch surgeries on television. Ugh. I'm getting queezy just thinking about it. When I was in school, I warned my instructor and for my surgical rotation I had the joys of watching a bunionectomy. I kid you not. Other students in my class watched kewl stuff like valve replacements and CABGs. Not me. Nope. Bunion removal!