Oh yes yes,
I feel this way too.
We are thrown in and we almost never even see our clinical instructor. I feel very fortunate when I get a "nursing buddy" who takes the time to help me, they are so very busy so I do apprectiate it more than they know. (so if you are reading out there thank you!!).
I have had my own patient for a few clinicals now, I see myself improving with each one, but I still "miss" things and don't do as fully a job as I hope I would do after I finish this training.
I think the biggest thing I have learned from this whole experience is not to wait for someone to come to me, you need to take the initiative with everything in nursing school. I pull my nurse in when I need her/him, I call my instructor on my cell phone and I ask other nurses on the floor when I see interesting things that I want to learn come up. I also rely on my fellow students we work together on the floor in groups of 3 or 4.
My biggest thing is feeling clumsy I feel all thumbs sometimes when I am working alone in the small cramped spaces and the patients who are so uncomfortable.
Like someone else posted, it's the new students who aren't nervous that is scary.
