cjohns889

Thank you for all the advice and stories! It feels good to know I am not alone. Ps. Moogie... even the virtual hugs made me feel better!

As a child, I had a bunch of friends who were dainty 'lil things and passed out when getting over heated on the playground/in dance class/etc... but not me. I have never passed out in my entire life... until this year. I'm a second year nursing student. Over Christmas break I shadowed a surgeon for the day and on the most minor of surgeries -cyst removal on the hand of a 12 yr old girl- I started to get really hot and woozy. It was so weird... I wasn't like "ew that's so gross" in my head - I just all of a sudden felt like the room was spinning and got really hot and had to sit down. I excused myself, ran to the bathroom, threw up and then fell to the floor. The nurse told me I was white as a ghost; I was so embarrassed considering it was such a minor surgery! I managed the rest of the day... only because I looked away and pretended like I was watching!! Experience #2: A week ago, I was doing a shadow round for pediatric clinicals and followed a nurse practitioner. Everything was going fine - just lots of snotty noses... until this one child who had a boil on his knee. The NP started popping it slowly... and once again, I got incredibly dizzy, had to leave the room, and passed out! I'm so nervous about this! I am starting Adult 2 in a few weeks and have heard many stories about the things we will see (ex: my friend had a pt with explosive diarrhea and had to put a catheter in!) I really don't want to keep passing out! I ate breakfast on both days and know it's nothing related to that; I just don't know what to do to make myself not pass out. Apparently there are some teachers who even get mad/write you up if you do! Never been completely overjoyed about being a nurse, but I think it's mostly because I have bad anxiety and I know that it's just a really demanding program that will pay off in the end. I know that I want to help people and do good, but I'm just worried I will never get over this and won't be able to stomach things that we'll see on a regular basis! Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? Any tips to get over it? :/

Just wanted to let you all know that I have stuck it out for the remainder of the semester and things have gotten better! I am sticking with each of ya'lls advice - STICKING WITH NURSING! I truly think that my love for people will help me overcome my anxiety in performing new procedures for the first time, etc. Plus, I'll get used to it all, right? Huge Fundamentals final tomorrow... gotta go cram some more (Hello, Diet Coke). I made one of the only A's on my Pharmacology final :) ... one more to go! Wish me luck.

WONDERFUL advice! So kind, and I'm so thankful! I'm loving the input! I think a big part is that I'm just getting scared of all the responsibilities and liability. I am a smart girl and work hard to make good grades, but I don't think I give myself enough credit/am confident until I have done something multiple times. For example: you said you did a telemetry rotation - I am just so scared of doing something wrong! So far, the most "intense" thing we have learned to do med admin (giving oral meds, crushing them and putting through NG tube, IM and subQ injections, catheters). I haven't done any of it on an actual person yet (we get checked off on dummies in a practice lab - haha!), but I am later this week I think! How much scarier does it get: IVs? Inserting tube feedings? I guess I'm just wondering if I am strong enough to be confident in a job with so many responsibilities and things to remember. I know for a fact I would love the caring/people part, but that is part of counseling or just any people-involved job... so I'm nervous/stuck. I think I'll end up sticking with it, but keep the thoughts/opinions coming!

NurseThis21 - that was SUCH helpful information! Thank you so much for your input! If I stick with it, I actually am doing Mental Health in January so maybe you are right - I will fall in love and realize that is where I ought to be! Best of both worlds. Do you have to get any special training aside from Bachelor's? (For ex: do I have to specialize in psychiatric nursing/more schooling/tests?) Thanks again for your help!

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for looking at my post! I definitely in need of some advice! I am a 20-year-old nursing student. For my first one-and-a-half years of college, I was a psychology major and planned on getting my masters (ie. MSW or LPC) in order to become a counselor/therapist. I just loooove learning about the human psyche and would really love helping people get through their problems. I switched to nursing midway through my sophomore year for various reasons. My parents really wanted me to be a nurse (my mom really wants me to be secure money wise in the future, and it's flexible with having a family, etc.), and because I was/am interested in that as well. I figured "well I want to help people, but I might not be able to help some with mental disorders who just can't get better, but in nursing it's like fixing a bo-bo! Much more positive and rewarding!" Plus, getting a masters adds on another 3 more years AFTER 4 years of college... I am in my first semester of nursing school/clinicals (before now I was in psych and then taking pre-req classes that I didn't have and needed for nursing). After this semester, I will have been in college for 2 and a half years. I am scared to change majors again so late, but I am just worried that I am not doing the career I should be! It's not that I don't LIKE nursing... it's just scary! I have done well so far and have worked my tail off to make good grades. But reading about all of the responsibilities and techniques and things you have to remember how to do... I am just not sure I want to be accountable for all of that! Of course in any profession, you have to know what you are doing. But with nursing, I keep reading about liability and how someone's life is in your hands and... I'm just scared of making a mistake and remembering every single thing! I don't want my nerves of "omg I just really don't want to put in an IV/what if I mess up?" to defer me from a career choice, because I'm sure you get used to the techniques and procedures after doing it over and over again. However, I am clueless as to what it really is like being a nurse once school is over. Do you do MORE than just take care of patients medically wise? I just don't think of putting in catheters, giving shots, administering meds, etc. all day long as something fun/that would make me happy. On the other hand, does talking to the patients and interacting with them keep it interesting/fun? I don't want anyone to say "well it sounds like you don't want to be a nurse" because I do and that's why I'm torn! For ex: our first semester has been at the nursing home. The first day, I called my mom hysterical saying "Oh my gosh ew I do NOT want to touch these old people's butts and change their diaper, gross!". However, within a day of being there, my love for them is so tremendous and care definitely overcomes the "gross stuff." The head activities director even sought me out to tell me that I was going to be the best nurse out of any of the other students! However, there is that part of me that feels like my heart is set on counseling people and doing the mental aspect rather than the medical. I have to decide within the next month, because money and registration is due and I would have to switch back to the university I was at originally (I am at a private nursing college now because the nursing school was an hour away). Plus, I am getting older and I don't like it (haha!) Sorry if this is long, but I am so stuck and need input from people with experience. Everyone roots for me to be a nurse (not just my parents, but all of my family members, friends' parents who are nurses, etc.) Do they know something I don't? THANKS SO MUCH!!! -C.