heather13

I guess it may be easy for instructors to forget how much we students hang on your words and seek your approval. Acknowledging progress is an excellent way to encourage. A simple "good job" from an instructor (when it is warranted) can mean the world to a stressed out, burned out, sleep deprived student. A little verbal encouragement throughout the clinical day can really boost confidence and make a huge difference in a students self regard.

Hi! I am in my last semester of my ADN program and I understand what you are talking about. There are times when I feel like just giving up. One thing that I noticed about myself is, if I set out to study ALL DAY the idea of that is so overwhelming that I don't know where to start. So I fidget around the house saying to myself "I should be studying now". Then, when I don't get around to it, I get really down on myself and studying seems to become this big unmanageable guilt ridden thing! What has helped me with this spiral is to schedule time to study, and schedule time to NOT study. You aren't a machine. You need to sit down and relax once in a while. If you schedule the time to do that, you will be more refreshed and studying will be more effective. Also, studying in small increments of time such as an hour or two every night can be much more manageable than one marathon day a week. I recently came across this article that has some good tips, as well as some validation for us long suffering students. I hope you find it helpful! Good luck to you!!! Dealing with stress in nursing school | Scrubs – The Leading Lifestyle Nursing Magazine Featuring Inspirational and Informational Nursing Articles

I love my Littman Master Cardiology! I got mine for a Christmas present after my first semester and it made a big difference in what I was able to hear and identify. Being a student it was helpful to have the "higher caliber" stethoscope. It does have the single head, but it is a clear difference when you are applying different pressures for high pitch and low pitched. I also got my initials engraved so mine doesn't walk away.

Read over your procedures so you are confident. Know where to inject, know if you need to pinch up or aspirate, and be sure you have the right gauge needle. (If you're not sure, ask your primary RN or your instructor.) Right before you go into the room, take a deep breath to steady yourself. When you are ready to stick, don't hesitate. I agree with Joanna73. Just commit. Say to your patient, "okay you'll feel a little pinch". As soon as you say pinch, give the injection. That way you wont have time to second guess yourself. Also remember once your done, go straight to the sharps bin! It's natural to be nervous but soon you'll be injecting like a pro. Good luck!

I went through something like that during my 3rd semester. It was the dreaded patho/pharm semester and my clinical instructor was ruthless. I am by no means put off by hard work, but I felt like I was treading water and failing. I was frustrated and ready to quit. It's not uncommon or silly at all to have these feelings. I thought just like you. I knew that I SHOULD be happy and proud, but just couldn't summon up the energy. Like the others have said, keep your focus on graduation. Whenever you feel that you are ready to give it up, stop and remind yourself how far you've come and how proud of yourself you should be. A positive self regard reflects in your work, and can even reflect in your grade. If you aren't feeling the confidence: fake it till you make it! Eventually it will get better. Good luck!

I stumbled my way through first semester with the not-so-nice stethoscope that comes in the required nurse pack. That Christmas, Santa brought me a Littman Master Cardiology and I couldn't be happier! It turned out that for most of my med/surg clinicals I ended up on tele floors. Littman is a great brand. I had an instructor tell me she had her Classic II for 20 years! Good luck and happy shopping!