JessL85

I just finished my first clinical rotation and we left the nurses a plate of (store bought) cookies and a fruit platter and a thank you card. Gave them something to munch on when they were able to take a sec to stop by the break room!

I do not want to do bedside nursing, but I think it's a good experience to have and that really all nurses should probably do it, at least at first. Plus, I am only going for my ADN right now. So the plan is, get ADN, get hospital job, work and decide more on what I really want to do (right now I feel I'm interesting in public health nursing, education, research, ect) and then definitely get my BSN, if not my MSN, and make the transition!

Awesome...My first day of clinical is Sunday...I go Saturday afternoon to pick a patient. I kind of want to throw up just THINKING about it!! Haha, so I hope it goes well...

I work at a daycare. This is my first semester of nursing school, so I cut back a lot, to just 10-15 hours a week since my schedule changes daily so it's too difficult for them to otherwise rely on my for a set amount of time. I have never worked in healthcare (save a 5 month stint as a psych tech at a mental health hospital - only quit cause I moved), so sometimes I feel a bit out of my element! Previous to that, I've been a community based counselor for adults with MR, an instructor at a kids gym, a nanny, a sales associate, and a companion for the elderly.

84.7%. But honestly, I had no idea I was even going to take the TEAS! The assessment we had to take to apply to the program was something different (they just changed it to the TEAS this semester), but they had all new students come in to take the TEAS before the semester started, just to see where everyone was at. I didn't even know what kind of test were were going to be taken, I just got an e-mail the week before that said to be at a certain place at a certain time to take an assessment test. So I had no idea even what to study for...However, I had just taken an Algebra class that summer, and that certainly helped a lot. And I had just taken A&P the previous school year, so some of the science was more fresh in my mind then it otherwise would've been.

Haha, I seriously started contemplating today if maybe I should get medicated and see if that helps!! Just seems like I should try to deal with it in different ways first...

Too funny I came across this thread tonight because I was going here to post something similar, asking for help!! I had my third checkoff this afternoon. I didn't feel nervous at all before going in. I knew what I was doing, and the other two had gone fairly well, so what was there to be nervous about?? But just like previously, I started shaking. We were doing NG medications and my hand was VISIBLY shaking as I picked up the container of water to put some in the tube (it's a wonder I didn't spill any). I also was visibly shaking during our first checkoff too (second one I felt better about, for some reason), and my teacher actually commented on it. Today she just said that I did well, but I really need to work on my nervousness...I'm quite worried that when we start clinicals, that I'll be just as nervous, if not more so, and the patients will not want me anywhere near them. I almost never get nervous taking written exams, but anything that involves someone watching and critiquing me - nerveracking! So anyway, I have no advice, except to say I relate AND I appreciate you starting this thread so hopefully I can read some comforting words of experience and wisdom as well.