3rd semester is about to start; and I am PETRIFIED!

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

Hi, sorry in advance for whining. I keep hearing from students how hard 3rd semester(med-surg)will be. Even though I have gotten through 1st and 2nd semester with decent grades, I feel that my clinical skills are lacking. I practice in lab, but I still feel like the teachers are trying to "weed us out" for any infraction; and I am a perfect candidate. I know that some instructors get a little frustrated at my nervousness and clumsiness. My best strength in clinicals lie in the fact that I really connect with my patients-I seem to always get difficult ones to work with me-even when they have won't allow other students to give care. I only wish I didn't look like such a dummy when I am trying to change an IV bag or give insulin. I also wish I understood lab values like I probably should. I thought I had it down but after just one month of a break, I feel lost in that department too.
I feel so much pressure not to fail, also because I quit a really good job to start nursing school. I gave up all medical benefits, half of our household income, and have invested a ton of $ in my education up to this point. My husband says that under no circumstances does he agree with me quitting (which I have felt like doing a few times). I try to remember why I started this. I wanted to help people of course. I wanted to belong to an esteemed profession. But dang it, I wish I would have known how hard it was; some days it is pure torture because of the papers due, lack of sleep, upcoming tests, getting up at 4:30 for clinical, trying to arrange child care, house in a wreck, no dinner cooked, etc, etc. NO joke, one or two mornings last semester I saw my exit for school coming of on the freeway and fantacize about just keeping driving and driving!
I have read some posts like mine and I know that I should be enjoying some of this experience. A couple of nurses I talked to tell me that nursing school can be a real pain but when you are a nurse it is a lot different/better. Anyway, feeling this way, only half way through my ADN program, leaves me feeling sad and unconfident. I guess I will just keep forcing myself to go to class/clinicals, and do my best/be safe. What else can I do? I feel that I cannot quit, even at the sake of my sanity. I would be letting too many people down.

My first day in orientation, the CEO gave us a talk and his words were burned into my memory:

"We can teach you the clinical skills. Anyone can do them. What we can't teach you is how to care about your patients."

The skills are just a matter of repetition. The labs are knowledge that once you see a set of standing orders often enough, will glue all that information together for you.

But no one can teach you how to connect with difficult patients. You either do or you don't.

You might be a little clumsy with skills or a little forgetful with labs and so forth, but that's why you're in school. You are learning.

You need to give yourself a pep talk every day. Be strong. Be positive. You can do this.

Take a look at this. It might help: http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html

I really respect the fact that you gave up so much to go to nursing school. I don't know if I could have done that. But if it's your heart's desire and if this is truly where you want to go with your life, you will succeed. You're committed now and it's time to start looking ahead and don't waste your precious time or energy looking back.

((((hugs)))))

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

every day that i went into clinicals as a student and for probably my first two or three years as a newly licensed rn i got sick to my stomach and felt like i would throw up. so, i never ate before going to work because i didn't want to barf in the middle of some little crisis and look like a dork. i kept wondering what kind of mistake i had made going into nursing, but i was pretty sure that i didn't belong in an office. nursing school was hard and working as a new nurse was stressful, especially with my smart aleck attitude.

it's been 30 years. i was a staff nurse in med/surg for most of them, an iv therapist, a hospital supervisor and a nurse manager. here's what i know that you don't--yet. you have to stick around awhile to find these things out, but i'll tell them to you because today you need to hear them.

i feel that my clinical skills are lacking.

every new grad (you haven't even graduated yet!) that i interviewed for a

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job felt the same way. we expected it. in fact, our nurse recruiter wouldn't hire a new grad that professed to be competent in all skills because she knew the grad was pitching a load of crap. you don't have time to become proficient in clinical skills in school. you learn about them and are introduced to them. we were lucky to hire new grads that had done one of any skill on an actual patient. your first year on the job after graduation is also a year of learning. smart, savvy employers know this and allow you the elbowroom to continue this learning. that is why your first job choice is an important one.

i practice in lab, but i still feel like the teachers are trying to "weed us out" for any infraction; and i am a perfect candidate.

was judge judy your mother too? i had one of those. this is your subconscious mind trying to talk you out of your decision to be a nurse. the subconscious mind is very negative. now, slap that puppy in the face and get on with your life. your conscience mind rules this body. the nerve of some unconscious minds.

i know that some instructors get a little frustrated at my nervousness and clumsiness.

everybody gets like that. some are better at publicly hiding it. a teacher knows how to do a procedure because they did them on the job hundreds of times. they are only human and not perfect themselves. yes, they can get cranky and impatient. they shouldn't. it's not your fault. you're not doing anything wrong. it is not a reason to give up. it's not your fault. you're not doing anything wrong. it is not a reason to give up. it's not your fault. you're not doing anything wrong. it is not a reason to give up.

my best strength in clinicals lie in the fact that i really connect with my patients-i seem to always get difficult ones to work with me-even when they have won't allow other students to give care.

wow! how wonderful does that make you feel? that is really spiritual and that is why you need to be a nurse and why you can't quit school.

i only wish i didn't look like such a dummy when i am trying to change an iv bag or give insulin. i also wish i understood lab values like i probably should. i thought i had it down but after just one month of a break, i feel lost in that department too.

you know, that same reason you get those really difficult patients to work with that won't let other students take care of them is the same reason you are getting to work with patients where you have to change iv bags, give insulin or check their abnormal lab results. everything happens for a reason. these are all skills. while you may be fumbling with them now, that won't be the case down the road. we all have difficulty at our first attempts doing things and it isn't a pleasant feeling. you probably don't remember the frustration you felt when you were struggling to tie you shoes, button your first shirts, ride a bike without training wheels, or how about the first time you got behind the wheel of a car and drove. did you go zooming out on the interstate or parallel park perfectly? struggling to learn is sometimes painful. on the other hand, getting a mastery over these things is a wonderful feeling. the pursuit of answers can be frustrating at times, however.

i feel so much pressure not to fail, also because i quit a really good job to start nursing school.

get yourself through school. passing grades are what you need. unless you are in a really competitive market for some reason, we never looked at student transcripts when we were hiring. we had a new grad orientation program. many hospitals do, so a certain number of you new grads are going to be guaranteed to get jobs anyway. we depended on references from your school instructors and interviews with you in deciding who to hire. your instructors are the only ones who know if you are

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material. what is an

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expected to do? make decisions and solve problems. we can get you up to speed on skills like ivs and giving meds. that is just a matter of doing them over and over. but we need to know that you can think, make safe decisions and that you learned the knowledge. the instructors might have put you through the ringer as teachers, but at the end of the road they are going to be able to tell a prospective employer if you have the initiative, if you are responsible and safe, if you have the ability to adapt to the situations you end up in and think on your feet, and have a positive attitude. you are going to be a leader and manager of care on some level and that's what an employer expects to be hiring. the early seeds of those characteristics are clearly evident in people. your compassion for people is a wonderful thing, your worry about performing skills is not a concern, but you need to understand that an

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is primarily a problem solver and manager of care. we don't make all that money for being kind and giving bedpans. we do help people, but our biggest way of helping is by being terrific organizers and go-to people that get things done.

i wish i would have known how hard it was; some days it is pure torture because of the papers due, lack of sleep, upcoming tests, getting up at 4:30 for clinical, trying to arrange child care, house in a wreck, no dinner cooked. . .

i've seen several threads over the years on the general nursing forum about nurses with messy houses and no time to keep house. this seems to be a career wide problem. ha! ha! my medicine drawers at work were neater and cleaner than my cabinets at home! school will be over soon. just keep putting one foot in front of the other. everyone in the family will survive or they will learn to make their own food. haven't heard of any nurse's kids or husbands starving to death yet.

a couple of nurses i talked to tell me that nursing school can be a real pain but when you are a nurse it is a lot different/better.

they are right. years from now you will see all of this differently. it's like having surgery. the first days after surgery are sometimes awful because the person is in so much pain. but years later they cannot recall what the pain was like. memories are tied to our emotions. we remember what had an emotional response. so, what we were happy or upset about we will remember.

what else can i do?

think about the fact that you are in training for a new career. very soon your instructors will be equals and colleagues. rather than being fearful of them, try to see them as mentors. unfortunately they do have to give you a grade and judge you on some things, but that doesn't mean that you cannot develop cordial relationships with them. just as you were talking with nurses who told you that nursing school could be a real pain, find some time to also talk with your instructors. pick their brains and try to glean some wisdom out of them. even if it is only for a very selfish reason of getting a good job recommendation at the end of your schooling. they are only the enemy if you make them your enemy. there is only going to be distance between you if you keep the distance there. some may not want to develop any relationships with students, but a good many teach because they enjoy those students who thirst for knowledge. are you one of them?

tnortham · Jan 21, 2009

I am in fourth semester now. I think third semester really helped me start putting things together. Care plans and concept maps started making sense. Lab values started indicating things. Everything started to click. I am still not always confident- especially with things that I have only done in lab. But I just need to be safe and learn. I am not supposed to know everything.

You need to finish up school. You have invested too much time, money and energy. When I start feeling sorry for myself (dirty house, no sleep, rearrange daycare again, husband in Iraq). I just think of the divorced lady in my class with 5 kids. There is always someone else who is struggling just as hard or harder than you. You can do this you just need to focus, be safe, and open to learning as much as you can.

fseck09 · Jan 23, 2009

The above link about the gentlemen who says to finish strong....wow...it was so touching for me. I sent it to all my contacts and to my son's teacher to share it with the class. Thanks, and may God bless.

I had to post it again.......just in case someone missed it above. Please, you have to see this...http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html