scared to death

I'm in my 4th semester and before clinical, I too am scared to death! Don't worry, its not a sign, your just inexperienced. Go ahead and apply in LTC and even hospitals. What do you have to lose by applying? Once you get a job and work a month or 2, you'll be much more confident and comfortable. Good Luck!

Jump in and take the hardest assignment possible. Why? Because you will get more experiences and it will make you a better and stronger CNA and eventually it will help with your nursing school clinicals and as a nurse. I say go for it!!! Get the long-term care experience and wait till your first clinical rotation to reapply at a local hospital. Hospitals love to hear you're in nursing school.:yeah:Good Luck!

Approach it head on:heartbeat

Thanks so much for the encouragement! :heartbeat

I just went to apply at a local LTC facility. I finished my application and got to speak to the DON. She was nice, but stern.

I asked if they do anything in the way of orientation and she said that I would be workign with someone for a bit, but then told me that I would be expected to pull my weight and that they get cranky sometimes when they have to teach new people.

I expected that I would be expected to do my job, but I'm just worried because I don't know anyone that works there.

Go with what Melinurse is recommending...and best wishes to you!! :)

I am in a very similiar boat...last semester of pre req's and finished the CNA program in May. i was able to get in at a hospital on med/surg , so it is worth a try....Only I am completely over whelmed. On day 3, I had my first post morteum and couldn't help but tear up :imbar I too have recently questioned my career path but feel like if we stick with it the shock value will wear off and it will become more managable , and maybe, at some point even enjoyable:wink2:

I am in a very similiar boat...last semester of pre req's and finished the CNA program in May. i was able to get in at a hospital on med/surg , so it is worth a try....Only I am completely over whelmed. On day 3, I had my first post morteum and couldn't help but tear up :imbar I too have recently questioned my career path but feel like if we stick with it the shock value will wear off and it will become more managable , and maybe, at some point even enjoyable:wink2:

Nicely put. After only 3 days you are doing fine. Way back when, I was overwhelmed as a CNA for weeks! And there will be days ( many of them ) where you will feel overwhelmed regardless of experience. That's just how nursing goes.:wink2: But there are also those patients who really touch our lives and whom we touch theirs as well. It is those days, those patients and experiences that make you realize there is no better career than the nursing feild. At least that's how I feel. I still tear up when pts pass away.

I just want to thank the op and all who have commented. I'm in a similar situation and this thread has helped :bowingpur Thank you

so I've decided... I'm gonna go for it. I was told by the DON that if I bring in my driver's license, birth certificate, and TB test and we can go from there. I'm not worried about the job anymore. I'm just gonna do it.

Has anyone ever felt intimidated around older nurses or the DON? I'm not really sure why, but maybe it's my respect for them and my feelings of inadequacy, but I just feel intimidated. Can anyone relate?

It's just anxiety. Relax! You'll get over it after a while. Good luck!

Has anyone ever felt intimidated around older nurses or the DON? I'm not really sure why, but maybe it's my respect for them and my feelings of inadequacy, but I just feel intimidated. Can anyone relate?

I often feel intimidated and they often want to intimidate. I had an experience in LTC with a supervisor who told me in front of everyone to "go clean the womans mouth". It wasn't so much a request as a note of "You will do this now!" in her voice. Well, that woman was in a merry walker and walked nonstop all day. I brought her in a homemade choc chip cookie fresh out of the oven, so of course she had chocolate all over her mouth. She was aphasic (so she couldn't tell you yes or no as far as doing cares) but approachable, if you were gentle and she was in the mood to be touched she would be ok. She also was sundowning. At that particular time I tried and realized she was not in the mood, so I thought to myself that I'd try again in 5-10 minutes. The super had a fit so I requested that if she was so dead set to go ahead and wipe her mouth but to be careful. That little old woman halled off and hit her in the face! (Tee Hee). Of course everyone was watching to see how this was going to play out. She gave me back the wash cloth and I did a very respectful "I told you so", and she never picked me out again.

What works for me is doing my job well. You can't be intimidated once you know what your doing and you do it well. They can't help but see you shine. Really, there are only a few bad ones in the mix. Most everyone wants you to succeed. It makes their job easier because the floor runs better if everyone knows they can count on you to do what your supposed to do. I have a feeling you will do very well. Good luck.

I didn't read the other responses so if any of this is redundant I apologize.

NO NO NO it is not a sign that you are not cut out for nursing!!!!!!! It is a sign that you are new and inexperienced!!!

I know that you are scared now but let me tell you being a CNA isn't very hard. It's physically demanding and it's scary at first but that's about it. I "did my time" in LTC. I had a year exp and then made the jump to hospitals. When I first started in a short stay unit I felt sooooooo stupid and scared!!!! I thought I was an incompetent boob! And compared to the other aides that had been there awhile, I was....but that is b/c being a CNA in the hospital is way different than being a CNA in LTC.

I got yelled at by an RN for not knowing how to use a bladder scanner. I got in trouble for not knowing how to do I&O's. I got complained about for not knowing how to drain JP's. I was mocked for not knowing how to perform EKG's. I fumbled with all the "high tech" equipment used in the hospital. I felt like an idiot for not knowing common meds. I could go on and on........ I stuck it out and after a few months I hit my stride and became a kick ass () CNA.

The bottom line is that experience and confidence can only come with time. They cannot be rushed. Eventually after some time served you will find your niche. You'll look back on things and laugh to yourself about how scared you were by simple tasks and you will reassure new CNA's that it does get easier. :redpinkhe

p.s. I saw the question about nurses intimidating you. Some ppl are just jerks and it doesn't matter what profession your in. I worked with nurses who were amazingly awesome and kind to me. I also worked with nurses who treated me worse than the $%&@ under their shoes. Those were the days that made me cry. But it made me make a vow to myself that when I became a nurse I would treat my aides with respect and dignity. The goal is patient centered quality care.