Scared of finishing nursing school and starting my career.

Katie71275 · Dec 22, 2012

Yes I am very nervous! I graduate in May as well and I am excited and terrified at the same time. The hospitals here offer 3 month orientations from what I am seeing...although that is in the NICU so may depend what unit you are on. You are not alone.

Camwill, ASN, BSN, MSN, DNP, LPN, APRN, NP · Dec 22, 2012

I do worry but I do not graduate till next spring! Sometimes I feel in a hurry to graduate and other times I feel like I will never be ready. I guess it is natural! Good luck to you in the future and congrats!!!!

kh321 · Dec 23, 2012

I could have wrote this post and this time last year. I was so incredibly scared to graduate and get a job. I worked so hard in nursing school but didn't feel ready to leave that safety net. The last 5 weeks of our program was dedicated to us being on the floor one on one with a nurse for 24 hours a week. It really helped boost my confidence. I was still scared to begin working on my own but I had some confidence in myself. I started my first job as an RN in August. I go to work every day with butterflies of nerves in my stomach. It's nerve wracking but I make it through every day. You will too.

kaydensmom01 · Dec 23, 2012

I am also nervous. I feel like our program is behind, we graduate in May and all have only had 2 patients. Yikes! Our preceptorship is only 60 hours, when I hear that most peoples are double that. I know that I will be very overwhelmed when I am a nurse and am sure my orientator will be also. I know that I have ALOT of learning to do.

Camwill, ASN, BSN, MSN, DNP, LPN, APRN, NP · Dec 23, 2012

Wow good luck to you!!! Only 60 hours and 2 patients for the whole program, I would be nervous also!!! Maybe you can get into a externship or internship.

Katniss88 · Dec 23, 2012

Thanks everyone for your encouragement and being honest with me. Sometimes I think I'm the only one who feels this way. I've had lots of clinicals and even more than one patient, sometimes instructors would put us in two's and give us three patients. My program requires more clinicals than the local university's nursing program. Even with all that experience in the clinical setting I still feel like I'm not ready and fear working by myself because there is no instructor to make sure you are doing everything right. What I fear the most is making a mistake and hurting someone because you have someone's life in your hands. I've heard from other people that nursing school teaches you how to pass the NCLEX and you learn how to be a nurse when you start working, I certainly hope those words are true.

kaydensmom01 · Dec 24, 2012

Sorry I meant only take care of two patients at a time. We have had many, many more than two patients in the program. Oops:)

Annachu512, BSN, RN · Dec 24, 2012

I feel the same way. To actually put all of this into practice seems impossible but I know this is what we prepare for. I just will be eager to get through a few months on the job and start to get comfortable. I also am nervous to graduate because I am enjoying school too. I'm a married mom and when I'm at school, I can be someone different to a point...can relax and establish myself with other friends. But these nrusing friends I will have forever.

2 more semesters for me.

patricia0809 · Dec 24, 2012

I have to agree with your post! I graduate in may too and I'm very nervous I have no confidence in myself. My last semester I will have up to 6 patients during preceptorship!!!!!!

NEOLUV · Dec 28, 2012

I graduate in may 2013 and scared to death. You are not alone

Nscorpiored, BSN · Dec 29, 2012

Now that I have read your post now I am getting a little worried myself. I don't graduate until August this year and I am already looking for work in the local hospitals, outpatient clinics, and urgent care areas. Most of the areas I have been looking at give you orientation but I am worried about the nurses who so called eat their young and might give me a hard time. I am praying that I end up with a group of lovely women/men