Scared of graduating...

Nursing Students General Students

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I am graduating in December! I'm almost there! But... I am terrified of all that graduating means. Having to find a job, etc., but I'm especially nervous about my skills. I feel like I'm behind everyone else in skills, that I just don't pick up things as quickly as others do. I make silly mistakes in clinicals, which is at least partly because I get nervous. I haven't done anything that has harmed a patient, but I certainly embarrass myself. Some of it is lack of confidence, and some of it is really not knowing things that maybe I should. But I do try, and I do study.

I know that this will get better over time as I gain confidence and get more practice... but I'm scared of the path to getting to that place. I'm scared that whoever I'm working with after I graduate will think I'm an idiot or that I'll get fired, either because I don't pick up things fast enough or because I'll mess something up.

Does everyone feel this way or is it just me? Classmates seem so much more confident than I am, but then they admit things like that they cry every day on the way home from clinicals. At my last clinical evaluation, my instructor said, "You do need some guidance on the floor, but not really TOO much guidance." So maybe I'm not as horrible of a (future) nurse as I feel sometimes, but it's not exactly a shining recommendation, either.

I'm rambling here but does anyone have any advice or words of wisdom?

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I'm 4th sem. I messed up on hanging NS just yesterday. I got vented tubing instead and hanged the bag, it worked fine till I had to hang a IVPB ooop no port.. So I had to replace the whole line while trying not to spill NS all over the floor. Last week I was in ICU and I forgot a BS amount on a pt.. boy did I get yelled at from the nurse... blah blah blah 1st semester mistake blah blah you should know better.... anyways, everyone makes mistakes, it's just how you recover from those mistakes and learn from them.

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Focus on finding a job. If you're graduating in December, you need to start networking and looking for a job ASAP. It's not easy to find a job these days, I graduated in May 2011 and only a handful of my graduating class of 50 is working. The skills will come once you're working. No employer expects a new grad to be perfect, you will get an orientation period.

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Specializes in LTC.

I graduate in December as well as a RN and have been a LPN for 2 years. You will learn everything you need to know once you start working as a nurse. School only touches the surfaces of what nursing is about. Its normal to be scared but over times fear turns into confidence. Yay, us for being done in December. We are so close !!!

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I am right there with you. Starting to have trouble sleeping from the worry. I got a job offer on Friday so at least that is out of the way, but the push to autonomy in clinicals is really scaring me. I feel clumsy, unskilled, ineffective and dangerous at times.

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I'm graduating in December too and I know exactly how you feel. I would really love to work in the ER and even contemplated starting out there, but this semester I feel so inadequate that even starting on a regular med-surg floor scares me to death. I know everyone says it all comes together once you start working, and I'm counting on that, but it sure is scary knowing we're gonna be on our own. Best of luck to you and congrats on graduating, we deserve to celebrate! :anpom:

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I am definitely scared to enter the job market. I am hoping, praying that I will land a job. The skills I'm not worried about. Luckily I have an AWESOME preceptor that has taught me so much this semester. She wants me to focus on the routine of being a nurse, not the skills. Not that skills isn't important, but honestly you can teach a monkey to do that stuff. She is teaching me time management skills, delegation, grouping cares, critical thinking, etc. I can write a book about what I've learned so far in my preceptorship. I can give you pointers, PM me.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Yeah, my skills are just fine. It is the time management and little details (did I grab that alcohol swab before entering the room? A flush? did I empty the Foley when coming on shift?). I get tripped up, embarassed and as the day goes on it starts to feel frantic. I have clinicals today and am hoping I start to see some progress in my organization and ability to handle the load.

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