scared of nursing

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So, I got into nursing school..a private bsn program and I left it last year because I failed pathophysiology and I was so scared of making a medication error and reading all of these posts I was soo soo scared of messing up. I don't exactly know how it works in a hospital but I'm told by many people there are like new technologies to make sure you don't make a mistake and etc. I worked in a hospital as a patient sitter and let me tell you I hated it. The nurses never gave me a break and all I did was sit there. I have to say I've never met people like this before...those nurses were the most rude and depressed people in the world. I never met a nice nurse and I was working for a year. Many of the nurses kept telling me I should be a teacher or something and if they could redo it they would. Now, I'm just getting a bachelors degree and I'll graduate in a year but I'm still thinking about attending an Accelerated BSN program when I'm done because not a day goes by where I don't think about becomming a nurse. I just really don't know what I'm getting myself into. A friend of mine became a nurse and quit because she said she never thought she was getting into that kind of an occupation and she felt like she was in a different world because she worked nights, weekends, and holidays and never saw her family. I don't really want that particular lifestyle of course..I'm really confused and upset:(:crying2:

I felt the same way for a while... I worked on-to-ones by sitting for hours upon hours with a patient and never go a break too.....

I know that once i am done, there are always going to be things that i don't agree with.... like working holidays and such.... but you do get paid more on those days so that is a positive....???

Also, another idea would be to work causual, that way you have the power to say when you do or dont want to work and there is nothing they can do about it... you do lack benefits like dentil and such, but you get more freedom before you are ready to settle down etc...

its a stressful job, medication errors scare me too... but I find that if I go slowly and do my med research before administering and my 7 checks, I feel much better. Its good to be a little OCD when dealing with things that can potentially harm others.... but I am sure that it will come sometime (for me).... its like in any job if you really think about it... takes time to get comfortable!

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Remember you don't have to work in a hospital. My friend is a medical assistant and you couldn't pay her to work in a hospital. There's doctor's offices and clinics which are a little less hectic.

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Have you ever thought about becoming a doula?

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To be honest, I'm not looking to get into a glamorous profession, if I was I wouldn't go into nursing. I would love to work with pregnant woman and or babies, I would love a job that is secure and I make a decent pay check. I would love to help people and go home with a sense of satisfaction of what I did at the end of the day.

ME tooo...I am starting my two pre req's in Sept and then will be wait listed as all the other pre req's transferred from my BA. I am working full-time and will be as I am going to school full time, I also want to start volunteering at a hospital asap to gain some experience. ARGH. I hope I am making the right choice choosing nursing, and I do have some hesitations, too, but I don't think I will go far in business (current job) since I am not vicious and am just too nice and not very controversial. I hope those qualities will make me a good nurse?!? :cool:

Good luck to you, you can do it!

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hello,

I know this thread is a year old..but I figured I'd give my advice as well. I too am scared of nursing school, however, I am starting in a couple weeks and couldn't be more excited! I am horrified to make mistakes, not be able to perform tasks correctly, etc. etc. I am an 'A' student and have never really struggled with work but I know nursing school is a whole different ballgame. I have NO clinical experience and have never even shadowed a nurse. I know this is what I want to do because although I have fears and anxiety, I am still excited and cannot wait to become a nurse! I know there's so many gross/negative/hard aspects of nursing but I don't care because I know I can overcome those things and eventually, it'll be second nature! ALL nursing students are scared and nervous and those who say they aren't, are lying! I'm ready to dive right in and I know I'm completely new to this and will learn alot along the way...I also know it won't be easy! I just know I can do it because this is what I want to achieve. Hope this helps! Stay positive and you can do it! Nursing school is temporary...once you're an RN you have OPTIONS and can pick specialities, etc. REMEMBER this during those bad moments in school!

- Sam :)

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To be honest, I'm not looking to get into a glamorous profession, if I was I wouldn't go into nursing. I would love to work with pregnant woman and or babies, I would love a job that is secure and I make a decent pay check. I would love to help people and go home with a sense of satisfaction of what I did at the end of the day.

Have you thought about social work?

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
I guess I wouldn't ALWAYS want to work christmas morning or ALWAYS work Thanksgiving and so forth.
Don't worry... there are plenty of us who fight for those shifts... and the holiday pay that comes along with them.
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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
ALL nursing students are scared and nervous and those who say they aren't, are lying!
No... some of us just had enough experience in life to be confident in ourselves and our abilities.

Nursing school is not that big a deal. No, it's not easy, but it's not nearly as difficult as many people portray it to be.

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sorry for the generalization... so can i ask, your first day you were not scared at all??? that is very shocking seeing as though patient lives are in our hands. i feel as though if you're not a little nervous then that's strange?

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ps. what experience did you have prior to nursing school? also, you mentioned you're previous experience and abilites with nursing....i'm speaking to the person who posted this...they have NO experience and NO abilites like myself. please keep this is mind. thanks.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
sorry for the generalization... so can i ask, your first day you were not scared at all??? that is very shocking seeing as though patient lives are in our hands. i feel as though if you're not a little nervous then that's strange?

No, I really was not scared at all. I figured that many thousands of people make it through nursing school each year - the majority of all who try - and certainly that if they could then I could. I figured that it was simply a matter of paying attention and thinking through my actions. It was.

"patients lives are in our hands" is vastly overstating the case, IMO. You're not going to be running an ECMO setup or titrating drips or even hanging blood.

My recommendation is to CHILL a little and let things come as they will.

There is no reason at all to be scared upon entry to nursing school.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
ps. what experience did you have prior to nursing school? also, you mentioned you're previous experience and abilites with nursing....i'm speaking to the person who posted this...they have NO experience and NO abilites like myself. please keep this is mind. thanks.
I had no prior experience with nursing or healthcare... simply experience in facing challenging situations and making my way through.

IMO, being scared is an impediment and more likely to result in failure; careful confidence is much preferred. That same careful confidence is what's getting me through my first year as an RN when everything is new.

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