Should I continue?

[Xina13, BSN, RN]

I am an FNP student. I have one class and two 125 hour clinicals left to complete the degree. My problem is that I was off for a year on medical leave and when I came back I felt unprepared for clinicals and hence did not pass causing me to get dismissed, but I can return this coming year to finish (I have basically been out of the class room for two years). 

1. Should I finish? I really want to, but I am having major anxiety related to knowing content and preceptor expectations. Not to mention if I do not pass again I will be indefinitely dismissed.

2. If I continue, what advice do you have regarding studying to get back into the flow of an NP mindset? I do have access to all of the class content I have taken.

Thank you in advance

[barcode120x, RN, NP]

I felt that I got most of my NP education through clinical rather than the course. My program was a full online, so it was basically 90% self taught, do a few tests here and there, one or two papers, and a bunch of discussion posts. I personally didn't mind as I enjoyed clinical and had amazing preceptors. The only real way to get back into the NP mindset is getting yourself into the clinical setting. Just like how when we were nursing students, nothing taught to us in school and read in the textbooks really prepared us for the real world while clinical allowed us to get a glimpse of what RN life was like. Same goes for NP school.

Anxiety, as I am sure you already know, but if you don't is a part of nursing and will always be a part of nursing, whether you are an RN or an NP. You need to either overcome that anxiety, learn to management, or decide maybe NP isn't for you if you cannot manage your anxiety. I would actually say anxiety is probably more pronounced in us NPs as we take a much higher role including liability when taking care of our patients as opposed to an RN. Good luck.