Skills Validation Tips

[tropsnegRN, ADN, BSN, RN]

I'm in my first semester of nursing school. We just had our first exam this past week and I did okay on it. A lot of other students were complaining about the questions and from what I can tell you've really just got to read and take good notes from the text, so I'm not so concerned about that aspect.

However what is really getting to me is the dreaded skills validation!! I am a MST (CNA at the hospital) and I have taken vital signs plenty of times. I know how to take a manual BP and that is what our first skills validation was on! I passed thankfully, but I completely choked up! I forgot to do hand hygiene (hello duh!) at the beginning and corrected myself to my instructor and I had to redo the blood pressure twice before I felt confident enough to write down my answer. The entire time I was nervous as all get out and stress sweating to death. Any advice on how to get over that? I know my stuff, I have had no trouble with patients, but when my instructor is there I feel like my heart is going to explode. I know that's never going to get any better and clinicals start next week. I don't want to be borderline hyperventilating when we get to more complex skills!

[imhorsemackerel, LPN]

There's just something about having an instructor evaluating you on your skills. Perhaps you can try to focus on your breathing to calm down a bit. When you're performing a skill in front of your instructor, and you feel yourself starting to get antsy, take a second and breathe. I'm guessing you weren't as nervous practicing on a classmate.

[tropsnegRN, ADN, BSN, RN]

I wasn't nervous on my classmates at all! My instructor is a good instructor but she is very dry and I guess that's why she intimidates me so much!