So now I am a senior, and I dread life.

[ARose11]

Is it just me or is it normal to feel totally freaked out being a senior nursing student, starting ICU and peds rotation this semester? I have always done well on exams, never gotten below an 80, and have done well at prior clinicals but it all feels like chump change compared to this semester. I am two weeks, one clinical experience, and a couple hundred pages in and I just have this overwhelming sense of impending doom! It feels like the scariest thing to make recommendations to doctors about patient care or medications, and I worry about that skill... At what point does a new nurse start to feel good about that particular skill set?

[direw0lf, BSN]

I think you should feel proud about how far you've come! I can't wait to be where you are

I just keep SBAR in my head if/when I need to talk to the md I'll be thinking "SBAR, just stick to SBAR" :)

[RNtoACGNP]

I would anticipate 6-8 months of intense learning before you begin to feel comfortable. After about a year you should feel somewhat confident, of course timelines are different for each person though. Just soak up everything that's thrown at you, ask questions, take notes and research diseases and medications you learn each day. It is overwhelming but go in with an open mind and excitement to learn and you can't fail!