1st semester NS burnout?

Nursing Students Student Assist

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Anybody else with me? Jeez, I feel so unmotivated! I keep telling myself that there is only a month left but it seems like I'm just struggling through a river of molassas. Everything seems to be going ok, my grades are alright, etc., but my get up and go, has got up and went...(way, way, far away). Don't get me wrong, I know this is what I want to do and am so grateful that I'm FINALLY in a program after so long....I'm just tired...physically and mentally drained. Just wanted to know if any of my fellow first semester students were feeling my pain, LOL:lol2: . Cheers, here I go....to try and make myself finish my homework. Feel free to kick me in the butt.... I need it.

Specializes in Pediatrics (Burn ICU, CVICU).

Just to give you guys some hope...

I graduated in May, and I too felt like it was never going to end. My last semester, it was all I could do to drag myself to class/clinicals. I had made all A's throughout nursing school and in my final semester I made all B's. It wasn't that it was so much harder, it was just that I was so tired.

Anyway, now here I am, 6 months later. I can't believe it ended so soon. I really miss school in a sick sort of way. Now, when I'm at work and see the students, I think, "Oh, to be in school again". Those were the good days!!

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Just to give you guys some hope...

Anyway, now here I am, 6 months later. I can't believe it ended so soon. I really miss school in a sick sort of way. Now, when I'm at work and see the students, I think, "Oh, to be in school again". Those were the good days!!

you a SICK puppy :rotfl:

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i stopped studying and bombed a couple tests. i think i needed to do bad on some tests to kick me back into gear. now i'm back to studying as normal. it sucks not having a life and not being able to just relax and be lazy...but you just have to think of the outcome. it will all be worth it in the end when you get to graduate...or well, atleast i keep telling myself that. we're almost done with this semester, just hang in there for a little while longer!

well kell, i just got a d on that dang ans exam, though i did study my butt off, so maybe now, my burnout will end and i'll do better? :p

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Specializes in Ortho/Neuro.

I'm sure you'll be able to get everything together and start kicking butt on those tests! There's always a specific area for people that just really confuses them, so don't stress out too much about it. I think one of the biggest adjustments for new nursing students is learning to live with lower grades. I'm used to getting mostly As and some Bs...but now I'll be happy with a C since that is passing. Someone told me..."C=P=RN" which means a C grade=passing=RN. I think it fits in kinda nicely. Anyways, goodluck for the rest of the semester. Atleast there is an end in sight and then we get a break for a little while! =)

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today as i dropped into school to turn in some paperwork, I had both clinical instructors suggest a little chat, just the 3 of us. (cozy eh?) So i said, "ah this can't be good. You're not gonna gang up on me are you?" But they did. For the next half hour, I heard about all my short comings in clinical. It seems I am at point D when I ought to be at point oh..... P. This was not good to hear since I feel like I've been working my tail off as it is. I thought, that everyone was struggling with the same stuff as I. But my prev instructor had been pointing out to new clin instructor (no names please) my foibles of last quarter. I didn't think they would follow, and bite me on my proverbial butt. But lucky for me (sarcasm here) the old instructor makes sure to let the new know because it is a pattern. I will not go into ALL the details but it boiled down to this... If i can't get myself to point P right away, I will have to repeat the whole frickn' semester! All that work for almost nothing. Even though I am getting B's in everything, passed every competency thus far, never been late on any assignment or missed any test, i can still get kicked out. So I've been doing a lot of crying today. Miss H lets me know, don't worry, you have a couple wks before you'd have to withdraw if that's necessary. That's not so dang comforting when the sem is done after 3 more clinicals! I had been counting down, to get through all this stress, and now that countdown may be a joke. I'm so hurt right now, and feel so dang incompetent. So I'm gonna cry in my tea tonight, and pick up myself tomorrow. Would love some encouragement from all. Thanks

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Specializes in Staff nurse.

...I've been a nurse 4 years now and I remember how when I had one month to go of my first semester of clinicals I wanted to quit. I felt like all of you are saying, no motivation, burned out, tired of no life, etc. But I promised myself I would continue on, as I had worked so hard to get into nursing school at the age of 46.

...as far as Dublin37 and your instructors, did they give you any hints on how to prepare better for clinicals, did they give you any encouragement? Once I had to ask a preceptor I had after she raked me thru the coals, "Is there ANYTHING I am doing that meets goals, anything I am doing good? Could you be specific in what i am not doing well?" Things changed after that, when you ask for specifics. It is their job to instruct, guide and nurture the nursing students and new nurses after all.

Let us know how it goes.

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they didn't really give me suggestions, but i will be meeting with the nurse mentor, who helps struggling students. they did give me a couple bones (you know, compliments), but they really tried to focus on my prob's.

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Whaaat? Heather, I'm sorry you are having this problem. Seems to me that if you have "passed" all of your competency's, they shouldn't be able to fail you. That just seems wrong to me. I know that everyone I know tends to have problems integrating the knowledge as a whole (that's why we are STUDENT nurses). I'm really glad to hear you have an appointment to get a better idea of what they are talking about. Don't let them get you down. If you need an ear, let me know. We are here for you!

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crappy hah? Well i took 2 days to cry in my tea, and now i need to get my butt going again. Gotta work on a paper and a care plan competency. Have a good wknd, all!

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

Hey, good luck all....Heather, I feel for you....I KNOW I'm lacking in some of the 1st semester clinical skills and was worried I'd be held back, but we were told this week that we'd have been talked to if there were issues....so I'm relieved about that....but I personally know I need to work on being a bit more assertive....I spend too much time thinking how I'm just a lowly student and don't know anything....

I have 2 more tests to go and just spent 10 minutes figuring out how BAD I could do and still pass...I'm at a strong "B" right now, but am having such a hard time studying for this next test that I'm willing to "settle" if I can just P-A-S-S first semester!! We're almost there!!

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ME TOO! I think I have cried non-stop all of this Holiday break. Am just now preparing for my clinical on Tuesday. It seems like nothing I do is right, really seems that way. I think that I just "haven't gotten it" yet. I keep waiting, and then well my mind roams onto another thought (lack of sleep lack of focus) and I have lost it again!

I agree in the thought that they do it on purpose, the stress that is. I am soooo stressed that I will fail clinical (class grades are great). I think clinical is my biggest stressor, by far.

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Hello,

I am also in my first semester in an accelerated program. The material can be a bit overwhelming at times. One of the most important things, or perhaps the most important, is the ability to time manage. Without time management I would definately burn out and become unorganized. Just stick in there and I am sure things will slow down or you will get the hang of things. Your class may be a very big support system as they are going through the same thing as you. Good luck!

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