Stress Management

I don't start school until next month but I've been working as a CNA/PPhlebotomy tech about 4 years. The best advice I have to offer you or anyone feeling like the underdog is for now you have to work double get on top of your stuff vital signs is something you can practice at work on your break you work at a hospital I'm sure it's many CNA'S there maybe nurses that wouldn't mind helping you out. A closed mouth won't get fed I'm not telling you broadcast to the world your struggling in nursing school right now but buddy up with someone who doesn't mind helping you and go for it. Don't let stress or aniexity determine your success. I don't know how true the method of reading the chapter before class works because I haven't been able to put it to the test but I assume it would so then you can already have questions written down to remember to ask if your confused.

Good Luck

Thank you!!!! I really appreciate the good words, it's been very stressful. I don't want to fail, I have worked very hard to get to this point. I'm hoping that the Prozac will help too, it hasn't quite kicked in yet.

I am kind of a beginner when it comes to vital signs, and everyone in class is an expert. I also have been testing very badly, and am a little slow at learning in labs. I am worried that my lack of patient care experience is bringing me down. I know I am not an idiot, I worked my butt off to get into nursing school and that is no easy task.

At this point I am just worried about passing. I recently had to get on Prozac because the stress was giving me such bad anxiety that I was having bad chest pain, which turned out to be Panic Attacks. I know I sound like a mess, but I would really like to hear opinions from people on what I should do.

Does anyone have any study tips, stress management ideas, !!!

First off, everyone else is NOT an expert, they may seem to exude confidence, but they aren't all experts.

To get more comfortable taking vitals, practice at home on your parents,

kids, etc.

A good Friend of mine in nursing. School, who was shy and had test anxiety, told me,"fake it till u make it". That means that you need to work hard and pretend you know what you're doing. If you act like you don't know what you're doing, your classmates won't like you and your instructors won't believe you know what you're doing.

As far as managing stress in nursing school, I dunno??!! I stated taking Ativan, rarely, because my pulse would skyrocket during sim labs and I would hey super sweaty -- nerves!!$]

You guys are awesome! Thank you for all the kind words, and encouragement

I understand where you're coming from. I started LVN school two months ago with NO experience. Yesterday was our first real clinical (not in school mock ones). They pair us "no experience" individuals with one who was already a CNA in our class. Luckily when they just threw us in there with the patients, I observed my CNA classmate before I went hands on myself. It made me feel better because we already knew eachother and she knew what she was doing! I also am a slow learner but I made my clinical instructor aware of this when we first met so she never looks at me dumb when I cant figure out things as quick as the others. I also let her know how bad I want this and how hard Ill try even though I wont grasp things as quickly as most.

HUGS I know just how you are feeling.I started my LPN program in August with NO CNA background at all. I felt like a fish out of water when we began going to clinicals. I can tell you that it DOES get easier, but it took me a bit of time. I am now pretty comfortable with patient care. That's something I never thought I'd be able to say, but it's true. Find your "people" in the program. I can't stress enough how important good peer support has been for me. I have 3 very good friends who are a God send for helping with studying.

Vital signs are just something you've got to practice to feel better about. My poor husband got his blood pressure checked several times a day for a long time, haha. I STILL struggle with checking respiration rates sometimes but some people are easier than others to detect resps on.

YOU CAN DO THIS. Attend any extra help/study sessions that your teachers may offer. Try to at least skim thru all the assigned reading prior to class. Make flash cards. And take a break sometimes. Stress is HUGE for nursing students. Take time to do something that does not involve nursing at least twice a month

Best of luck