stress of being "inferior"

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Hello everyone....please bear with me, I'm new at this bulletin board stuff. My question is, how do you guys deal with the feelings of inferiority when working with RN's in a clinical setting? Also, how do you deal with it, if you are like me, and have LPN's with experience in class with you? I am in an Associates degree program in Alabama and my class is almost half "generic students"(that's me) and half LPN's. Sometimes I feel like I am being looked down on because I have not had the experience they have had. I have encountered several, on several occasions, nuses that didn't want to work with us and didn't have any intention of working with us(students on their floor). I was just wondering if I am the only person that has this problem or if there are others out there, and how do they deal with it!

Mandy

RN student (graduate in December!!)

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Please don't feel inferior. Most all of the nurses would be more than glad to help you with any questions you may have, I'm sure.

Do you maybe appear "stand-offish" when in reality you are "feeling inferior"? Stand tall and be bold. Learn what you can!

Yes, every once in a while, you will run into an old prune, but don't let that discourage you from trying to learn anything and everything you can from more experienced nurses. Most of them are wonderful teachers!

Julie:)

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Well Juile gave you some pretty good advice and there is a quote I believe it is by eleanor roosevelt, she said "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent". I have had the problems you have had as I am sure many of us have but some things you can do is show your eagerness to learn and that you mean serious business, and just keep telling your self for every bad seed there really are more than a handful of nice helpful nurses. If I see a nurse in a bad mood I avoid her/him and find the nurse who is in a good mood (sometimes that is not possible when your patient assigned to you has a bad mood but when you have some down time and want to watch something then you can find the nurse in a good nurse to follow IF THEY DON'T MIND. You never know what may be going on something bad may have happened to a patient, they may be tired/hungry, may be bringing personal problems to work, or they can be just a plain mean grouch.

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Well, I thank all of you for the input and encouragement. And I should try and redeem myself in case I sounded like a "baby" or like I got my feelings hurt. I am always willing, and want to help out wherever I can and do my best to help the nurses on the floor as much as possible. Although, ever since I began nursing school, we have ALL had bad experiences in the hospitals we were assigned. Hopefully, and I'm being optimistic, that the new clinical setting we are going to be in this semester will be better than the others. I am trying very hard to do my best, find the right nurses that are willing to help and give advice and just get in to help wherever possible, but it has just been a struggle. Thank you all again for your comments and encouragement.

Mandy :D

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Feeling inferior is a better emotion than feeling superior with nothing to back it up.

If you feel superior without the knowledge. (which I have seen.) and this can result in a screw-up and a mistake. And in our field, mistakes can led to death. So, relax. You will be there. I work with LVN's and they offer me help, and ask.

Listen, and ask.

may the force be with you.

old-master has spoken.....:p

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Perhaps they feel threatened by you! Students may be seen as young, motivated, aware of new research, etc. etc. especially young!

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Mandy,

I felt inferior during college so I do "feel your pain".

I've more than caught up since graduation. It's been 4 years already! I'm also the kind of nurse who takes the time to help student nurses on the floor even during hectic, horrid days. I'll even grab a student when a patient starts to crash. The other night a student wandered onto the floor looking quite embarrassed because her instructer told her she was weak at breath sounds. I took her around to my patients explaing the different breath sounds they have. She was able to listen to BS before and after a neb treatment, listen to rales, rhonchi, wheezes, everything. I remember what it's like...I certainly do.

Don't give up! You'll get there.....:cool:

Also the biggest mistakes I saw committed by students were commited by the superior, know- it-all types. If you are at all uncertain about a med, treatment, anything always ask a doc, nurse, pharmacist, drug books, ect. Nothing wrong with that!

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Mandy,

I have felt like that before, but not anymore. I have 15 years of nursing assistant experience, back then we put in foley caths, did sterile dressings, cleaned tracheostomies, etc. I always ask questions if I have any doubt about anything. I will graduate next May, I've got a little over a year to go. Hang in there! You can do it.

:p

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Hi Mandy,

Please dont allow yourself to feel less than anybody,ever.Not just in school,but in any life situation. I am an LPN in Rn program.I may have some base knowledge that an inexperienced student has,but I'll tell you one thing you probably have over students like myself. In clinicals,you are fresh and have no BAD HABITS learned yet.You will probably be able to do it by the book automatically,while I will really have to work on it.So, in that scenario,you would probably be a better clinical student by an instructors view.

Keep your faith,stand strong in what you do know,and never be afraid to ask if you don't.

Good Luck,stevie b

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Hi

I'm new here...but just wanted to say ....

I'll begin my med-surgical trainning in 2 weeks...and I'm afraid of what the nurses will think of me. I had a BAD experience during my pediatric trainning. A nurse told my teacher that I'm dangeourous and shouldn't be let alone on a unit. She said she had seen me doing things I didn't do! Like...changing a diapper and wach the eyes of a baby with the same gloves.....YEURKKKK! Really..... I DIND'T do that! and I can't understand what's her goal to say so!

I'm afraid and I'm just not able to sleep when I think they placed my in the same hospital. :o

Please if some of you had a similar experience let me know. I felt so small..... and after that I was sure no one could trust in me.

I won't be at ease with the patients anymore.

HELP!

Ann

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