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Terror? That doesn't sound normal. It certainly wasn't my experience or that of the people with whom I was fairly close through nursing school.

It sounds like you could benefit from learning anxiety management skills and conscious relaxation. Does your school have a counseling center where they could help you? If not, could you swing a few hundred bucks to see a private therapist?

Okay, I'm a little sarcastic so "terror" may have been the wrong word choice. Of course I'm scared and nervous, this is all new to me. There is a lot of information thrown at us constantly and the program seems unorganized. I don't need counceling (as of right now I was just wondering and hoping that maybe some other individuals that were new to the program and were maybe having the same type of emotions and could share how they dealt with the stress of nursing school.

Ah, I get it.

Stressed out and questioning one's competence and abilities... sure, pretty normal, I'd say.

My program was very disorganized and uncertainty was routine.

Personally, I coped by reminding myself of all the other successes I've had in my life and looking at some of the nurses I'd encountered who seemed of rather limited intellect and competence and telling myself that if they could, then certainly I could. I also reminded myself of some of the outstanding nurses that I've known and told myself that I would be to others what they were to me.

I also kept it in perspective -- it was just one facet of my life, and I deliberately made sure it stayed only one facet.

Just remember, most people graduate from nursing school and the vast majority of them pass the NCLEX. In all likelihood, you will too.

The odds are on your side... just be diligent and consistent and you should be fine.

From my experience so far, I would say it's perfectly normal. Nursing school has made me feel nearly bipolar at times! On any given day I may be anxious about a test or giving a presentation, thrilled to find out I made a good test grade, sad that I'm away from my husband, happy to see my friends, excited to do a new skill in clinical, guilty because I messed up in clinical, etc.

If you feel at any time like your emotions are getting the better of you, by all means contact the counseling service at your school. At the SON where I'm a student, we've been told that nursing students are the largest segment of those receiving treatment through the university counseling program!