Terrified for clinical.

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Hello all. So we just finished our first quarter of school (10 weeks in) and I ended up on high honor (yay me!) Last week we started clinical and I got to feed a resident. However this week we really start getting into patient care. There are nine people in my clinical group and they all have some type of experience except me! So she was going to put two of us to one resident....however since they all have experience she said that we all get our own now. This terrifies me since I have no experience and I was looking forward to working with one of my peers who has experience and I can really learn from them. The instructor just said that she will be with me most of the time since she doesn't have to worry about the other students. However, I am still freaking out! I mean, I know I won't be totally alone, because I have my peers right down in the next room if I need them, and I will know the CNA that I am working with for my resident, and I of course have the instructor, but I can't help but feel anxious and very nervous! Help?!

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I remember feeling exactly like that when I started nursing school. Most of the people in my clinical group already worked as CNAs before so they definitely had more experience than me. It was a little scary but it's one of those things were the more you do it the more comfortable you feel.

Through nursing school and even now that I am a nurse so many things continue to make me anxious until I actually do them and then it starts to feel normal. I always remember this saying "Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it" It helps me realize that these feelings will pass and I will progress towards my goals once I stop worrying and just DO.

Truth is you will feel anxious a lot during nursing school and you just have to push through. Your feelings are normal :) Good luck in all that you do!

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I wouldn't worry too much about it. A lady in my clinical group hasn't been an aide before and she is doing great. And has learned a lot of tricks from us that took us a while to figure out. You may feel like you are a slight disadvantage but trust me your not. Especially since you don't have the aide mentality. Some people are having issues getting out of it and into a nurses. You are a fresh slate with no bad habits or pre conceived thoughts to erase. You'll do great!

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I a in your shoes. About 3/4 of my class are experinced CNA's and then there are the rest of us lol. If the teacher is willing to spend extra time helping you, take full advantage and learn al ou can!

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For the ppl who have aides in their class, did they get to skip core classes?

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For the ppl who have aides in their class, did they get to skip core classes?

No the aids were not able to skip any core classes because the LPN classes go more in depth based on the basic principles they learned as a CNA.

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No the aids were not able to skip any core classes because the LPN classes go more in depth based on the basic principles they learned as a CNA.

Thank you!!

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They are not allowed to skip, but, that doesn't prevent them from acting like they know it all and protesting having to do "aide work" in clinicals.

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They are not allowed to skip, but, that doesn't prevent them from acting like they know it all and protesting having to do "aide work" in clinicals.

Yeah we do get tired of doing aide work, because we are basically paying them to let us do it and not learning anything from it. I am not one that whines about it but I do wish my program would require it before start date. Just so we can jump in. I don't want to do something I do already almost every day. If you had to do your job at clinical you may be doing a little protesting too. Aides know the delegation in work places so it kind of is annoying we still have to do it. I have only seen 1 nurse do aides work and that was because they were short. And this did not include rounds, bath, dressing, or oral care. I quick help popping them up. Nurses are busy just in a different way than the aides.

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Specializes in na 1 and 2 training.

I know clinicals can be very stressful. I am in nursing school now and we have been to clinicals the past 3 weeks. The best advice I can give you is do your best and make sure you keep the patient safe. I don't have the experience that some of my classmates have but I have studied hard, practiced my labs, and I always remember to keep the patient safe. I am always going behind myself to make sure that the bed is in the lowest position, bed rails are up, and there is nothing in the floor that will trip the patients. The one thing I try to do is go into the clinical setting with a postive outlook so whatever comes my way I'll be able to take it head on. Good luck and keep your head up!

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Sooner or later the class has to move away from doing aides work... to wound care, for example? How long does the aides work last at clinicals?

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