Terrified to graduate in May...

[ALDsn14]

As the first day of my last semester of my ADN program draws near, I'm suddenly struck with a feeling of intense fear about graduating. Do I/will I know enough? Will I be a good nurse? Am I tough enough for the job? Should I scramble here at the last minute to get a CNA job until I'm licensed so that I gain more confidence and experience? I've just realized that nursing school has FLOWN by and I'm kind of wondering when that happened. Maybe after a month-long winter break I'm just getting stir-crazy and need to get back into my routine. I definitely need some work in the confidence department, but I know that much of that just comes with time. I wish I'd been working part-time as a CNA this whole time, but my family and I have been trying to spend time with my father who is currently in hospice care slowly getting worse with cancer. I want to be able to be there for him, yet I feel like I've been slacking off by not doing the CNA thing (i've actually been unemployed this whole time). Any advice for a super anxious soon-to-be grad? Tips for confidence building or stress management? Thanks so much in advance, and sorry if I'm rambling and slightly neurotic-sounding.

[StudentOfHealing]

REALLY? Being a nurse tech has helped me sooooo much in my BSN program. Funny how you say that, yet other aides, cna's, pca's (titles differ), laugh to ourselves at the other nursing students who were "never aides", when we listen to some of the questions that are asked in class. I will NEVER forget an older classmate of mine in his early 50's asked our pharm instructor, "Would there be a doctor in the ER to ask questions about a medication?" And, no this was not a joke. He was serious. Seriously??? Yeah, a future nurse. Now, ask an aide the same question......

To the OP, do not take a job as a CNA. Focus on finishing up your last semester of school. Spend as much time as you can with your father and your family. Wishing you and your family the best.

It's almost over. Sending you an early "Congratulations!!!!"

Questions from classmates... NO matter how ridiculous ... as long as they are being asked at the appropriate time in an appropriate manner should not be grounds for you to .... um.. laugh.

That's called being a bully... believe it or not.

And that exact attitude (of I'm better cus) gets carried over into practice.

[Ultraposh]

I am a college professor, and because I am interested in doing my study for a nursing degree, I have taken the past five years teaching classes that only have nurses such as LVN, CNA, and BSN. I have learned a lot from my nursing students as I now look forward to a future nursing study. A lot have change in nursing, and one of the complain that I kept getting from this nursing students and from nurses in my classes, is that some of the graduate nurses have to be trained for the job because they are graduates without the hands-on experience to start their jobs without experienced nurses guide. My question is, Do this schools that offer online accelerated nursing degree provide training for student nurses or do all the student nurses have to go out to get this nursing training on their own? Thanks. Allnurses.com

The online lpn-rn program I am doing does not hold clinicals. I am doing it through Excelsior. At the end of the program they have a 3 day pass/fail clinical. The skills they test you on are all of the skills you must know. Some people talk badly about the fact the program works this way but it really isn't. Some people feel they learned more through Excelsior than their previous brick and mortar school. Excelsior offers courses but a great number of people do the credit by exam. It is 100% self study. Even the CPNE at the end is your responsibility to prepare for. Many people invest in CPNE workshops. There is also a popular CPNE Prep offered by a guy named Rob who is a previous excelsior graduate. He sells a CPNE prep video. Other online programs like Indiana State Uni have clinicals. How it works is you set up clinicals at local hospitals so anyone anywhere can take this program. I hope this helped.