Thanks to all who responded to me..

Published

About my previous topic "Ageism"....I just wanted you all to know that I appreciated alll of your responses. I guess I was under a lot of stress - this is my first semester, and being older, I guess I am just a little too self-conscious and nervous about this whole "new career" thing at this stage of my life..I just also wanted you to know that I finished my first clinical rotation today...have mixed feelings about it. Yeah, there were things I did that I shouldn't have - like go down another corridor in the nursing facility I was at and helping out a poor old woman who was soaking in her own urine...and risking the liability of the school cause I shouldn't have been down there helping other residents...or doing blood pressures better than I've done....but that is all over now...I just wanted you all to know that I really value your input. Thank you!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Nice to hear from you.

We all, young and "old" alike feel insecure and 2nd guess ourselves constantly in clinicals and go home and go "DOH!" I wish I'd done this and that differently and better.

It does get better as time goes on. Hang in there.

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Specializes in OB, ortho/neuro, home care, office.

Great to hear that you are feeling better about what your doing. You made a great choice to get into this profession.

Continue the good work. I don't think it was a mistake to do things like assist a resident out of her own urine. But it would be important to check to find out if there was anything important to know about the patient before you go in.

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

We have been encouraged to help out with other patients/staff during our clinicals....if it involves a skill that we're just learning, we're required to have our CI with us (foleys, wound changes, etc), and obviously, always for meds, but it doesn't sound like you did something to endanger your school's rep!!

I've got one more week of first semester clinicals and I still feel like there's so much I've got to work on....BP, vitals, respirations (argh).....thank heavens there's 3 more semesters to work on these skills -- along with all the new learning to come!! :)

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