Uncertainty

[StudentN95]

I'm a third year nursing student and am having second thoughts, I've actually been having second thoughts ever since having clinical in the hospital. I'm extremely anxious all the time the last couple clinical rotations my instructors have been so hard on me and completely picked me apart. I felt like there was never any positive feed back and I'm starting to just feel like maybe I'm not cut out for it. I think my anxiety holds me back a lot.. I have a lot of pressure on me by my parents to finish this degree because they want me to be able to support myself. They also tell me "you're almost there! Just make it to the end and you can work anywhere and there's so many options!" I just feel scared all the time going to clinical and I want to feel confident. When does it stop feeling like this? Is there anyone in my position that I can talk to?

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

You can expect your fears and anxiety to begin to subside gradually once you are at least 6-12 months into working as an actual nurse. You are in unfamiliar territory all the way around. Right now, your instructors are holding your hand, and when you begin your first nursing job, your preceptors will hold your hand for a while, and will be pointing out your short-comings before they place patients' lives in your hands.

Embrace the criticism and do not expect positive feedback if you're not yet performing at the level of a the level of a third year student. Your instructors realize that you are running out of time, (assuming you have only one more year left in the program). If you are not where you should be at year three, how can you possibly excel at year four? More importantly, how can your instructors, in good conscious, graduate you? To do so is saying that they feel confident in your abilities to enter the field of nursing.

Listen to what they tell you. Take notes of the areas in which you feel the instructors are riding you, figure out what you are doing wrong (or even ask them if they have not told you already), and formulate a plan to show improvement on your next clinical performance.

It's time for you to step up your game if nursing is what you want to do. If it isn't, talk to your parents and explain that it would be far better if you were to withdraw or change your degree at the end of the semester, than it would be to fail (there goes the old GPA).

Trust me, I know of a few nursing students (one personally) who were giving their all (so they thought) and were failed just days before graduation. You do not want to wear those shoes, especially if you are receiving warning signals well in advance. Imagine the humiliation.

[ItsThatJenGirl, CNA]

Have you reached out to a counselor or health care provider about your anxiety?