Unsatisfactory clinical

[ptahhotep]

I failed the clinical portion of Intro to Nursing. Does anybody know what I can do to improve my clinical skills? The problem is I get nervous when I have to display a skill for an instructor. I do things like pull out G-tubes,drop sheets and pratice bad body mechanics. I also have trouble keeping eye contact with my client/mannequain during a nursing procedure.

To eleveat my general anxiety I have opted for some volunteering experience at a hospital. I also plan to get a CNA license. Is this something I should consider to improve my nursing skills?

My failure has been an embarassment because I am good with the theory portion of nursing school. The hands on clinical experience has reallty given me extreme difficulty. Even simple activities like turning a patient in a bed.

[Somewherenear]

I've had the same anxiety you're talking about... it will come to pass... the way to handle it is three fold:

1. practice in lab and at home... on the maneuqins and your friends/family members, dolls, pillows, whatever you can get your hand on. practice so that the actions become almost automatic to you

2. watch videos - sometimes reading how to do a log roll helps you none... go to youtube and watch videos on how to do the skills

3. exposure and communication - in your skills testing you need to explain everything out to the patient... put yourself in the patients position - could you imagine you're lying in your hosptial bed and some random student comes up to you and starts pulling your sheets off saying they're going to turn and reposition you. Three things - ID patient, introduce yourself and explain teh proceudre. "Hi Mrs. Smith, my names sarah I'm a year one nursing student, and I would like to help you turn to your side. You've been lying on your back for a couple of hours now, and I think these pillows will help relieve your back discomfort and pressure. Would you be okay with that?"

I think volunteering is absolutely wonderful. I currently volunteer at the hospital and I'll be honest with you as to why I took it up... my placement was in a long term care facility so I wasn't familar with anything hospital related so I volunteer at the hosptial and although I don't do patient care, I'm just so much more familar with the flow of the system... it also helps relieve that anxiety...

Best of luck to you - do not beat yourself up about this... if you've got the knowledge in your head, you'll get there... just practice applying it with your hands... =)