Worried/Anxious

I have a declared major of Pre-Nursing... I start classes August 18th.

I know absolutely nothing about nursing. Heck, I cannot even find someone's blood pressure (I tried in anatomy). But I know nothing about the ins and outs of a nurse's day.

Did anyone go into Pre-Nursing absolutely clueless about the field?

That is the only thing that I am really anxious and worried about. That I will be the only person that has a major of Pre-Nursing and knows absolutely nothing.

Random: And when do you do clinicals and what are they like?

There are plenty of nurses that went into it without any medical experience and have done fine. And think about it, unless one is a nurse already (even working as a CNA), no one would really know what nurses do all day, because everyone else has their own unit functions...this is why you are going to school. What I would do is purchase a blood pressure kit from a pharmacy or uniform supply store, and practice on friends. Practice taking pulses, temps, etc.

More than likely you would start clinicals once you are actually accepted into the nursing program itself. Each school functions differently, therefore, what is considered to be pre-nursing in my area may not be the same for you. In clinicals, you will be doing vital signs on patients, bedmaking, bedbaths, medication administration, charting, etc. under the direction of your clinical instructor. Each semester, more will be added to your plate based on what you learned before. Best of luck to you, and yes, you can become a nurse even with no background in caring for patients!

Yes, I am really considering buying that to learn.

And, you start clinicals before ever really learning about nursing?

I started clinical after about a month of class. I still had no idea about anything when I entered the hospital, but thats why you have your instructor with you and your other classmates. It is a learning experience...you will be fine

What kind of program is it? Associates or Bachelors? Chances are, you are a year and half to two years away from starting clinicals.

Why not spend your summer volunteering or getting certified as a Nursing Assistant and then get a part time job doing that? That will give you a good look at what nurses do.

I wish I could. There is no short program here to become a CNA. The hospital here no longer accept volunteers because they do all of that in May...

I even looked in Valdosta, where I will be earning a BSN, and they offer it but it is like a semester long ordeal. And I'm not sure how I can pull that off with classes (15 credit hours).

I will hopefully be volunteering at the hospital in Valdosta. It is the hospital that I will be doing clinicals at.

The clinical rotations start off with basic expectations only. You will not be pushing cardiac meds or starting IVs. Those skills are learned later. The good thing about no previous experience is you do not have any bad habits to "unlearn"!

Yes, I am really considering buying that to learn.

And, you start clinicals before ever really learning about nursing?

Once you are accepted into the nursing program, you will be attending clinicals each semester. The clinical instructor will be responsible for you-you're working under her license, therefore, they usually give you explicit instructions on what is expected out of you. If you are not sure, go to HER, not the charge nurse. Make sure you do NOT perform any skills not assigned or cleared to do (people have gotten thrown out of the program for that). And, clinicals will be based on what you are learning for that semester. For example, fundamentals of nursing will be bedmaking, bedbaths, vitals, medication administration (usually oral meds and injections). The following semester (usually med-surg) will start covering diseases, so, in addition to what you already learned, you will be starting care plans based on the disease entities of your patient (I believe for the RN programs, the care plans must cover all domains-meaning elimination, psychosocial, etc...).

Believe me, you will survive. It is scary, yes, but, you will learn throughout the program and can still be an excellent nurse. I think it is scarier as a new grad with the license in your hand than it is in school. School is demanding BECAUSE you don't know, have not been exposed. If they are good, they will force you to think hard on everything.

Yes, I am really considering buying that to learn.

And, you start clinicals before ever really learning about nursing?

Hi and welcome to the field!

You learn facts in lectures, you practice them in the Skills/Arts Lab on dummies or on each other, then you go to clinicals and practice them on live patients. Don't worry, your teachers will prepare you for all of this.

Have you ever been a volunteer at a hospital or nursing home? This would give you a great chance to see what some nurses do. Or you could hang out with a school nurse, doctor's office nurse, or a nurse at a public health clinic.

There are nurses who teach, give anesthesia in surgery, take care of babies, care for burn patients, patients with respiratory, renal, or other specialized problems, nurses who are advanced practitioners and actually examine patients, diagnose what's wrong with them, and prescribe treatment for them. Nurses work in hospitals, companies (like steel mills and big manufacturers) It's called occupational health, wellness clinics, employee health, corporate health. Nurses work as first aid/emergency nurses for Hollywood film companies and on cruise ships. Nurses advise legislators and TV producers, they do so many, many different things. teach and write textbooks, do research, work in jails, prisons, and so much more. Why not spend some time with a couple of these nurses and see what they actually do? Don't forget dialysis companies.

I wish you the best in school and beyond.