Hi everyone!
I'm currently about to start nursing clinicals at my university...
But I'm really worried I won't be good at it!
I did average in Micro-biology and Physiology...but not super well.
All of my other grades are great, but my advisor keeps telling me that I might not do so well or will have to work harder then some of the others. Now I'm starting to second guess myself on even doing nursing. I have wanted to be a nurse for as long as I can remember and have been volunteering in a hospital for the last 5 years....but because of these 2 classes I am really worried I either won't do as well in clinicals or won't make a good nurse. Any advice or ideas?
Thanks!
Victoria
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October 29th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I’m not a fan of “advisors” who are negative. There’s enough negative stuff swirling in my head without someone who purports to be an advisor throwing gasoline on the flames of my self doubt.
I’d fire your advisor.
Sure, clinicals will be tough, but all achievement involves great effort. You don’t have to be perfect, you just need to pass. I’m confident you’ll succeed and make a terrific nurse.
Dave
October 29th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Grades don’t translate well to clinical performance. I’ve seen plenty of straight A students get sent back to the skills lab (or worse) for clinical occurrences, and I’ve seen C students rock out in clinicals as if they were RNs already.
Clinical practicum is a whole different ballgame. You won’t be expected to know all of your meds by heart or recite long complex explanations of anerobic metabolism of etiological agents of wound infections. There’s a job to do, and you’re there to learn how to do it safely and competently. You’re -informed- by your previous learning, but the real challenge is organizing your time, establishing therapeutic relationships with the patients, and getting comfortable with the workflow of a hospital unit.
Clinicals is where you start to get to tie everything together, so it provides a lot of it’s own unique challenges, and no amount of lecture or reading can prepare you as well as being there on the unit and doing the job.
Stay calm, pay attention, and take note of what goes well and what needs work, that’s all.
October 30th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Victoria,
I agree, fire your advisor and ask for a different one. Nursing school is hard enough without having to listen to someone so negative!
Ask yourself why do you want to be a nurse! If your answer is following your heart. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!! I found clinicals easier for me, I am a hands on person, the book stuff was a little harder for me. Yes, you may need to work harder, but I am sure that you know this. When it comes to working with a patient this is what I do…I ask myself before walking into someones home a few questions, why am I here? How would my mother/father/grandma/grandpa etc want to be treated!? What can I do to help make my patient most comfortable? What can I do to help my families accept their loved ones choice to die at home? (I am a Hospice Nurse) And Lastly, Say to yourself…I got into the program, I fought this hard to be here, (cuz we all know that getting into the program is a battle!) and I am not going to let some negative hateful no good advisor change my mind, change my heart and make me lose my goal! You can do it…remember why you wanted to be a nurse! Follow your heart and be the best damn nurse that you can be and walk back into her office and tell her…well…I will be nice!! lol…
Pay attention to your instructors, the nurses on the unit are great teachers (most of the time) Listen to them, ask them questions, and stay calm. Follow your heart! Tell yourself “I CAN DO THIS!!!!”
Good luck,
Fellow poor book nurse, but hands on I kick butt!!! You can too!
Stephanie, Hospice RN
November 4th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Your advisor does not know JACK about what you can do as a nurse. I bet, she/ he is NOT EVEN a nurse and has no clue. My advisor told me the same thing and I have made straight a’s the last two years of nursing school- all the nursing core curriculum
Do what YOU want to do and believe in yourself!
Dont let ppls negativity feed into your self doubt
P.S: Microbiology never did me ONE bit of good for clinical. Physiology, yes- but not on the molecular level all too much
November 11th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I agree. I use to have an advisor like the one noted. She no longer works for my university because she was so negative to students. Just because you didn’t do SUPER in pre-clinicals does not mean that won’t do well in clinicals. I have seen A students flunk clinical exams because they don’t perform as well when it comes to hands on. Good luck with everything. I will be starting my clinicals next year at my university, as soon as I get through my pre-nursing pharmacology and nursing assessment classes.
November 14th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
First of all, who does this advisor think he/she is!?? It is so wrong of them to put doubt in your head about whether or not you’re going to succeed in clinicals. I think if you’re not doing well in your classes, maybe it is because you deal better with people instead of books and you’ll be better in clinicals!
You should definitely not let this person affect you. Wait until you are in clinicals and then ask for honest feedback from your preceptors/clinical leaders on how you’re doing.
November 16th, 2008 at 2:02 am
I agree with everyone else, we put so much pressure on ourselves, we don’t need anyone else adding to it. As far as clinicals, go into the first one knowing you can do this, and after you are successful at a task such a giving an injection or starting an IV, you will have so much self confidence, I’ll bet you will almost not recognize yourself after the day is over. I have witnessed that last semester during my first clinical rotation. We had a girl that was so nervous she was shaking, but after she was successful, I saw a total 180.
If your mind goes blank during clinical, like mine does when I’m nervous, don’t be afraid to ask someone. Like the others have stated, you are there to learn.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Just remember..Clinicals are the best time to learn as much as you can hands on. You will only get out of it what you put into it! So don’t be afraid to jump in feet first. Volunteer to do as much as they will allow you to. If you don’t know something ask, there are plenty of people that are willing to help. But be careful…There are also some nurses that like to, as we would put it, “eat their young”! Don’t let them get to you because they will try to break you down. Ignore them and find someone else to ask. Don’t give up until you find your answer. Use every resource that is available to you. You will be fine once you find that confidence within yourself.
As for your advisor, I found that advisors that say things like ” you will have to work harder to make it”, Do that because they see the potential you have inside of you to be a great nurse. They are just trying to rattle your cage to get you to apply yourself. When your advisor says those things to you, just smile! Take it as a compliment!
Best of luck!