I am a senior nursing student and I was just wondering if it was normal to feel...not fully competent. Although I have learned so much and have attended clinicals and so forth we had to do a "simulation scenario" about a patient and a possible scenario. One of us is the primary nurse and we have to figure out what to do. Anyways, I was the primary nurse with a pt getting a blood transfusion and having an anaphylactic reaction. I knew that I needed to give Epi but I was all over the place. I felt jumbled in my thoughts. I didn't know when the appropriate time to call the doctor was. I was very unorganized. I eventually got the order for the Epi and gave it. Then the pt was having difficulty breathing (b/c her Hemoglobin level was low) and I kept increasing the O2. Finally I just increased it to 10L not even realizing you should never increase it to 10L unless the pt has a face mask (not on nasal cannula) By the end of the simulation I felt completely and utterly incompetent. I am just wondering if this is at all a normal feeling for a nursing student that has yet to work the field. FYI the pt simulation was all fake it was not a real pt.
Jennifer
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November 1st, 2009 at 1:24 am
You will get more comfortable in time. Remember that in real situations there will be other experienced people around and you will not be alone. Surround yourself with people at work who will encourage your growth and take very opportunity to learn.
November 5th, 2009 at 7:11 am
you could be 5 yr into your career and enter a situation that you don’t feel competent. Being a new nurse, i feel this way all the time, but you can’t learn until you are in that situaton. I have co workers who ahve been nursing from 1 yr to 30 yr, and they too come across situations from time to time that they are like, huh? and need to ask questions.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
You are at the beginning of your career, you are a precious neophyte, and should be treated like the valuable replacement you will grow to be. Don’t be afraid to ask, you will become more confident as you gain experience, and if someone old and crabby acts impatient with you for “wanting to learn” remind them, that if they don’t give you the benefit of their experience, you may be their nurse someday!!!
January 28th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Yes!! It’s normal, and it’s healthy to feel that way (although, I admit it is frustrating and frightening). The scarey nurses are the ones that are overly confident and think they don’t need help. Never be afraid to ask questions if you are unsure of something, or to just run an idea by someone with more experience or a different perspective. If your nursing instructors have not told you that already, then shame on them. You’ll do great.