D has wanted to be a nurse for as long as I can remember. She is doing super well in her classes and is suddenly worried that she won’t be happy with ‘getting super personal’ with strangers every day.
I had a long chat with her on Saturday and much of it seems to be ‘fear of the unknown’ and not thinking about the plethora of options for careers in the long term as a BSN. I am trying to help her make a good decision and I would hate to see her bail on BSN before she’s even started the guts of it.
She went to a medical camp at Drexel and LOVED the surgical part of it – and I reminded her of that. Anyone’s budding nurse had a bit of a panic and gotten through? Advice?
Not here. 2nd year nursing student D hasn’t started clinicals yet but her college application essays spoke of wanting to bond with patients so hoping this won’t be an issue for us.
Hi! First let me say that I think it is great that you and your D are having this open communication : ) Second, yes this is normal. As a nurse you are quite literally as super personal with someone as you can get. In clinicals she will experience all kinds of nursing but not all kinds of nursing are super personal. My first injection was an insulin shot on a comatose patient. Her instructors will work her up to the experiences…level by level. That is the wonderful thing about this field. She will have her choice of so many jobs! I have worked at Penn (floor nurse), Big Pharma, Law Firms, and now I work from home full time.
In terms of bonding with patients that really depends on what floor you work on. If it is a typical floor there is not time for that. If you are working on a pediatric ONC floor okay or an inpt Psych floor yes.
Believe me, Chem lab is more worthy of panic than clinical or fear of being super personal with strangers every day. That fear will fall by the wayside on week 2. I commend your D for really thinking this thru and best of luck!
Thanks! This is what I told her – fear of the unknown is more of the issue. We also searched around together and found a great program at Penn to become a scrub nurse with all the training etc. for brand new BSNs. That piqued her interest.
My daughter will start her clinicals next semester, and is excited (and nervous, I’m sure).
As part of her clinical uniform, she has to wear a big “student nurse” badge. I joked with her it was a neon sign that meant “could be a danger to myself and others, please don’t leave me unattended.”
Give it a chance. Everyone else, despite what they say, has the same feelings and concerns.
@bearcatfan so funny – that is what I said, give it a chance - and the same with the concerns – I told her she is just wise enough to say it out loud. She is overly concerned that if she switches later than now she will have to take an extra semester and while I am not that thrilled about that, it also is NOT the end of the world you know? It is not a good enough reason for a hasty decision.
Part of doing clinicals is to gain some confidence in working with other people whether it’s a patient or a professional. Nobody going in green is super confident and if they were I’d be concerned about them. Your D sounds like she understands just how important her role as a nurse is and is rightfully nervous. Is there a clinical instructor she can voice her concerns to?
My daughter is just a senior but is taking an ROP Nursing careers program through her high school. She is on a ward 4 days a week, mainly taking vitals, fetching things for the nurses etc. . She’s wearing scrubs, got her badge, a high school partner to work with ( which all help a lot) and she says that patients have been really lovely - really excited to hear that she wants to be a nurse . I think for those who may be a bit lonely or down after an operation / being in pain, my daughter is a welcome distraction. Nurses have also been super kind. I am sure your daughter will do great!
Just to update everyone – I just bought the scrubs – she is following through, many of your comments I shared with her and it really did help. THANK YOU.
– she is following through, many of your comments I shared with her and it really did help. THANK YOU.