A wise nurse once told me "if you feel comfortable, you're doing something wrong."

Working as a tech and a nurse are 2 different roles that become glaringly obvious once you step into the patients room as a nursing student. As a tech you can walk into the room, see a patient who is supposed to be on a low carb diet, destroying a Big Mac and fries, quietly shut the door and get the nurse. As the nurse if you see this... well there's no one to grab. You are the nurse so you get to go snatch up the fast food, and get cussed out as you try to explain why the patient should be more compliant with their diet. 

Fun times. 

The level of responsibility has suddenly increased and its hard to feel confident taking care someone else, when realistically you can barely care for yourself and the only thing you can remember from class is to always make sure the call bell is in the bed. I remember my first year of nursing school it wasn't rare to walk into the bathroom or supply closest and find a student in there crying quietly or squatting in a corner. In order to survive clinical with your sanity intake (which yes, it is possible) here a few tips that I've. complied.

Be willing to make mistakes 

In your nursing career you’re going to make mistake. A LOT of mistakes. You're only human and while there is a way to limit the amount of mistakes you make, there is no way to ensure they will never happen. What truly matters is how you bounce back from it, and learn for the next time. Clinicals will be full of “first” experiences that even a job as a medical assistant or CNA can’t prepare you for. 

You won’t know everything. Heck you probably won’t know 90% of what happens most of the time, but that’s okay! No one is expecting you to know it all and they know you’ll be making mistakes or saying “I don’t know” on a daily (probably hourly) basis. Basically they accept the truth you try to hide. You don't know what you're doing. 

But the reason you lack knowledge is because you lack the experience. You can understand and explain how to start an IV but until you're holding that needle in your hand and a patient’s arm is stretched in front of you, you’ll be lacking experience. The textbook can only prepare you for so much. 

Learn to work alongside fear

           In clinicals fear can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It can help you recognize your shortcomings and help you be cautious of the risk you are exposing your patient to. On the other hand it can make you doubt yourself, and question your capabilities.  Remember that the only reason you're scared is because you don’t want to make a mistake and you want to ensure that you are always providing the best care possible. An important thing to remember is that these patients know what your role is. Before you do anything to the patient the nurse or instructor will always make sure to introduce you as a student nurse. When the patient allows you to contribute to their care they are communicating that they trust your ability. (On the other hand it's also quite obvious when the patient doesn't trust you because they become very vocal and loudly list their complaints and concerns).

The patient trust you, so trust yourself! Lastly remember this, There is always a professional watching over you just in case they need to jump in, and your teacher won't let you do something you aren’t ready for. Be ready to dive in, and only be afraid that you didn’t try.

Shuffling to opportunities 

Peers always say “you should run to opportunities as they present themselves”. And I will be the first to say B-S. Its one of those “easier said, then done” moments. 

When the teacher ask “who wants to help remove a chest tube?” your hand better be the first to go up! Don’t give yourself time to panic, and question yourself. Just raise your hand and go do it! Like I mentioned every experience in clinical is a learning opportunity.  I’m a very open person. I wouldn’t tell you to do something that I wouldn’t be willing to do, and I won’t sugar coat anything just to make it sound better. Anytime a nurse or clinical instructor ask for volunteers my hand will always be the first up. Am i confident in my abilities? Heck no. Am I eager to learn? Not really. 

I do it because experience is the only way to lose the fear, and gain confidence! 

I think most nursing students will agree inserting NG tubes is not a walk in the park. Its nerve wracking and requires patience and technique. During clinical we all love taking care of the pateint with the already inserted NG tube but not the one who needs a NG tube. Its terrifying to think about shoving a tube up someone's nose and down their throat. 

How did I conquer the that fear? 

I volunteered to shove a tube up someone's nose and down their throat. 

I freaked out the entire time, my hand was shaking as I inserted the tube, and I was about ready to quit when the patient started fidgeting in pain. 

No one said nursing school was easy. 

But remember the only way to learn is by stepping up and being willing to gain that knowledge. 

At the end of the day you'll do great, and remember no one starts knowing everything. It's something that requires time, patience and practice. 

Back to school time, means back to stress time. Now that I’m entering my last semester I feel excited to cross the finish line but so tired that I may have to crawl instead of run towards it. Can you believe how fast time has gone? When you first start nursing school you hear from everyone you know how quickly time will fly by. You may roll you eyes, or laugh under your breath, but just know this! When you are swamped in clinical's, simulations, lectures and tons of reading you don’t actually notice just how fast time has gone.

Now that I’m done sounding like a grandma reminiscing with her grandchildren, today I have put together a small list of things I wish I knew before starting nursing school. At this point I feel like there are certain things you always hear. Like “It will be the hardest thing you ever done” or “You will have no social life after you start”. And while I do agree with both of those statements today I thought I would share with you some things I’ve notice during my time in school that not to many nursing forums, YouTube channels or blogs discuss.

Whether your starting your first semester or finishing your last let me know which of these tips fellow nurses & nursing students have shared with you!

You Will Cry

Whether it happens because of frustration, pent up stress, or embarrassment there will come a moment when all you want to do is go home, and throw a self-pity party consisting of you, your negative emotions, and your tears. 

I won’t tell you to get a straw and suck it up. Find a bridge and get over it. It hurts when you feel like you're doing everything you possibly can but have nothing to show for it. Or when you keep making mistakes and can't help but find yourself lacking compared to others. The ugly (and constantly repeated) truth is that nursing school is tough!! You will be pushed to your breaking point and sometimes a good cry is all you need to release that pent up stress. Remember this, crying doesn’t make you weak, or any less of a nurse. It just means your human, and you have emotions that need to be released. Need a little help getting those tears out? Watch The Notebook. It works like a charm every time!  

C’s get degrees is just an excuse for laziness 

Ugh~ I hate this statement, but at the same time this sentence got me through my psychology degree. Look. No one is saying that if you don’t get all A’s you’ll become a social outcast, end up on the streets, and live the rest of your days with a one eared cat named patches as your lifelong companion. Did that sound dramatic? Probably. Is that how your brain thinks? 2 big thumbs up. But going into school with the mindset that C’s are all you need is just wrong. You should always put 100% (99% is acceptable also) into what you do. Don’t go to school wasting time not paying attention, not doing the readings at home, and barely passing every test you get. Forgive my language but it honestly makes you look like a half assed individual. Would you want a nurse who half-assed your treatment?

It’s almost change of shift and your patient’s blood pressure is borderline hypotension. The patient is fluid overloaded and is scheduled to receive a diuretic. You know you should hold the med back but you have other patients you have to see, and you don’t feel like having to call the provider and explain the situation when you know you’ll be handing off in 15 minutes. So you give the med, and decide to just let the next shift deal with it.

WHO WOULD DO THIS?! 

In any other major I would agree. Yes, C’s do get degrees. But when you have a person’s life in your hands that kind of mindset isn’t going to cut it. You will encounter people who are like this, and god forbid you ever have to meet them as a patient. Don’t join in and don’t encourage it. Remember why you chose to become a nurse and use that as motivation to propel you forward. 

You can never study to much

Eat. Breathe. Live nursing textbooks. The only time you can say you've studied too much is when days have past and you can’t remember the last time you showered, eaten or saw another human being. Other than that you probably haven’t studied too much. Before I entered nursing school I only thought of studying as reading through the textbook and jotting down some notes. Nowadays there are so many available resources that will help you study and learn the material without sitting at your desk for hours on end. Podcast, YouTube videos, songs, and study guides help you learn the material without losing your sanity in the process. On my way to school or work, during my workouts, and when I unwind to go to bed you can usually find me listening to a nursing podcast. During free moments I might watch a helpful youtube video to help me memorize my material. When I have a free moment at work I might bust out a study guide so that I can review what I learned, and focus on what I need to know. 

It sucks but if you want a break you’re going to have to plan it, and pencil it into your planner. During my first semester I would always underestimate how much time I needed to spend studying and I gave myself way too much free time. It’s a balancing act but just remember you can fit in different methods of studying into almost all parts of your usual daily activities. 

Your fear of public speaking will be gone in a matter of minutes 

Sweet biscuit!! There is no such thing as a shy nursing student and the teachers do their best to make sure of this. I never thought of myself as a shy or having a fear of public speaking, but I realized my mistake quickly after starting school. Since starting nursing school, I feel like presenting to the class and teacher has become the weekly norm.

Every week I find myself standing in front of the class, with 1-2 other classmates, and a stern teacher burning a hole into the side of my head as I present/teach on a topic I just learned.

Some shy people do manage to fly under the radar, but I’ve also learned that once a teacher discovers a shy student, they make it their life’s mission to call on that person repeatedly. Save yourself. The only people that avoid this are the students who are always volunteering to talk. Keep volunteering and eventually the teacher will want you to shut up and they'll find a different prey to move onto.

    Your first clinical assignment will scare the crap out of you

No amount of tech work, CNA work, medical assisting, etc will make it better. The sudden change from assisting with patient care to being in charge of the patient’s care is scary. Realizing how little you know is scarier. The first clinical is always the hardest in my opinion, because it’s a sudden realization of just how much you don’t know. I had been working as a patient tech for 1 year before starting nursing school and I still was amazed at how much I didn’t know.

The learning curve seems so steep at that moment and becoming a nurse suddenly seems like this overwhelming, daunting task. With plenty of time and experience that feeling does get better and soon enough it will completely disappear. Personally whenever I would start worrying about this, I would go speak to a nurse on the floor. The nurses you work with will love to tell you all about their nursing school days and even tell you funny new grad stories to help you calm down. Remember you are not alone, and you are not the only one going through this! 

Drop a comment down below if you’ve experienced any of these or have any other tips that you want to share. Have any questions? Feel free to leave a comment below or email me!

Till next time!  

 Hey guys!

How is life? How's school? How's the fam? I don't know about you but these past few days feel like they are starting to blur together. Recently I've found myself so busy that I've been forgetting to "life".  Activities not school or work-related are not getting done! For example, I washed my laundry almost 3 weeks ago, and my clothes are still sitting a basket waiting to be folded. I keep telling myself I'll get around to it (same thing I said about cleaning my room, washing my car, and cleaning out my closest), but time is one thing I never seem to have anymore. When I do have free time I find myself catching up on much-needed sleep. 

I spent the first part of this week panicking and stress eating chipotle in anticipation of today.

Today I had a psych simulation, and if I had to describe it in one word, it would be wow. 

Just wow.

To provide a little background for my new friends, simulation is a type of clinical that nursing students have to do. This clinical experience is usually done at the college and ran by your everyday teachers. Basically you and 1-2 other students enter a room that is set up exactly like a patient room's in a real hospital. In the room there will be either an actor or, in my case, a fancy mannequin that breaths, blinks, and has a microphone for someone to speak through. This mannequin resembles a real person as they have all the same body sounds (lung sounds, heart sounds, pulse, abdominal noises), blood pressure, and places to inject shots and take blood. Your teacher provides a scenario (similar to a case study) and then with the ridiculous amount of cameras placed around the room they will watch you attempt to treat the patient (or just keep them alive).

As a 3rd-semester nursing student, I have completed quite a few simulations and spent a good amount of time in the hospital. I feel confident when providing patient care, but it's amazing how quick sim can change that. Sim always has a way of making you feel incompetent and like you know nothing. Honestly, at this point when I go to simulation, I go with zero expectations and no pride. With no expectations and pride, I no longer feel embarrassed when the teacher points out the alcohol bottle that has been hiding behind the patient this entire time or frustrated when I can't get my psych patient to talk about anything except his dog, peanut. 

Don't get me wrong.

Simulation is a great learning experience. 

But typically the learning doesn't occur until after the instructors have pointed out all of your mistakes, and you've finished stress eating chipotle for the 4th time this week. 

Today I left the simulation with my head hanging in shame and embarrassment as I ordered Chipotle online (meal #5 if your counting). You're probably thinking that I'm exaggerating (which I might) but today was definitely an all-time low. My teachers couldn't stop laughing at what happened in the patient's room and my classmates couldn't keep a straight face while we reflected on what happened today. After everything that happened today I can honestly say I learned 3 important things:

1. When dealing with a patient admitted for alcohol abuse make sure to check the ammonia level. Not the pneumonia level.
2. Don't try to bargain with a confused patient. Trust me on that. 
3. I would not survive as a psych nurse
4. Ativan is your BEST friend

My next Sim isn't for another 2 weeks. YAY! My next sim is OB related. BOO! If there's one thing I do not like doing it' is watching women suffer through labor. How any L&D nurse wants children, the world will never know. 

Until next time!

Hey guys! 

It's already that time of the year again, and school is back in session! Due to Christmas & New Years, winter break feels like it just comes and goes in an instant. Any who's, I hope everyone's semester is off to a great start! From the title, you already know what I'm gonna be chatting with you about. It may be a little late seeing as the semester already started, or it maybe it's perfect timing depending on how crappy your semester is going so far. 

Compared to my days as an undergrad I've definitely discovered that a lottttt of prep work has to go into making a semester in nursing school successful. It takes skill to properly kick start the semester! You can't just show up to class, remember all the assignments due that week, and cram the night before the test. The key to a successful semester is to embrace your inner type A personality and become the overachiever you've only ever seen in those corny-cliche high school dramas. You know who I'm talking about. That one character that always knows what's going on, stays one step ahead of the game, and while everyone else is crying and begging the teacher for extra credit, they're just sitting in a corner chilling. 

I follow these steps faithfully, and I have been since I first stepped foot into the nursing program. Yeah, I get called an overachiever often, but I never take it as an insult. In fact, I think of it as a compliment. It just means that you're one of the few people who has their Sh** together. And trust me, in nursing school, there are very few of those people. 

First things first...

Google calendar, planner, journal, excel sticky notes, random app, etc. In order to successfully kick start the semester you have to create an organization system. It doesn't matter what you use, just find somewhere you can write down all your assignments, readings, test and make sure you have easy access to it. Don't download a cute digital planner onto goodnotes if you don't plan on always having your tablet on hand! Don't worry about aesthetic purposes, and what that chick on Instagram/YouTube/twitter did! Be honest with yourself and focus on what fits your needs!

Moving on...

Get organized

Once you have found a resource to write down ALL of your important dates, grab that syllabus, course calendar and whatever else the teacher provided and precede to write everything down. If using a planner I recommend writing due dates on the monthly views, and readings on the weekly views. I personally use an Erin concern, academic planner. The monthly and weekly views are great for writing all the due dates, and the projects & exams section is where I create my study plans before a test. 

Another great method I use is to write out a master schedule. Over on Straight A nursing, you can find all the details, but essentially you just place all of the due dates of everything for the semester on an excel document. You then print that bad boy out, slap it in your binder, and keep it on you at all times. As the semester progresses you'll check off the assignments as you turn them in. This will help keep you on top of your assignment and give you something to refer back to if anyone ever asks about a due date. 

Make a Schedule 

Getting organized focuses on semester planning, but also making a schedule is all about daily and weekly planning. I want you to carefully look at the readings and videos your professors assigned to you and plan out how you'll accomplish these. If you have 5 days to read 8 chapters, turn in 2 assignments, and do an online quiz, how do you realistically plan on spreading out the work? Writing out a list of weekly readings & assignments and dividing it amongst the days will save you SO. MUCH. TIME.

Obviously, this schedule is not set in stone but it gives you a great starting point and allows you to efficiently manage your time. If you've already made plans to spend the weekend with friends, then take time at the beginning of the week to properly assign different tasks to different days. I recommend planning your weekly schedule for 2 weeks at a time. This way you can carry unfinished tasks over from one week to the next without getting confused.

It should look something like this~

Stay ahead

Remember all those due dates and assignments we wrote down? Well, how much of it can you start or complete today? In the previous semester, I had a teacher who posted every assignment for the semester 2 weeks before class started. On the first day of class, we were informed that one of our fellow students had completed EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of the online assignments before the first day of class. Now I'm not saying you have to be at that level, but if you stay a few chapters or 1-2 assignments ahead you are not only staying on top of your education but now you have tons of wiggle room just in case you want to make plans to get away for a weekend (or 2).

Stay motivated

Know your resources

Please, PLEASE don't be one of those people who have no clue what additional learning opportunities their school offers, or what is available on the web! Before school starts you should be looking up great resources or tools that can make your semester easier. Start the semester knowing what is available to you, and make use of what you have. Remember people, we work smarter, not harder.