If there was one message I needed to hear daily while in nursing school, it was this: There is a place for you. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Smell the roses and blow out the candle. Read these words again. There is a place for you.
Perhaps you can relate to my nursing school experience: overstressed (most likely due to excessive/irresponsible/unhealthy caffeine intake) and constantly second-guessing my calling. There is no way that I can be a nurse. I get so stressed before clinical. My peers have been able to place Foley catheters, give IV piggyback medications, and insert suppositories!
Fear of failure, fueled by comparison, created a giant mess of doubt regarding my calling to nursing. I had to realize this was a lie. God had called me for his purpose. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).
God doesn't promise us a life of walking on the clouds, taking it easy, and smelling the flowers. Instead, I found two actions helpful as a nursing student with doubts.
Stop Comparing
Comparing yourself to your classmates gets you nowhere. There will always be someone more confident than you, someone who finds a skill easy while you struggle. This is normal—and good. We need nurses with different skillsets and passions. Your unique qualities will make you a competent nurse. Future patients need you to explore and develop your strengths. Don't lose heart when you don't do as well on an exam as your friend. Test scores are a number; you are of much more value!
That being said, I want to recognize the difficulty of refraining from comparing. One does not simply stop comparing overnight. It's a giant learning process that involves reflection, conversations with God and others, and lots of patience!
Talk to Someone
Don't endure this pressure alone. This became clear during a check-in with my clinical instructor: I burst into tears and declared I needed a new major. I was done. I felt far behind my peers. And I got so nervous. My peers seemed put together and excited to be in the hospital.
My professor told me to take some deep breaths and reminded me that everyone has different clinical experiences. What's most important is establishing a foundation for critical thinking. She spoke reason and life to me. We prayed together. I needed to talk to someone about what I was going through. I encourage you to do the same—talk to someone.
Nursing school is difficult. Shut out the inner voice saying you’ll never reach graduation. Stop comparing! Reach out to someone you can trust. God has a place for you, even if you can't see it right now. Keep praying, keep trusting God, keep studying.
Love What You Do
Scripture teaches that followers of Christ are God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)--his master work! We’re transformed and renewed by him for good works he’s prepared for us to do. As Christ's student and nurse, do your work with all your heart because you work for God and will be rewarded by him for great nursing care (Colossians 3:23-24)!
Sam Schedler, BSN, RN, had graduated from nursing school and was employed in a large Minneapolis, MN, hospital when he wrote this article for the Student TXT column in the Journal of Christian Nursing (JCN).
Students: Write for the blog and JCN--send us your articles and blog post content (ncfmailbox@intervarsity.org). And encourage your fellow students to connect with NCF for encouragement, support, and spiritual growth opportunities.
