Out of my depth...

I started my first ever placement which was on community yesterday and although it's still really early days, I already feel out of my depth. My mentor hasn't signed any of my portfolio yet but says that it is best to leave it for a few days but my other colleagues are already signing postnatal checks etc. off! I also feel like I am too shy and worry about whether I am right for this job although it's always been what i've wanted to do. I know that this has to come form me but right now I just feel a bit lost and confused, any help would be gratefully accepted!

Aww Jenny bless you your being far too hard on yourself remember its a 3 year course!! Take it 1 step at a time and i too wouldnt be signing brand new 1st yrs portfolio's yet. Give yourself time to settle in observe your mentor closely.Its totally normal to feel overwhelmed and wonder if you've made the right decision but i bet in a few weeks time you'll be feeling so much more confident. Good luck with 1st placement keep us posted xxx

You are being way to hard on yourself lovely! You have had a few shifts of a three year journey - just relax and take it all in. Try not to compare yourself to others, you all get there in the end and everyone has different experiences at different times. Keep it up and in a few weeks you will feel comfortable and wondering why you were stressed at the start. Good luck!

take a chill pill hun..!!

these other students might have been MSW's...and be more at home in this environment...you will get there.

You cant compare yourself to anyone else. You are you. Some students get signed off everything in 5 mins..other students take their time. Slow and steady wins the race.
And...the course has a funny way of working out...the 'high flighers' sometimes end up burning out.
And theres always one student that ends up the 'section queen' and has to run around like a nut case to get their normal births.

Relax...its a journey !!

Ugg x

Thanks for all of your replies ladies, you have made me feel much better! I guess I will just take it one day at a time xxx

We had this in our cohort. One thing I would say is take note of everything you do, so when she does sign your PAD you can say well we've done this and this. I really wouldn't worry hun!

Spend a week or so just observing, doing a few palpations, practising BP and urinalysis- you're not expected to get it right yet! And don't worry about getting stuff signed off. If you could do a postnatal check well enough to get it signed off after 2 days this wouldn't be a 3 year course. In my first year I only got 16 postnatals signed (after 12 weeks' community and 2 weeks on postnatal ward) but I've caught up now in 2nd year. Just chill!

Agree with the other girls hun. Forget about what everyone else is doing and concentrate on you. Give yourself time to adjust. I'm yet to start but i am very aware i have not been in this kind of environment (in a work capacity) before so will take some adjusting. Hope you're feeling better about everything soon. Bet you look back in a few months and wonder why you ever felt this way. Take care sweets xx

Yup! I was a real high flier through my first two years and then got very burnt out in nov/december time... it was awful. ... I didn't get any postnatals signed off for ages. you are supposed to be able to do the whole check of mum/baby/ both depending on your uni ....I would rather get my numbers on my own merit rather than midwives just signing stuff off i haven't done properly. i only finished collecting postnatals in my third year because if there was a certain aspect i didn't do for some reason i wouldn't ask my mentor to sign it off. It is very early days for you, watch everything your mentor does and then start to copy her next time. . . it'll soon come ... and most of all Enjoy!! xx