Unless you look seventy or older, you're going to be told over and over that you're too young to be a nurse. Some patients will mean it as a compliment and others will be frightened and worried that you don't know what you're doing. The patient might think that you haven't had enough experience and might ask you to please not touch her. You will need to reassure her that indeed you have graduated from an accredited school of nursing and that you have been trained to perform whatever it is you are doing.

If you need to do something that you haven't done before, be honest and let the patient know that your preceptor is right there. If you're just being checked off on the procedure, let her know you have performed this before, but it's hospital policy that your preceptor check you off before you can do it alone — it's just standard procedure.

Don't let this bother you or destroy your confidence. You have completed your formal education to this point and you know how to be a nurse. You have to respect the patient's fears as well and do your best to prove your competence and gain her confidence. Explain any procedures carefully and encourage the patient to ask any questions. Take the time to understand what she understands and what knowledge deficits she has, about this episode of illness and her health status in general.

You may want to share with the patient some information about your education or the fact that your mother is often mistaken for your sister because it's hereditary for your family to look young. If you look young for your age, you might have patients telling you this for some years to come. It's like being carded when you buy alcohol: annoying, but enjoy the compliment, it won't last forever. While age has nothing to do with your ability, older people especially seem to lack confidence in someone they feel is too young to have enough experience.