Maybe join an online service to get practice. I always paid attention to what was in the news to have something to discuss. It helps if you have a neutral stance. A former Catholic nun told me to write a profile with a lot of detail. She wanted to marry someone who was very involved with the church and certain societies. She ran a general ad. Maybe she met two men who qualified. When she rewrote her profile, all the responders were Catholic zealots. It was a two hour trip to Philadelphia.
If you truly care for someone, you are going to be nervous no matter how much you practice. It is the human condition. I figure God, the Force, Thor made us miserable alone so we would risk the discomfort of a meeting. If you are nervous on a date, people have only had dates recently. People used to marry with contracts. The bride and groom did not even meet on their wedding dates. My friend's parents were Chinese. Their marriage was arranged. I saw no different in their relationship.
I think TV shows and fillms lead young people to believe it is all magic. My impression was that men found dating easy. Male friends in agony from dating opened my eyes. One trick I had was to plan something fun with a friend the next day. I had some bummer dates. While I was in law school, I attended a mixer uptown. He asked me how the room was sectioned. Did my roommate and I have a partition for privacy? He screwed himself asking that question. I told him it was inappropriate. I applied makeup which annoyed him. Sometimes during dinner, I realized he was no longer at the table. I called the waitress over to ask if I owed her any money b/c I would have to run to the dorm. They could hold my purse as collateral. She was so upset for me. I felt like doing a cartwheel. I knew the dorm would loan me money.
I notice that some men seem to have anger towards women. There are things you learn as you date rather than on the first date. So many men were so gallant and nice. I had a ballet subscription. Somehow I don't really think my dates were ballet freaks. It was a bit cruel what I did. If you wait too late, everything would sell out.
The edge of nerves can be nice. If you feel as though you are going to thow up, though, you need some intervention.