Hello db,
I’m sorry you were put in this uncomfortable situation. Ideally, you would have received all the documentation, resources and training necessary to mitigate your feelings of stress. Unfortunately, the reality in our industry is that you’ll often find yourself in these uncomfortable situations. Good news is that you will grow from them.
The propensity to quickly learn and adapt to new situations is a critical skill in IT. Knowing when to apply your skills, however, is also critical. I advise you hone these skill.
Regarding your situation, you have a few options:
1. You can say “No”. It took me a really long time to realize that “No” is a valid (and often necessary) answer. If you don’t feel comfortable or able to take on this task, don’t. You wouldn’t pour gasoline on a forrest fire. Sometimes you are the gasoline and need to know when to say no.
2. As others have pointed out, candidly communicate your feelings around being uncomfortable but willing to take the time to learn. This will show that you are honest, can recognize your short-comings, but are also willing to grow.
3. You can smile, act confident and pray that nothing will go wrong. If things go well, either you’ll be a hero or no one will notice, but if things go wrong… people will notice. There’s a lot of comments here suggesting that being an intern is a get out jail free card… I don’t think it is. Yes, people more senior to you should know better; often they don’t, but you should (if you recognize it) know better and communicate.
Like others, I would recommend documenting your communications with your boss. If they happen over a call or in person, take notes during or promptly after the call.
Ultimately, I think there’s a difference between doing something you “think” you can do and it going wrong, and doing something you’re not comfortable doing and it going wrong.
Best of luck!