Week 4

So another week is over and done with!

It is so shocking sometimes how quick the week seems to go. 

I have completed another weeks work and trying to get my group together for our group presentation that's due in 2 weeks.

It is worrying that no one is going to do the work but you need to remember you are all there for the same thing and that you all want the marks. 

This week we have covered our clinical observations and practiced them in our practical classes. If there is anything I can recommend, learn the average values for your clinical observations. For example, what is the typical blood pressure for an adult, what is the normal temperature range for a child, what is the typical respiration rate for adults compared to children?

And if possible practice your clinical observations and gain confidence in doing so. I have found that St John Ambulance have been so good in this and helping me when it comes to first aid and talking to patients. It's not just knowing what to do, or what the average ranges should be, but how to talk to your patients and how to keep them reassured and have confidence in you as a health practitioner. 

Being able to converse with your patients and have them reassured that yes, you are a student, but you are trying your best to become the best nurse you can be. 

This is especially important in learning disabilities. People with learning disabilities may not give you more than one chance to take their temperature or their blood pressure. They may not fully understand why that blood pressure cuff is getting tight on their arm. So you have to find ways around this. It may not always work or may not always be successful, but if you can understand why and how your patients may feel then you are one step closer to becoming that proficient and professional nurse. 

All I can say is that it may be hard going in your first year, especially the first semester, but it is so worth it.

I'm due to go on placement in the next few weeks and I'm on a ward. I am really looking forward to it and I cannot wait to look back and reflect and see how this will have an influence on me as a person and as a nursing student.

Assignments, Deadlines and More.

So i thought i'd do a little post on what assignments we have this year and the deadlines to give you an idea of what the workload involves.

We first began just learning the basics, covering chemistry, biology, a small maths test, then law and ethics in nursing.  Then we have covered evidence based nursing, the NMC and its importance and then after that we have covered a whole lot more! 

As the structure of my course is six weeks in, six weeks out, it goes really quick. In a little over two weeks i will be out on placement.  Mad to think that! 

But before i head out on placement, i have an exam and a presentation to do. Then once i am back from placement i have another exam and a written assignment to do.

While i am also on placement, i have a portfolio to do and this needs to be kept up to date and signed off by my mentor to say i have covered certain aspects detailed in the portfolio.  

So as well as all the work we cover in lectures, we then have a lot of reading to do in our own time.  As i have one day a week off from the course i use this day to catch up on what work i need to do and write up all my notes and go through them again.  As it's so easy to just take down notes and not have any of it go into your head.  Its important you do your own work and own reading as the lecturers will not tell you what to do and when.  This is university, you are an adult and you are expected to use your initiative.  

So once i have done my second placement, i will have another exam, another presentation and another assignment.

Please don't think this sounds like a lot, it is and it isn't.  If you do work in your own time and keep on top of things this should all go by so quick! It should then come naturally for your assignment dates and doing the work. Although it doesn't seem like it, if you have done the work and the revision then the assignments, exams etc shouldn't seem so bad.

So overall, November I have a presentation and exam. Then February an assignment and an exam. Then the rest is in May.

Then I am also assessed on each placement I attend. Due to NMC guidelines you have to pass each segment of the year to progress into your second year. 

It may seem like there is a lot of work but if you do even just an hour each night and keep yourself organised then it really shouldn't be too hard for you to get the work done. 

Best of luck to all you new applicants and those holding places. Nursing is definitely a career that will keep you on your toes. No day is the same as the next and there will be days you hate it and days you love it. And trust me, the days you love, more than make up for those bad days. 

Week 3

Well that is another week that has seemingly flew by. 

After all them days, weeks and months of waiting and being so excited to start the course it really is going so quick!

We learn something new every lecture, if not every week.

I feel like the library is my new best friend for the next 3 years and that we will be in a love / hate relationship for the duration. 

This week has been interesting.  We have learnt a lot about the law and ethics in relation to nursing and what it means to be a nurse in making decisions for those who are vulnerable. This all related to capacity and consent.

So a lot of reading articles and journals this week.

We also had a self directed learning assignment (not marked) to do for our tutorial.

This was to enable us to realise what we had learnt over the past three weeks and what we need to improve on. So that was very helpful. Now we have a group presentation and an exam in three weeks so i need to get myself organised and revision notes sorted for that. Its going so quick its unbelieveable when it feels like i waited so long to get here after finding out i was accepted.

I am hoping this blog is helping people who are applying for Sept 2015 entry.  

I would never want to put someone off nursing as it is an amazing career to enter into.  However, i know not everyone is suited to it or can handle the sights you may see, the decisions you may have to make or the hours you may have to do.

Nursing is a tough, challenging and extremely rewarding career. As it has been said many times before, it is a vocation, a profession and 'a calling' for most people. Unfortunately we have had people drop out of the course already due to struggling with family issues or other problems,  Luckily the university is very understanding (as most will be) due to the nature of the course. Some of these people are hoping to start back next year if circumstances are better.  You do get up to five years to return to the course so it is flexible. 

I am have been thoroughly enjoying the course so far.  I will admit though, parts have felt a little tedious. If you have worked in healthcare before, the first few weeks may seem a little repetitive.  You have to cover the basics before you move on, so this means more first aid, moving and handling and infection control training. This means that you are now covered by the university to go out on placement. 

I did get my name badge this week so i was rather excited at that! It has my name on and then 'Nursing Student' underneath. Feels very surreal! We collect our uniforms at the end of the month in time for placement too. Cannot wait to put it on and get out there.  We also have our portfolio to collect around the same time.  This has to be completed during our placement to say we have covered certain topics and then be signed off. 

I do apologise if i go off on a tangent but there is so much to cover and try and tell you all! 

Especially with learning disability nursing.  There is not a lot out there, yet there are a lot of people out there with learning disabilities that need support guidance and qualified and knowledgeable professionals to enable them to be all that they can be. 

Learning Disability Nursing is a fabulous and very rewarding career, and i cannot imagine myself doing anything else.

Week 2

Hi everyone!

Massive apologies for the lateness!

I did swear to myself i would keep on top of the blog, but my oh my is nursing a busy course!

I have just finished Week 2 of my course already and it is flying in. In 4 weeks i will be finishing classes and getting ready to start placement.  We have our placement details already and i am so excited! 

Of course due to protocol i cannot give any details of where i will be but i am really looking forward to it! 

It is crazy how quick the weeks are going and how much we are learning, so it is so important to keep yourself organised and motivated.  Unfortunately there is a drop out time at Christmas and the summer apparently where we will see a dip in numbers, but this is to be expected.  It is not an easy course nor is it simple.  We are learning a new topic or subject every lecture and we are expected to keep up.  This means a lot of reading in our own time and a lot of work.  I have spent at least an hour each night doing work to ensure i keep up with the workload.  

Luckily, i have a Wednesday off in this semester. So this means i can spend Wednesdays organising my work, revising and writing up notes.  This is so helpful as it is definitely something you need to do. 

I have used these Wednesdays to ensure i can keep up.  We had a class test today and we have one next week. These are usually fairly informal to help us learn where we need to revise more and where we are going wrong.  We do have an assignment and an exam before placement, then an assignment and another exam after placement as well as two portfolios we have to complete every week.

So whoever said nursing was easy was wrong! The academic side is great though as you can see where we need to learn and why.  I am really looking forward to placement and seeing how that goes.  Especially as university tries to accommodate according to your experience.  So we are asked to fill in a form that details where we have previously worked and how long for so they can organise our placements according to that. 

Then we have our practicals.  

These are a class once a week that we have that allow us to learn how to wash our hands following the 7 step procedure, we learn moving and handling, first aid, how to give injections, the aseptic technique, clinical observations, the list goes on.  It is helpful to show us how these things are done and allow us to get hands on experience. 

So as you can tell, they keep you on your toes when you are doing a nursing degree. However, if you have fought so hard to be there and you want to be a nurse. Nothing is to trying or too hard.  As you know the end goal is all completely worth it. This is what will keep you going when you are sat up at 2am writing assignments and proof reading! 

So, if you want to be a nurse and you know this is something you will work hard for and will remember that it is the beginning of your career, then you will remember it is worth the hard work and juggling! 

Best of luck to you all applying this year, it is amazing.