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.