Placement 1 - Finished!

I've finished my very first placement! 

It has been amazing. I have learnt so much and I have chance to do a lot. Massive thank you to the staff and patients for being so accommodating. 

I have loved every minute of it.

It's tiring getting up at 5.30am and working 13 hour days then having to travel home again only to be back on first thing some days.  But it is worth it. As per my previous posts, I have been able to do injections, enemas, peg medication, other medications, learn how to monitor and manage diabetes. I have had chance to meet with the speech and language therapist  (SALT), the aromatherapist, the orthotics team and the dental team. I have had chance to see multidisciplinary team meetings being carried out, I've seen how resettlement works for patients moving into the community from hospital and I have had chance to meet the doctors involved in the patient care. I have seen their admissions to other hospital facilities and I have had the chance to really experience patient care in hospital facilities for those with learning disabilities. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt so much. My mentor was very understanding and helpful in my learning. I was able to shadow my mentor and they were able to show me various different aspects of nursing care. I was also given aims and objectives for my next placement from my mentor that we agreed upon together in my assessment meeting. I have an initial meeting with my mentor to agree on what I want to get out of the placement and if I have any additional needs. Then half way through we have another meeting to see how I am progressing and what I have gained from placement thus far. Then in my final week I had my final assessment. This involved answering 4 questions based on the care of one patient on the ward. We then have to assess ourselves using the Bondy Scale and the assessor uses this to then look at how we have progressed during our placement. 

This is all in our portfolios. This is handed in once we go back to university where our personal tutor looks through it. They look at any absences, any night duties completed and any issues we may have had. This portfolio is then given back with any feedback and then we take this to our next placement. The portfolio is to last for the 3 years we are at university so it's important we take care of it and do not lose it. As you will then have to find all your old mentors etc and get them to re-sign everything they have written. 

But I am now so glad to be off for Christmas.  We start back early January unlike other courses so it's a short time off but I will be enjoying my Christmas with family and putting my feet up. To say I'm tired is an understatement at this very moment in time!

Merry Christmas to you all. 

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And is hope next year brings the good news you're hoping for!