Almost There....

Hi everyone!
I have just finished my 5th week of placement. One more week to go and that is my second placement completed. It has been a rollercoaster of a placement.
Some weeks i have felt i have learnt a lot and i have gone home feeling positive and like i cannot wait to get back there.  On the other hand, there have been days where i have felt as useful as a chocolate fireguard.  Some days all i have done is clinical observations and that is more or less it.  I know clinical observations are vitally important and help to assess the patient's status, however, it is a little disheartening when you feel like you should be learning more.
i didnt set out to write a somewhat negative sounding post, however, i thought i best be honest as this is the nature of the course.  Not all placements and experiences will be to your liking.  I have, on the other hand, learnt what type of nurse i want to be and what i would not like to be like a few years down the line after qualifying.
I have been told that i will not need to learn certain skills as i am a learning disability nurse or that i wont be working with children. I have had to correct those people as children have learning disabilities too, and they too need specialised care. It does not mean that we will always experience this, but as a learning disability nurse to be, i find it saddening that there are people out there who still have that idea that learning disability nurses do not need to know many clinical skills.
Of course we do! Our patients are often unwell, can be more prone to infection and can have multiple diagnoses. It is therefore our job as learning disability nurses to set these people straight.
I have found that learning disability nurses are very passionate and that we can make a difference.  Recently, there has been a new campaign launched by learning disability nursing students at a university in regards to having that collaborative approach between nurses and their patients.  If you havent seen their video, watch here. 
This is more evidence of how, even as a student, you can make a difference.

The Nursing Times Award nominations are now out, and they take place soon. So remember, to nominate anyone you feel has made a difference to your education, to your learning experience and to the world of learning disabilities.
There are so many positives when it comes to nursing, that i will certainly not let a negative experience be negative.  You learn from that, you come away feeling different, knowing new things and having gone through that experience. That in turn will aid you in your path to becoming a qualified learning disability nurse. Anything that can help you, is always a good thing.  A lot of nursing now, student days and beyond, is about self reflection. So use that experience, good or bad, reflect back on, ask what you learnt, what can you do differently next time, how has it helped you as a person, how has it helped you as a nurse, and move on from that.
for each placement and each person you converse with will change you. And for that, those experiences are invaluable.