So second year has officially begun!
First week has flown by and we are straight in there. Last year we had welcome week as our introductory week and then although it was very full on and very quick, there was still that little bit of leeway and understanding if we were struggling with finding things or learning how to search the literature and so on.
This year...
It's more or less, you've been here a year now and you have completed your placements and your assignments and been successful. So, keep it up, kick it up a gear and head down. We have been given our structure for the year and what we will be covering.
As this year we really focus on our field, i'll give you an idea of what we will be doing...
- The background and history of learning disabilities, the principles of such etc
- Legislation covering learning disabilities
- Behaviour
- Mental Health
- Communication (including Makaton)
- Supporting and Promoting Optimum Health
- Maternity
- Play
- Alternative Therapies
- Multiple Complex Needs
- Criminal Justice System
- Nutrition
- Partnership Working
Then in our practicals, we will be covering:
Basic Life Support
The emergency trolley
Venepuncture
IV Fluids
Tracheotomies
Suctioning
O2 Therapy
Spirometry & Peak Flow
Catheterisation
This is just for our first semester for our practicals, so I'm not too sure what we will be covering after Christmas!
But hopefully that gives you some indication of what us as learning disability nurses can cover and will need to know. Every university is different and will teach their own courses in their own way. But we all need to cover what the NMC states as minimum standards for when you graduate.
The pre-education standards for nursing education are available here on the NMC website. Scroll down to page 31 where you can find those specific to learning disability nurses.
There is a big difference in what each field is learning, but we all still have our evidence based practice lectures together which cover research and why we need to keep up to date with our training and our reading as we progress through out our careers.
It is great being back, but we already have our first assignment titles, our exam periods for next year and what it is we need to be focusing on!
On the up side however,
I have my ticket for Positive Choices!
There are a few of us going from my university from the different years of the learning disability course. So I am really looking forward to going. Some have even booked their flights and accommodation already! So it will be good to see some of you there and put a face to the names of those who have emailed and tweeted me etc.
So I will be looking out for you there!
I am also officially a member of my nursing society committee too so I am already being kept very busy. A lot of it this year is about being an amazing juggler, so much so I should maybe take up a role in the circus. As I have mentioned previously, I am a member of St John Ambulance. So I have been keeping up with that as well. That has taught me a great deal that I may not cover in university or that I will.
So it is great revision, if nothing else a lot of good fun out on duties and always surprising people when they see a woman driving an ambulance (!) Yes...I still see some shocked faces at that - in 2015!
Hope everyone is loving their courses so far and keep up that hard work. You know how hard you have worked so far to get where you are.
No comments:
Post a Comment