My Reading List

As I have wrote a previous post on my books that I had read in the run up to applying, I thought I'd update you on what books I do have now and ones that I don't but I have borrowed from the library and found useful.

In my first year at university, all four branches are integrated. We sometimes have the midwives in on the life sciences lectures but not often.  So we are all learning the same things this year.  Next year it will be different and we will get to know one another a lot more on the learning disability branch.  So our books needed have mainly all been the same until it comes to assignments.  We have all needed to do the same assignments this year but we are told in our assignments that we need to relate it to the branch that we are doing.  So that is where books unique to our branch will come in to it.  

The books I have used so far (in phase 1 / semester 1);

•  Anatomy and Physiology - Tortora & Derrickson

• Nurses! Test Yourself in Anatomy and Physiology - Katherine M. A. Rogers & William H. Scott 

• Health Promotion: Discipline, Diversity and Developments - R. Bunton & G. Macdonald

• Fundamentals of Nursing - B. Kozier et al.

• Nursing Practice, Hospital and Home - M. F. Alexander et al.

I have also read local trust policies and guidelines when on placement.  I have also kept up to date with the local, national and worldwide health news as this impacts us all.  These are in addition to the books I already have or have read mentioned in an earlier post. You can find that post here. However, if you need any help or are wondering about anything else you may think you want to get started on before you start university then please don't hesitate to get in touch. 

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.