Tuesday 13 December 2011

Practice Makes Perfect


Yesterday marked the first day of semester two, which means, dear readers, that I have completed (and hopefully passed!) semester one. As you may have deduced from my rather disgraceful lack of posts, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind of end-of-semester activity, involving the writing of my first assignment, sitting of my first exam, and of course experience of my first placement.  


Going out into practice was, in all honesty, quite overwhelming to start with. Having never worked in a clinical setting I was extremely nervous and found the prospect of working on such a busy ward for my first placement extremely daunting. However, the staff with whom I worked alongside were completely understanding of the situation and took me under their wing straight away. Within a few days my nerves had somewhat settled and by the end of the first week I actually began to feel... well... like a nurse! Being able to put into practice the theory and skills that I had learned at university reaffirmed my reasons for wanting to become a nurse in the first place, and whilst the placement only lasted for a few weeks, I learnt a phenomenal amount - thanks to the staff - and left with a new-found confidence and memories that I will never forget.

All in all it was an unforgettable experience, and I’m truly looking forward to getting back out there in the new year. Right now though I’m enjoying being back at uni with my friends, and not having to get up before the birds do!

For anyone thinking of becoming a nurse or indeed starting their course in March or May, here’s an excellent guide to first placements written by the brilliant @sarah_morbey.