'This is nursing' film via the RCN

As part of a new initiative entitled 'This is nursing', the RCN have produced an evocative short film that showcases the critical role of nursing staff throughout the healthcare sector within the UK, as well as the highlights and hardships that a career in nursing can bring. The video says it all really. Check it out below.

Placement Perils

I recently completed my end-of-first-year, two and a half month placement, and you may recall from the unapologetic outpouring of my last post that I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. Enjoyment and enlightenment aside however, by the end of those seemingly never-ending ten weeks I was more than ready for some much-needed R&R.

I have had three placements to date, and it seems to me that no matter how many placements you have under your belt, or where you are in your training, it’s always a struggle trying to maintain some semblance of physical and mental stability whilst out in practice. So with this in mind, I’ve decided to make a shortlist of some of the regular pitfalls I encounter on a placement-to-placement basis. In no particular order, here are my top six.
 

• Healing hands?! - Whilst I like to think that my red, flaky, tired-looking hands are testament to my well-developed and effective hand-washing technique, it would be nice if they didn’t look ten years older than the rest of me! As the lovely Sarah Morbey once advised, having a small tube of hand cream on you at all times is a must!
• Sleepless in Studentnurseville - Random shift patterns combined with frequent periods of insomnia leads to a semi-permanent state of sleep deprivation, as well as an uncanny likeness to an extra from The Walking Dead!
• Excessive caffeine consumption - I love coffee, but the effects of my aforementioned sleep deficits often call for something stronger, and before I know it I’ve gone though two packs of ProPlus in a week - NOT something I recommend. Fortunately I learned my lesson during my last placement where I earned the nickname Taz, and have swapped the tachycardia-inducing tabs for a much-healthier morning bowl of museli instead.
• Thirst aid - Most healthcare professionals struggle with drinking enough whilst on shift, yet we manage perfectly well when it comes to monitoring and maintaining the fluid balance of our patients. It’s not uncommon for me to finish a shift suffering with a belting headache, and convinced that I have the beginnings of what must be a UTI.
• Thank-you treats - I’d be lying if I said my healthyish lifestyle doesn’t take a bit of a battering whilst I’m on placement, and the constant provision of biscuits and choccies combined with few and far between gym visits pretty much ensures that I’ll finish placement at least two pounds heavier than when I started. It’s a hard life!
• Illness - There reaches a point on every placement when the combination of all of the above leaves me feeling weary and rundown, and prone to picking up a head cold or two along the way. Fortunately these are usually fleeting and I’m back to being nursing fit within only a few days.

Two weeks into my annual leave and 5am get-ups and endless uniform-ironing stints are but a distant memory, no sooner will I be back at university and into my usual uni routine than it will be time to go back out into practice and do it all over again, and I'm too happy to oblige.

What A Difference 365 Days Make

Last week was a week to remember for many reasons, but perhaps the biggest reason was that it marked the end and successful completion of my first year. I cannot tell you how unbelievably proud, relieved, and scared I felt walking out of uni that day, after all I am now officially one third of the way through my education. Having been on placement for the last two and a half months, I am well and truly in reflection mode, and so it seemed only fitting that I should reflect on the past year’s events.

It seems odd to me now that this time last year I was literally counting down the days, hours, and minutes until the start of my degree and career. I had yet to don my uniform that I now feel like I am never out of, yet to experience the true meaning of fatigue and the capabilities of the human body in overcoming such a sorry state, yet to learn how to spell diarrhoea, and yet to understand what it meant to truly care for people and the impact this would have on my own life as well as theirs.

As with any year there have been ups and there have been downs; I’ve had days when I’ve struggled to imagine doing anything else with my life, and days when I’ve had to talk myself round from walking away from it all. Nursing is nothing if not challenging, and although this has been one of the most stressful years of my life, it has also been one of the most rewarding.

Academically, I can’t complain. The standard of teaching at my university is absolutely excellent, and it’s not uncommon for me to leave a lecture feeling inspired or intrigued by both the lecturer and the subject matter. My grades are good, a large part of which I believe is down to the aforementioned stellar teaching and staff, and ultimately I really enjoy being at university and being in a conducive learning environment.

In terms of placements, my experiences for the most part have been good. My last placement in particular was fantastic and one I shall never forget. The standard of care is the best I have ever seen, and I feel truly lucky and honoured to have worked alongside such an amazing group of people. In just ten short weeks they have shown me that the ideal doesn’t have to be just a concept, but can in fact be a reality. Sorry for all the gushing but we simply don’t shout enough about such examples of nurses and nursing care in my opinion, however that’s another post all of it’s own.

As a student nurse each day is different, bringing with it a new trials and tribulations, fears and doubts, achievements and failures, as well as sorrow and joy. One year on and I can barely remember what my life was like before I embarked on this incredible journey, and if I’m honest, I don’t really want to.