'Twas The Week Before Placement...

So the start of my next placement is now just beyond the horizon, and I am determined to tackle as many of my practice demons as possible. I am what you would call an emu you see: I have a tendency to run away and hide from things that scare me, but I know that this no longer an option what with being halfway to becoming a qualified nurse!!! And breathe... It’s time that I confronted my practice fears head on, and so to help me on my mission I’ve decided to compile a conducive checklist to help me on my journey.

• Get over my seemingly insurmountable fear of doctors! At the end of the day we are all the same: people.
• Accept that performing painful or uncomfortable procedures is a necessary part of the job. Do it well, and hopefully it will be the care, compassion, and empathy that the patient remembers and not the pain.
• Be brave and speak up. I have a duty and a right to challenge bad practice and behaviour, whether that be in relation to a patient or myself.
• Endure and survive night shifts. Having never worked a night shift in my life, it’s not surprising that I find the mere thought of them both foreign and formidable all at the same time.
• Give my first handover - hopefully a good one! I can’t imagine being able to do this by the end of my degree, never mind during my next placement! The thought of public speaking combined with missing or misinterpreting important information fills me with utter fear and dread. Fortunately, I have stumbled upon some excellent resources courtesy of Nursing Times, including a super handy Nursepedia. You can find them here and here.

Come Monday it will be time to face my fears, and whilst I may not overcome all of them during this one placement, I know that I must start to address at least some of them. If all else fails, there’s always the sluice to hide in!