It wasn’t until the idea of becoming a nurse started to emerge that I
began to broaden my healthcare horizon to extend beyond that of my life-long
fascination with the human form, and take an increasing interest in other
issues such as medicine, health-care provision, and of course the nursing
profession. Since then, I have tried to ensure that I keep abreast of all
things health related, particularly on a national level. However, I’m becoming
more and more frustrated and fatigued at reading/hearing/seeing the incessant
negative and dour press surrounding the nursing profession, and our
hardly-flawless but nonetheless largely wonderful national health service. I am
in no way denying that terrible things can and do happen both within the
profession and the NHS, or indeed that things need to be reported and
addressed, but I do want to promote some of the more positive and truly amazing
events that also occur. I can think of no better or more relevant way of doing
this than by writing about my personal experiences in practice, including the
absolutely incredible, awe-inspiring, and unforgettable placement I have had
this semester, which has without doubt been one of the best experiences of my
life.
To date, I have never encountered a bad placement: I’ve inevitably
enjoyed some more than others, but ultimately every experience has had
something to offer. I’ve worked across different trusts, different areas, and
different settings, and the care, for the most part, has been consistently
high. I’ve worked with teams who have been understaffed, under-resourced, and
over-stretched, and whilst the level of care was variable and not entirely
holistic, it was, in my opinion, these aforementioned pressures and constraints
that were the major contributory factors. I am certainly not implying that this
is always the case; I’m sure we’re all too aware that substandard care
delivered by substandard individuals is very much a reality, and whilst one
such individual is always one too many, my experience has been that such cases
are the exception and not the rule.
The vast majority of people whom I have encountered throughout my
placements have demonstrated the kind of patient-centred and holistic care that
has endlessly impressed and inspired me. I have been consistently moved by the
plights of many patients, and so have I by the exceptional care and attention
that they duly received. I have finished countless shifts feeling completely
dejected and at a loss as to how I will ever be as good a nurse as so-and-so
is. I have experienced first hand the compassion and empathy of nurses, who
have quite literally held my hand and tirelessly supported me through the tough
times of this degree. And perhaps most tellingly, many of these nurses have
passed the ubiquitous
would-I-be-happy-for-this-person-to-look-after-one-of-my-own-family-members
benchmark nursing assessment with flying colours.
I could go on, but I strongly suspect that I am preaching to the choir.
I for one am truly proud to be a part of this very special profession; a pride
which deepens and develops with each and every placement, due mainly to the
many magnificent nurses I have encountered along the way. I can only hope that
one day I am the kind of nurse who motivates and inspires new generations of
nurses coming through the ranks to be the very best that they can be, in much
the same way that I have been.
