The Student Nurse Blogger Collective

For those of you who are reading this outside of our own independent blogs we feel a little introduction is in order; we are a new double act of student nurses who go by the names of Laura, and Florence Nursingtales (Flo for short). We both run our own independent blogs, which aim to chronicle our lives and experiences as student nurses and beyond. Laura runs a blog called She’s Off Again; a blog about life as a third-year, mental-health field student nurse, and Flo runs Florence Nursingtales; an anonymous blog about the life of a third-year, adult-field student nurse. We've both been running our blogs for over two years, and first connected with each other through this wonderful world of social media.

We're both passionate about blogging, and wholeheartedly believe in the benefits and value it can offer to student nurses alike. So together with Britain’s Nurses, we’ve come up with a plan in order to convince more student nurses to get involved in this amazing experience.

We recognise that many student nurses are interested in starting a blog, whether that be through running their own independent blog, or by becoming involved in community blogging. However, we’re also aware that there are those out there who for a number of reasons feel unable to get involved, and that’s where we come in! Whether you struggle with technology, writing, or time, we’re on hand to help. We want to support student nurses, regardless of field, location, or progression point, to get involved in social media and offer their experiences of life as a student nurse through blogging. We’ll help with promoting blogs from both experienced and newbie bloggers, answering questions, and sharing tips and strategies to make the most out of your blogging journeys. Ultimately, we’re offering a one-stop shop that will hopefully suit everyone’s needs, and as you may have guessed, we’ve called it: The Student Nurse Blogger Collective. 

So how do we plan on achieving this? Good question! Here are some of the things we’ve come up with:

Blog Ring - There are plenty of brilliant student-nurse bloggers out there, though in our experience, finding them can often be a challenge! So we've come up with the idea of setting up a blog ring; a free service which allows you to connect with others who blog about the same subject matter. The plan is to incorporate these blogs into a public blog-ring list, so anyone looking for student-nurse blogs can find them all in one place. This initiative also supports those new to blogging who are looking for a little inspiration and guidance. We’re in the process of setting this up, so we’ll update you all once it’s all done.

Platform - We both know how busy and time consuming running a blog can be. So for those of you who feel unable to commit to running your own full-time blog, we have the perfect compromise in the form of a collective-blogging platform courtesy of the lovely peeps over at Britain’s Nurses. You can blog as little or as much as you like - no pressure! We hope that such a platform will encourage more students nurses to at least give blogging a bash, and who knows, if it goes well, you might even be inspired to start a full-time blog of your own! Huzzah!

Anonymity - For those of you who desire to blog anonymously, you can either email from your personal account stating that you want the post to be anonymised, or you can create a non-identifiable email account and email either ourselves or the lovely Stina over at Britain's Nurses with your post - pseudonyms are of course welcome too. Equally, we welcome those who would like to attribute their identity to their work. Either way, we’re keen to provide an open and inclusive space for reflection on all nursing matters. We are of course happy to to accept anything as long as it adheres to the NMC’s the code…, and guidance on social-networking sites, regardless of things such as writing style, word limits, etc.

Buddy System - Whether you like the idea of setting up on your own, or building your confidence over on the Britain’s Nurses platform first, we’re hoping to offer a mentoring system for those who’d like some support. By pairing newbie bloggers up with experienced bloggers, we’re hoping to provide help and support every step of the way. There are lots of student-nurse blogs out there that feature a brief flurry of activity in the early days and then nothing more; we hope to stop ‘blog abandonment!’ by supporting baby bloggers through the early days. All offers of mentors and mentees are welcome, just get in touch.
So, if that little lot hasn’t enticed you into our blogging world, here are our top reasons why it’s pretty fabulous to be able to call yourself a student-nurse blogger:

Professional development - blogging is a tool that can help build on your skills as a competent practitioner: it can help improve your reflective skills; a key skill in nursing, as well writing abilities, and IT skills, amongst others.

Portfolio Evidence - You’d be surprised how valuable blogposts can be in terms of providing evidence for portfolios; watch those hollow lever-arch files fill up in no time at all!

Support - Being a student nurse can be an isolating job at times. We often have different holidays to the rest of the student population, spend more time in university which means less time off, and often hold innumerable responsibilities. All of these things combined make it hard to fit in with the more typical student events and opportunities, which is where blogging comes in! Blogging is a brilliant way of building up support networks; providing you with contacts from all over the UK and beyond. Not only that, but sharing stories with others helps boost morale and provide a much-needed reminder that you’re not on your own when things get tough.

A Diary for the Future - Upon qualifying, Laura has come up with the brilliant idea of getting her blog professionally bound and made into a book (I am totally stealing that idea! - Flo). It will then serve as a permanent reminder and memento of her time at university, providing her with something tangible to look back on and treasure for years to come. 

And that's it! If you’re a student nurse reading this thinking ‘I could do that!’, please, please get involved and join us in our mission to get more student nurses blogging. You can either contact us through stnbc@outlook.com, or via our Twitter account @STNBC
 
Laura and Flo xx

Bravery

During a recent eye-opening conversation with a much-loved, long-standing friend, it was revealed to me that she believed me to be brave. ‘Brave for what?’, I asked. ‘Brave for being a nurse’, she replied. I’ve experienced similar remarks like this before, and each time I’ve struggled to make the connection. Upon further discussion, it usually becomes apparent that the reasons behind such thoughts include something similar to the following: the long hours - 'your shifts are how long?!', dealing with the expulsion of imagined gallons of bodily fluids on a daily basis, looking after 'all those drunk patients who end up in A&E of a weekend' - I've never worked in A&E, and perhaps most frightening for them, caring for those who are in pain, or critically ill, or dying.

Whilst most (if not all!) of the aforementioned issues may have daunted or scared me at the beginning, the truth is that I tend not to worry about such things now. Instead, as I fast approach my transition from student to qualified nurse, my fears have shifted to more political and logistical-related issues. Those of you who follow me on Twitter may have picked up on this of late, with my fairly incessant tweeting in regards to the likes of: safe-staffing levels, skill-mix ratios, the underhand and not-so-subtle privatisation of the NHS, the seemingly-endless cuts facing our already-underfunded and under-resourced healthcare system, the avalanche of tick-box exercises that are now an everyday part of the nurse’s role, and, what I have at times perceived to be, a saddening lack of solidarity and support within the nursing profession. All of these things (and of course there are others) seem to me, to be competing and conflicting issues that ultimately oppose what we, as nurses, instinctively and intrinsically value.

I've written previously about my last placement, and what an absolutely wonderful experience it was. My development within those ten short weeks was tremendous - thanks to my fabulous mentor whom I’ve already tweeted and written about rather extensively at this point. However, with that much-needed development and increasing autonomy came the stark realisation of what it is to be a nurse in today’s (internal and external) political climate, and truth be told, I’ve struggled with it ever since.

Hopefully, most of you will have recognised by now that I want to be a nurse for the most simplest and sincerest of reasons - I want to care for people. I'm not in it for the glamour or the money (I'd have to be a fool if I were), or the international opportunities; I'm in it for the patients, nothing more, nothing less. But how much will my pre-qualifying desires match up with the reality of post-qualifying responsibilities in light of all these conflicting influences? Experience and reality tell me that they won't, at least for the most part anyway. At some point in the not-too-distant future, I suspect that I am going to have to try and reconcile these disparities and attempt to arrive at some level of acceptance; if not in the hopes of avoiding a severe sense of disillusionment and protecting my own sanity, then most definitely for the sake of my patients, and that, is going to take a great deal of bravery indeed.

Aidful Apps

It's officially freshers' week - not that we get to experience much of it as student nurses, cue the violin! - signalling the start of a new academic year for both new and continuing student nurses. We all know that freshers’ week means freebies, so in keeping with tradition, I thought I'd mention a few handy, free apps that may be of use regardless of juncture.

1. Dropbox

This is a fab service and app that frankly I would be lost without. It’s essentially a cloud storage system that allows you to easily copy, store, share, and access a variety of file formats from either a computer (any computer I may add) or from your smartphone. You’re provided with 2GB worth of storage absolutely free, which can be increased by instigating successful referrals and other minor bits of admin. There are price plans available for those who require mega storage, but even with all of my uni work and other random files on there, their free storage quota has thus far been more than sufficient for me.

For more info and to sign up head here: https://www.dropbox.com/

App available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Kindle Fire users. In addition to the app and desktop internet access, there’s also a Window’s desktop application that’s well worth installing enabling you to easily copy files over to your dropbox account.

2. NICE Guidance

A must have for any student nurse, allowing access to all published NICE guidelines via an easy-to-use and effective interface and filter system. Regular content updates are available, ensuring that you have relevant and up-to-date information at all times.

For more info or direct link downloads for smart phones head here:
http://www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/nicewebsitedevelopment/NICEApps.jsp

App currently only available for iPhone and Android users.

3. Guidelines

Another clinical guidelines app, but this app collates and provides guidelines from a number of bodies including the aforementioned NICE, as well as the Department of Health, and independent bodies. Updates are released bi-monthly each year. As with NICE guidance, this app features a pleasant and easy-to-use interface.

For more info or direct link downloads for smart phones heads here: http://www.eguidelines.co.uk/app/#.UjW7VD-TW8A

App currently only available for iPhone and Android users.

4. Evernote

Billed as an app that ‘makes it easy to remember things big and small from your everyday life using your computer, phone, tablet and the web’, Evernote is that and so much more. You can pretty much pull all sorts of information from a variety of sources (photos, webpages, text, links, voice recordings, etc), or create your own notelets from scratch, and store them in an organised fashion in the form of ‘notebooks’. There is a free and paid version of this app, but with all the functionality the free version has to offer along with bundles of bells and whistles, I’ve never felt the need to upgrade. I’ll be honest, the interface and usability could be a bit easier to get your head around, but don’t let that put you off.

For more info or direct link downloads head here: https://evernote.com/

App available for iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, and WebOS users - there’s also a desktop version available for Windows and Mac OS users.

5. Survive Sepsis

Sepsis has been in the news again recently, specifically in relation to the number of needless deaths associated with it, so it seems only right to include this wonderful and brilliant app amongst the mix. Devised by the UK Sepsis Trust, this is effectively an interactive screening tool for health professionals; featuring selectable SIRS criteria as well as a sepsis-six checklist. It’s well-designed, easy to use, and potentially life saving, what more could you want.

App currently only available for iPhone and Android users.

6. ADC - Adult Drug Calculations

If like me you’re rubbish at remembering the formulas for adult drugs calculations, and perhaps not too good at the old maths part either, then this app may prove invaluable. Designed by NHS South Central, this app will walk you through the lot; with guides, step-by-step tutorials, and a quiz for good measure. Not the prettiest interface, but easy enough to use.

App currently only available for iPhone and Android users.

And there you have it. Enjoy Freshers’ week everyone, and I hope you all have a fab academic year.

The Nurses In My Life

As student nurses, there’s one question we’re asked more than any other: why we came into nursing. My story begins with meeting a number of truly wonderful and inspiring nurses, who showed me unlimited compassion and empathy during an extended period of acute illness a few years ago. It was these nurses who made a truly awful experience bearable: I will never forget how the mere sight of them walking onto the ward in the morning would immeasurably lift my spirits, regardless of how terrible I felt, or what awful things were in store. Not only were these nurses pivotal in my recovery, but they were also pivotal in what began as a momentary musing about joining the nursing profession, and the rest as they say is history.

Prior to my falling ill, I’d had limited contact with nurses - in those days, I would do absolutely anything to avoid encountering health professionals of any kind. Four years on and oh how things have changed. Through my nursing education and journey, I’ve been introduced to a plethora of nursing professionals: from lecturers, to clinical practitioners, to the nursing twiterati, and what an impressive bunch they are.

I’ve written previously about how awesome I find the lecturers at my university: I have, on numerous occasions, exited lecture halls feeling nothing short of intoxicated due to the heady sharing of knowledge and passion from such a driven group of nurses. I love being in their company, gloriously cocooned by their wealth of experience and wisdom.
 
Similarly, the nurses whom I have encountered out in clinical practice have been just as impressive. None more so than my most recent placement mentor, who quite simply, has been more inspiring, more brilliant, and more important than any other. First and foremost, she is a fabulous nurse: boundless in terms of her courage, commitment, caring nature, and compassion. In addition, she is a truly phenomenal mentor, and was obviously and completely invested in me and my education from day one. She is what nursing can be and should be about, she is the 6 cs and more, she is, the nurse that I want to be.

The nurses I have encountered, come to know, and love, don’t end there however: thanks to my preferred and solely-utilised social-media platform, Twitter, both my nursing life and development have been greatly enriched. I love Twitter. I can sometimes lose entire days to it - trawling through the unlimited ideas, thoughts, comments, and knowledge shared by whom I affectionately refer to as the nursing twiterati. Admittedly, I have my favourites, most Twitter users do, but I have come to depend on and immensely value all these forward-thinking nurses who are fiercely driven and passionate about the profession and their patients. Twitter has provided me with a robust and conducive support system and forum, without which I would undoubtedly be lost.

All those mentioned, are people who have saved, altered, informed, touched, and enhanced my life; they are, just some of the nurses in my life.

Year Two Overview

I was never convinced by the early and repeated warnings that three seemingly long years at university would be over in the proverbial blink of an eye. Or that the time for transition from student to qualified nurse would arrive far sooner than any of us were expecting. Yet here I am, officially at the end of my second year, and with only one more year to go!

On reflection, I have thoroughly enjoyed my second year (more so than my first in fact); proving simultaneously to be a trying yet wholly transformative experience. Expectations at university and out in practice have been understandably higher, increasingly so as I’ve progressed through both the year and programme. However, with these new demands has come a greater sense of confidence, satisfaction, achievement, and meaning - in other words, the harder you work, the greater the reward.

The start of the year was definitely the hardest, and I’ll admit, I did suffer a bit with those infamous second-year blues! Fortunately, they didn’t last very long, and by the time semester two had made an appearance, they were nothing more than than a mere memory. It was this semester that proved to be a huge turning point for me, and happily it’s been onwards and upwards ever since. Academically, I wasn’t too concerned: my grades thus far had been consistently good. Rather, it was on a practical level that I was worried, and it wasn’t until my placement that semester (halfway through my degree I’d like to point out) that things finally began to come together; resulting in my thinking and acting as a proper nurse for what felt like the very first time.

It was this same placement that also provided me with the most inspiring, rewarding, and humbling placement experience to date, as well as the answer to an ongoing issue I had been wrestling with since the end of my first year: the area I wanted to specialise in. Which for those who are curious, will hopefully be the wonderful and inspiring world of critical care. However with three placements left to go (gulp), I’m aware that this is all subject to change.

My last and final semester has been just as pivotal and affecting as it’s predecessor, but for very different reasons. From an academic point of view, I could not have enjoyed my most recent module anymore. Not only this, but I can honestly say that it has greatly informed and improved the care that I provide to patients; making me a better, more confident, and safer nurse in the process - which only further strengthens the argument that nurses should and do need to be university educated. But I digress.

Following the aforementioned amazing placement experience, I was convinced that I must be due a not so amazing one; I’m the kind of glass-is-always-half-empty sort of gal. How wrong I was. With the support and guidance of the best nurse and mentor I have ever encountered (blog post on that topic to follow), I am finishing second year not only a more capable and better nurse, but with a much-needed, newly-found belief that I might just be able to do this. Where as my previous placement had enabled me to begin to identify as a nurse, and the kind of nurse that I wanted to be, this placement had allowed me to develop into that nurse; the kind of nurse that I am proud to be.

It’s only after writing this that I realise what a truly amazing and momentus year this has been, and although I’m sad and scared to leave it all behind, I know that it’s time to move forward. Fortunately, third year is just around the corner.

Education Is The Key To Success

One of the many things I was blissfully unaware of before embarking on my nursing education, was the fact that I would regularly encounter negative perceptions in relation to university-educated student nurses' quality of learning and preparation, in comparison to the more traditional method of ‘training’; i.e. pre Project 2000.

At a time when education is considered to be a human right, a feminist issue, and a key element in addressing health and social inequalities and inequities, I find it incredible that there are people who believe education is the worst thing ever to have happened to the nursing profession.

The world of nursing has changed dramatically throughout history; establishing nursing as a specialised and valued profession in its own right, as opposed to the positively-prehistoric representation of nurses as the dutiful handmaidens of seemingly omnipotent doctors from days gone by. Today, nurses provide a plethora of skillsets and services to a broad spectrum of patients. We are staff nurses utilising our clinical judgment and decision-making skills in order to devise and deliver advanced and comprehensive care and treatment, we are specialist nurses running our own clinics and providing valuable and unique input in relation to patient care, we are nursing teams providing more and more nurse-led services in a truly autonomous fashion, we are research nurses responsible for the provision of high-quality data and research, we are advanced nurse practitioners utilising enhanced knowledge and clinical skills in order to do what has traditionally always been the job of the doctor in determining clinical diagnoses, we are, in my opinion, the backbone of the NHS.

It seems logical to me that in order to fulfil and develop these roles and in turn our profession, it is necessary and vital that we be educated, not trained, to a standard fitting of such important, broad, and demanding roles. I say educated and not trained, because, for me, education implies an active and developing learning process that involves crucial skills such of those as reasoning and critical analysis, ultimately leading to evidence-based practice. Conversely, the word training connotes the indoctrination of prescriptive instructions and skills.

However, I'm aware as I write this that some people have an issue specifically with the standard of education that they feel is being provided, rather than an outright issue with university education itself. Obviously I can only comment on the education provided by my own university, and although I may not enjoy or see the relevance of every single lecture, I honestly feel that the education I have been afforded thus far has been invaluable, inspiring, and thought provoking. There will always be variances in how the programme is received and utilised by students, but I would argue that perhaps this an issue that relates to the candidate selection process rather than the education process specifically, but that’s a whole other blog post!

My university and the education that they have provided have been pivotal in shaping me into the kind of student nurse that I am proud to be, and I know that by the end of this degree, I will be a qualified nurse in the truest sense of the word.

Support Systems

I can honestly say that this degree is one of the hardest things I have ever done. Not only is it physically and mentally demanding, but it's also extremely emotionally demanding. Whether you're at university or out in practice, times can get tough, and it's important during those times to have a solid support network.

There is much discussion both online and offline about the importance of a good mentor, and what it is exactly that makes them so good: including the invaluable support that they so passionately and often unknowingly provide. However, less is said in relation to personal tutors, who are, in my opinion, just as important as practice mentors, if not more so.

As with mentors, there are myriad factors that can impact upon the relationship between students and personal tutors, and the resultant experiences had. I suspect many of these contributory factors are the same for both camps alike; for example, the random assignation of  students to staff members resulting in pot-luck outcomes, due to issues such as personality clashes, time constraints, or lack of interest from either of the respective parties.

There is no obvious or easy solution to many of these problems. However, perhaps an element of flexibility and understanding from the institutions involved, combined with a more pro-active approach from students would prove beneficial. In my experience, many students neglect to fully utilise their personal tutor: usually as a result of one or more of the aforementioned issues, ultimately bypassing what I feel is an undervalued and fruitful support system.

On a more personal and positive level, I would be lost without my personal tutor; I value her advice and guidance immensely. She is always accepting of my many requests for support, and I feel that all of our sessions are tailored in order to suit me as an individual and fit my specific needs: all of which works towards making me feel empowered and valued in the long run. With all sincerity, I could not have asked for a more perfect pairing, and I am truly and forever grateful for the nurse that she is striving to help me to become.