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.

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.