Cannulation......

This week I attended a Cannulation study day. We practiced on a sim arm but I have a feeling it's going to be a lot trickier on a real person! I believe being competent in Venepuncture is going to really help. I always go out of my way to take any bloods for my patients rather than waiting for the phlebotomist's as practice makes perfect! 

I've learned to feel for the vein rather than look for one! When I first started taking blood I would panic if I couldn't see a big juicy vein! But now, I take a deep breath and have a good feel.....since taking this approach I have been a lot more successful :) 

So, now I need to practice cannulation! I'm going to adopt the same approach and hopefully I will soon get the hang of it. All these clinical skills really help with being able to manage your patient load effectively.....it can be so time consuming having to wait for someone to take bloods when you need certain results or for someone to cannulate for you when your patient is due IV antibiotics or fluid!

Anyway, weekend off and it's my hubbies 40th birthday party this weekend so I best get back to the chicken goujons and sausage rolls! Enjoy the sunshine everyone! ☀️

A Little Reflection......

I really don't have enough spare time to update this blog as much as I'd like, 3, 13 hour shifts every week is pretty time cosuming and exhausting! I try and spend my days off catching up with housework and enjoying time with my family.

Anyway, work is going well, I still love where I am and how much I learn from week to week. Next week I am going on another study day, Cannulation! Can't wait to have this skill under my belt, it's surprising how few nurses I work with can actually do this so its going to be nice to be able to help the team whenever I can! :)

I've started keeping a record of all the Continued Professional Development tasks I take part in ready for revalidation....I know it's 2 years away but it's nice to keep on top of things and monitor my own progress. It's a good reminder of how far I've come and how much I am growing into the role of a competent and confident staff nurse. I've also set myself the challenge of reading one CPD article in the Nursing Standard every month and completing the quiz included or writing a reflection.

I'm also keeping any feedback from patients and relatives. I've recieved some lovely cards. This is truely a fabulous reminder of why I love being a nurse....helping people and making a difference during a time when they are vulnerable/afraid/going through difficult times really is an honour and a pleasure! 

At the moment I'm in the middle of some annual leave, 10 days off! I have loved having some time to recharge and refresh  but I'm actually really looking forward to getting back on the ward next week and back in the company of the best team. It's true what they say, "find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life!" ❤️

Supporting New Students.....

So we have some 1st year student nurses on placement with us at the moment. I've really enjoyed having a student working alongside me and having the opportunity to teach them all I can. I'm keen to give them a good experience as obviously I remember the difficult shifts I had as a student if the nurse you were working with was un-interested! However, there has been one particular student who doesn't seem happy to carry out any tasks which she deem's to be 'auxillary tasks'. I find this really frustrating because all the jobs are the 'teams' jobs.....caring for people should be our main priority....and this includes personal care and help with meals. My opinion is, I'm happy to take the time to teach, so please be happy to muck in! Thankfully, the other students I've worked with have been fab! Keen and eager....just like I was not so long ago! Haha! It makes me smile to myself when I have to sign a timesheet at the end of a shift! 

Annual Leave......

10 days off! And it's definitely needed! I've worked 6 13&1/2 hour shifts over the last 8 days....3 nights, 3 days and it's safe to say I'm exhausted so need some time to recharge my batteries! Plus it's half term, Hubby also has the week off, so it's going to be fab getting to spend some time as a family :)

Work has been great....have been practicing my clinical skills and been signed off from my preceptorship and my extended competencies (bloods, ng insertion, blood transfusion). I've also been booked onto the cannulation course, looking forward to learning this new skill :)

Went on a night out last night with some of the girls from work, all partners came and it went really well! Everyone got on brilliantly and we all had a good laugh! Will look forward to the next time!

Where has the time gone??......

Wow.....I can't believe I haven't posted since October! 

This week marks the end of my preceptorship. I have achieved my IV, Venepuncture, Blood Transfusion and NG insertion competencies during this time. 

Also....probabation is up at work and I'm staying put! Haha! Still loving my job and feeling more and more confident in myself and my abilities. Gastro nursing is definitely my niche! 

Life at home is good....we had a fab Christmas....All together for the main 2 days! I was very lucky shift wise! 

Kids and hubby are happy and well....life is settling down nicely! We are managing to save some money each month now that there are 2 wages coming in, so hopefully this year we can work our way through the house and make it all pretty! :) 

7 Weeks Post Graduation......

Life is beginning to settle down. Work is going well and I'm beginning to manage my time better with each passing shift. I even managed to take my break yesterday and came out of work on time! ;-)

Friendships made during my time at uni seem to be fading out! However, I have managed to keep in touch with one of my friends, who is working in a community post, and it's nice to catch up and share our new experiences.

It's hard to believe I now get paid for doing a job I love..... Getting my first pay slip last week was a very surreal moment! Pursuing this career has improved our quality of life no end! We are now able to enjoy our times together as a family and make an effort to have a 'family fun day' every couple of weeks! :)

Next week I have to do an IV drug calculation exam followed by an IV study day in a few weeks. I am so looking forward to completing this as it is going to make things at work much easier as I won't need to chase after busy nurses to put up my IV's for me! ;-)

Time is still whizzing by....but for today, I am going to enjoy my day off (Sunday shift tomorrow!) with the family! :)

One Month Qualified......

Since my last post, I've been on the ward for 4 weeks as a fully qualified staff nurse.....and I am loving every minute! So happy to be on the ward that I spent my management placement on....it has really helped me to feel accepted as part of the team and I am being so well supported. Every day is a learning experience..... I am beginning to feel like I am finding my feet and managing my time well. I ask so many questions every day.....and I'm sure I will still be doing this in the months and years to come as healthcare is ever changing!

I put my blue uniform on and I feel so proud....when someone addresses me as 'staff nurse' I feel proud....when others ask what I do for a living and I tell them I'm a nurse working for the NHS.....I feel proud.....this is the best and most rewarding career path I can imagine.....and so worth all the hard work over the last 4 years!

Last week was graduation! I was so nervous about going and having to walk across the platform to receive my certificate in front of so many people, but I survived and am so glad I went as it was an experience to remember! It was great being with friends and family celebrating our success! :)

As a family, we are settling into our new routines....hubby has been great cooking meals as the shifts I work are 13 hours.....the kids have settled back into school/college/work....and we are all enjoying the fact that as I work 13hr shifts, I have 4 days off every week! The perfect balance for us all! Life is good! :) :)

7 Days Until Life Begins As A Staff Nurse.......

Uni have published the final grades and classifications, so it's official I'm graduating with a 2:1! Graduation and gown all booked ready for the 4th September!

Looking forward, it's not long now until I will be on the Trust Induction, in 7 days time to be exact. I'm eager and excited but the nerves are creeping in! Yesterday I recieved an email asking me to complete some pre-learning modules on the Trust Training Tracker. Decided to crack on with it today and 7 hours and 21 modules later I am finally finished!! Have printed off all the certificates (told you I was eager!) just incase the system doesn't save the results! ;-)

Anyway, the plan for the next week is to enjoy some family time as hubby has the week off. Our holiday to Majorca feels like a life time ago already! I think we will have to start planning next summers holiday soon! :)

Below is a ditti that a Nurses group tweeted me a few months ago.....never has it felt more real! :) :) :)

Still not the end of uni paperwork..............

Today I have written:

• Final placement assessment (ready for mentor sign off meeting this week)
• End of year 3 review.
• Action plan for 6 months post qualifying.

Still have to do 4 or 5 reflections!

This really is the last push.....tying up all the loose ends ready for my final Academic Advisor sign off meeting on 6th July! Can not wait to have this all done and dusted so I can apply for my NMC pin!! 

7 Shifts Left.....

It's been a week since results day and I think reality is finally starting to sink in! All that I have left to do is paperwork for my portfolio.... I have set Saturday aside to do this! I have a couple of reflections to write up too :/

Placement is still going brilliantly.....totally feel part of the team! Am regularly taking my own patients and am starting to believe I can really do this! So so happy! :)

3 weeks till we head off to Majorca.....cases ready, passports ready and euros purchased! So excited to spend some time with hubby and kiddo's.....going to appreciate every moment!

I Did It!!

Well I never got round to posting my results on Monday......this is due to the fact that I spent most of the day in a daze!

I am thrilled, ecstatic, over-joyed and proud to say that I passed everything!

• Consolidation - B
• PIP 3 - B
• Dissertation - B+

So overall, I will be rewarded with a BSc (Hons) with a 2:1.

3% off a 1st....but I'm happy! 10 years ago I would never have believed I could have achieved this at the age of 37, in a million years! 

So, for now I have 11 shifts left on placement, paperwork to hand in, then to apply for my pin and start work on 17th August as a fully qualified staff nurse!

So excited for my future.....can not wait to start wearing Blue!!

All my close friends have also passed so will be beginning their journey as staff nurses too! Between us we have had many laughs and as many tears along the way....but we've been there for one another and enjoyed all the highs as well as the lows! I wouldn't change a thing! :)

My hubby, kids, family and friends are all thrilled with my achievements and without wanting to sound as though I'm giving an oscar speech, I really couldn't have come this far without them! They've supported me the whole way through and always shown patience and encouragement.....I'm one very lucky lady! :) :) :)

**** So I've been questioning whether to continue with this blog or not??? I think I may tweak the title a little and carry on as I've loved keeping this diary of events, I've loved looking back and remembering all the experiences of the last 3 years! :) Let's see what the next 3 years brings! :)

1 Hour Countdown.......

Can not even describe how I am feeling right now! In an hours time I will know whether I have passed this BSc with HONS!

Results page is open ready to refresh, refresh, refresh at 10am! 

Possible outcomes:

1. Pass all modules.
2. Pass modules, fail dissertation.
3. Fail modules.
4. If I pass, brilliant!
5. Failed dissertation means the decision needs to be made about whether to re-submit or drop it and just settle with the BSc WITHOUT HONS!
6. Fail any of the modules, means re-sits and a lot of luck!

So, 53  minutes and counting!!

Last Hurdle..........

48 hours till results day! Every time I think about it I get butterflies. 4 years ago this moment felt a life time away, with so many hurdles to overcome....now here we are!

Placement has been going really well and helps me to forget the nerves about the results. I can't believe in about 9 weeks I will be working there, full time as a Staff Nurse! I have now recieved my full contract (proud moment!) and have been booked onto the trust induction. Already have the full packed timetable for these 2 days.....all so exciting!

But for now, it's the weekend, I'm off work so going to enjoy some family time! My Bestest Student Nursey friend is meeting me on Monday so we can be together when we get our results....hopefully we will be going out for a celebratory lunch! :)

I will post back on Monday.....EEEEeeeeKKkkk!

Last 4 weeks......

So it's been a while since I last posted because as you can imagine I've been extremely busy. For the last 8 weeks I've been loving every minute of my final placement....and there are only 4 weeks left until my last shift as a Student Nurse!

The fact that my placement is on the ward that I have secured my post is such a bonus. I'm feeling really supported and I'm hoping this is going to help with the transistion from wearing a White uniform to wearing Blue. I'm happy that the path I have chosen is the right one for me. I love the area of nursing that I'm going into and the team I'm working with are fab! :)

One last hurdle is looming before me though! A week on Monday is results day! For some reason I am not feeling confident at all! So much rests on passing these last modules.....I'm desperate for it all to go well so I can see this journey through to the end in the way that I have hoped and worked so hard for!

On the family front all is good. My daughter is now sitting her GCSE exams and my eldest son is about to finish his apprenticeship in electronics and starts his job at the beginning of August. I'm extremely proud of their achievements.

When I first started this journey, my youngest son was only 9 years old. I can't believe he is now a teenager and soon to be going into year 9 at secondary school! The last 4 years have flown by! I'm so excited to be able to treat the kids to special treats when I'm earning a proper wage.....they have been so patient with me during the times when I have been stressed that they deserve a little spoiling! In fact, my whole family have been so supportive, they all deserve a special treat! The plan for my first wage is to take the whole family out for a celebratory/thankyou meal!

But before that, there are only 6 weeks till our family holiday to Majorca. It is safe to say that everyone is excited and on countdown! This really will be a relaxing holiday, time to lay back and appreciate how far we have all come as a family! Good times ahead! <3

Update Post Interview.............

Thought it was time to finally update the blog about the latest news. I am so happy to say that I have been offered, and accepted a job as a Staff Nurse on the ward I most wanted to work on!! :)

Luckily, I will also be on the same ward for my management placement for 12 weeks so I think I'm going to have a positive experience and hopefully a smooth transition from Student Nurse to Registered Nurse!

The interview process was no where near as scary as I thought it was going to be, in fact I quite enjoyed it! For anyone going for an interview, just be yourself, smile and talk about your experiences!

In other news.....I'm still plodding on with my Dissertation. It's due in next week so I'm just doing some final ammendments and tweaking until I'm as happy with it as I can be. However, although I am excited to get this assignment finished, I'm not looking forward to the fact that I need to crack on with the final 2 essays of the course! These are both due in at the end of April.....doesn't look like I will be getting much of a break at Easter!

Thought I would also leave some Top Dissertation Tips:

• Start as early as possible - everything takes twice as long as you think it will.
• Pick a topic you are truely passionate about.
• Find a study buddy....Dissertation Hell can be a lonely place!
• Save, Save, Save and Save again! No-one wants to re-write 10000 + words!
• Reference as you go.
• Feel proud! It's an amazing achievement to complete a dissertation at the end of a mentally and physically draining course! At some point, you will reap the rewards! 

Nerve wracking week........

Interview at the local hospital this Saturday coming. Have been shopping for a suit and have been reading around current issues in nursing and the NHS is an attempt to feel prepared! However, no amount of reading is going to make me feel confident about Saturday!
The interview process starts at 9am and finishes at 3pm......first off we have a maths calulation exercise followed by some group work on a sceanrio and finishing with a 1 to 1 interview. To be honest, as much as I'm nervous I am excited! Hopefully this ends well and by the end of next week I will know if they are going to offer me a post as a Staff Nurse! However, roll on Saturday evening, I think I will be rewarding myself with a few glasses of wine!

Just an update on my dissertation, I am now writing up my findings and discussing my themes. Every word, sentance, paragraph and chapter is painful and slow, BUT I can see a light at the end of the tunnel and I know I will be proud as punch once it's printed off, bound and handed in! :)

I will be back to post again in the next few days with news on my management placement and to say how Saturday went! Wish me luck peeps! :)

And I thought I had February to concentrate on my dissertation......

Wowsers! The weeks seems to be passing by in the blink of an eye and my 'to do' list keeps growing and growing!
So following the celebration of good results, I honestly thought I had some time to concentrate  on my dissertation before my final 2 modules need attention! How wrong was I??

Extra job 1) One of the modules involves a group of students teaching a 3 hour seminar each week. Our group is first up! So we have lots of work to do on accountability and delegation. We have decided to compose some sort of game based on scenario's where we can look at both aspects of our topic. For the 2nd half of our session we are going to hold a debate. All in all, this is eating into my timetable much more than I anticipated that it would.

Extra job 2) So we were visited by the recruitment team from our local trust. Fab session...the trust has so much to offer a newly qualified nurse, with a great preceptorship programme! Great! So we all need to apply....closing date in 2 weeks! Arrghhhh! Interviews planned for the end of the month! Argghhhh! So, Personal statement to write and interview preperation to consider.

I've written my personal statement and I'm really happy with how it reads. Just really hope the interviewer can hear my passion and eagerness when they read it! Fingers crossed I get short listed and get the chance to show how enthusiastic I am in an interview!

I need to re-plan my time so I don't feel like I'm drowning in jobs! 6 weeks left until my dissertation is due in so I really need to make this a priority.

I shall keep reading and researching current nursing issues and I shall have to have a good think about my own strengths and weaknesses so I am prepared for interview, alongside dissertation writing. Busy busy!

Just remembered, job 3) I need to buy a suit and practice my handshake!!

But the end is in sight.....6 months to go!! :) :)

3rd Year, Semester 1, Results Day......

So thrilled, excited and proud to say that I passed all 3 modules with 2 A's and a B+. Have felt in a bit of a daze all day because I had convinced myself I would get a resit for the Medicines Management OSCE! Never did I think I would get an A!

So my overall average at the moment is 71.5....this means if I can keep it up I could possibly finish my degree with a 1st! However, that said a 2:1 would be just as amazing! 

In other news, my friend and I have been busy working on our Dissertation....it's all coming along nicely. I'm actually enjoying writing it, you learn so much about your chosen topic area. The hardest part was constructing a decent research question but once you've got that the rest seems to fall into place. 

So, 2 more modules and the dissertation to conquer, 12 weeks on management placement and that's it....3 years training done and dusted! I'm allowing myself to get excited now....feel like I've survived the worst part of the year and I'm now on the home straight!

Feel so excited for the future right now! Can't take the smile off my face today! :)

Dissertation Underway......

3 days into working on my dissertation and I've already lost the will to live! After changing my research questions umpteen times since September.....I thought I was finally happy with my decision but who would have thought finding research studies would be so flippin' hard?!?!?

We use the databases all the time to write assignments, but for some reason I can just not find what I need! It's driving my nuts!

Hence why I am updating on here....I'm hoping a little break and 10 minutes distraction will clear my mind and I can return to searching with fresh eyes! :)

On a side note.....went into uni yesterday to hand in hours and competencies for my last placement. My link lecturer had a look at my feedback and praised how well I had done in a difficult placement. She asked if I had thought about applying for a job there....I told her I thought I should get some experience on the wards before heading into ED, as this is what I have been advised previously. Her response...."that's an old fashioned view, get stuck in, no reason why your first post shouldn't be ED".......this has now got me thinking.....what to do? What to do? Argghhhhhh! Think I will wait to see where I end up for my management placement....see how I get on and go from there. Who knows where I will be this time next year?

Anyway, must get back to research! :(

2014 Comes to an End.......

Lot's to catch up on.....have not posted in so long as the first semester of the 3rd year has been what I can only describe as INSANE!! I honestly think the semester was designed to either make you or break you! Thankfully, I'm still standing and marching onwards! :)

So, a quick recap of what has been going on since September........

• Assessment - Presentation. I did this on the role of the Health Visitor. I feel it went really well and the time I spent with the Health visitors on placement really helped me to put together a thorough presentation. I actually enjoyed presenting much more than I thought I would.
• Assessment - 3000 word essay on Using Evidence and Making Decisions. Didn't really enjoy writing this essay....really enjoyed the taught content however, found it really difficult to pull all the information together in a way that fitted the marking criteria for the essay! 
• Safe Medicate - 100% First time!! Fabulous! :)
• OSCE - Practical Medication exam. Drugs I was tested on: Nitrofurantoin, Paracetamol, Bisocodyl and Sodium Valporate. Didn't go too badly but I totally forget to talk about the cautionary labels for Bisocodyl!! Resit in February!! Nevermind.....I now know these drugs inside out! :)

Results due in at the end of January......Hopefully the only resit I will have will be the OSCE! :)

So on to placement. Have just spent the past 10 weeks in the Emergency Department. Absolutely loved every minute. Was totally exhausting but I learned so much that the 12 hour shifts whizzed by! A few highlights include:

• Taking part in CPR.
• Mastering the art of chin thrusts to maintain an open airway.
• Triage of patients in Majors - Learning to ask the right questions!!
• Lots of time spent in Resus - invaluable experience of gaining confidence in recognising  a deteriorating patient.
• Great mentor.....she had loads of time for me and enthusiasm.....makes such a difference to a placement!

Back to the current day.....Enjoying the Christmas holidays with my lovely family! I know this time is precious....next year I am sure I will be working over the festive season so adjustments will need to be made! 

Plan for the next few weeks ahead.......knuckle down to my dissertation. 12 weeks till the deadline!! Arghhhhh! Only in uni one day a week so going to have to be strict with myself and treat every day as a working day so I'm not scrabbling around towards the deadline trying to finish this 10000 word essay! ;-)

Anyway, as I bring this post to an end (It's New Years Eve....time to play some games with the kiddie-winks!).....I would like to wish everyone a fabulous New Year!! 2015....the year I (hopefully!) qualify as a Staff Nurse!! :):):):):)