Happy Friday!

Hey people!

How is everyone? Good week? Curious as to whether you've been offered a place on the course yet or are still deciding/waiting....it may feel like time is dragging but appreciate the summer off as it will fly by!

Well I have had a productive(ish) week that started better than it seems to be ending! I had my two hour written exam on Monday which I feel went well. After nine A4 pages of answers (and a cramp in my hand) I left feeling like I had answered the questions as much as I could. The scenario was based on an elderly gentleman with a long-term condition and you needed to consider different things in relation to the care you would offer, as well as having some knowledge on the drugs listed. All I can do is sit back and await the result over the next few weeks.

That evening I had an early night as I would be getting up at 5.30am ready for my first 7am shift of my management placement. I was booked in to work 7am-2.50pm on Tuesday and Wednesday to get in some early hours and work alongside my co-mentor on the ward. Pleased to say that I really enjoyed the environment and the staff were lovely. Not back until the 15th April but feeling optimistic.

Yesterday I decided to have a bit of a mellow day, having a clean around, giving the dog a good walk and getting my work out ready to get started today. Then today arrived and I have felt seriously unproductive! I made a plan of my degree project and wrote my introduction but then distraction mode set in. Any excuse to not be typing I opted for. By 2 o'clock I had opted for a nice bath and to write this blog. I mentioned last week that I was an 'all or nothing' type of worker in terms of my written work, and this was definitely a nothing day. Rather than sit and become more frustrated, I have written the working day off and will get started afresh with a better mindset tomorrow (hopefully!). I have this weekend, Monday and Wednesday set aside for this project but am out in London on Tuesday and have a practice walk with two people from university on Thursday ready for our charity walk. I was determined to have a draft of my project complete by next Wednesday (4,500 words!) but hey...if I don't manage it I can't beat myself up about it. Would be nice though!



Don't forget to put your clock forward an hour on Sunday :)

Anyway, I am going to get off of this laptop before I time waste any further by spending more money on internet shopping! So so easy to do!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend...its due to be nice and warm so make the most of it and think of me sitting at my desk looking out at the sunshine!

Thanks for reading!
Em x


 

Happy Weekend all!

Hi everyone and welcome back!

Well, what has happened in the last week. Firstly I got my grade back for my presentation-B. Am happy with that and am still on track for a 2:1 or with any luck a First with Honours degree (here's hoping anyway!).

I have spent the past week on and off revising my impending exam which is this coming Monday. This will be the last time I see everyone from uni (apart from around the hospital) until September when we go in to complete our nursing PIN paperwork to get onto the nursing register to work.

I popped in to visit my placement earlier in the week. I like to do this just to get a feel of the area and to know basic things such as where the staff toilets are, where I can get changed etc. I got to meet my main mentor on the ward who will be hopefully signing me as competent to become a nurse at the end of my placement and she was lovely. Due to staff availability I am hoping to work two early shifts next week before my spring leave, so will hopefully be able to tell you how the days went in my next post.

I attended the nursing careers day at the Park Square campus on Thursday, and did find it very useful. The morning consisted of talks given by various people including the careers team at the university, a recruitment member from one of the trusts and two nurses who have qualified in the past 6-18months. We were able to ask questions which a lot of people did. We were then told that in the afternoon a number of trusts and recruiters (for example, army, navy, RAF) would be holding recruitment stalls to find out more information about working for them and positions they may be offering. After a trip to the pub for a spot of lunch we wondered over and part of me did feel a pang of disappointment that I couldn't really join in. As I already have a job lined up I stayed out of the way as to not block opportunities for other students and caught up with my mates to see how the networking was going for them. It wasn't just trusts from the direct area but also as far as Oxford and London. The university had also organised for a number of talks to be held throughout the afternoon for more specific information from particular recruiters.

Back on the topic of revising, I am starting to find it a challenge to be in and out of different pieces of work constantly. You finish one thing and then automatically need to start on another. I don't mind revising for things like exams but know next week following the exam I will have two days of working on placement followed by a week of trying to complete a draft of my degree project. I find it difficult to complete written work when other things are on such as placement, so really need to motivate myself to get as much done before I commence full time hours in April. I also am very much an 'all or nothing' sort of person, by which I mean I can spend 2hours doing absolutely nothing and getting frustrated at my laptop but then another day I can write solidly for 8hours. Hoping for the latter next week!

So that's me really. I managed two 2-3hr walks last week in preparation for my 26mile charity walk that is in just 7weeks (placement were lovely and have allowed me the 3days off to take part in this). Even if I was not du 
e to do the walk I think now I would still make time to exercise as it forces me to get away from study and clear my head (not forgetting it tires your body to aid better sleep!).

Hope all of your weeks have been all that you wanted from them, and are all working towards something that you are looking forward to. My motivator is still my week away to the seaside in just under two weeks to visit my partner, but I must earn it first sadly! (whereas he is currently enjoying a long weekend with friends, food and alcohol)

See you next week!
Em x

Another result, another assessment

Why hello again!

As you will know from last week's post, I was anxiously awaiting my OSCE results as I had a gut feeling that I had failed. I hadn't felt that way throughout any of the course and on Monday somebody told me that the results were available at university. I jumped in the car and tried to have 'optimistic' songs in the car (don't laugh!)...something upbeat just to distract me from thinking about the result. I went to reception and handed over my ID to collect my results and the wait felt like forever. Even though I had told my mum that I wanted the results asap just to know, I was convinced I would be retaking in the summer. Then the result was handed to me...

An A? An A! How??? I was prepared to be over the moon for a D just to pass, I had written off any hopes of a 2:1 or even the possibility of a 1st but an A? I looked at the feedback and it was good! As none of us were sure of exactly which areas we were being assessed on, it was very early to assume the worse as things had been missed and we weren't sure whether these things were detrimental in terms of marking. I really was such a happy bunny...as was my partner who laughed at the fact I had been in such a state about it. I deserved that!

So, it was onto the next. Yesterday I had my 20minute presentation to introduce my degree project (service improvement). I think it went smoothly so should hopefully be finding out in the next week or so. I now have next week to study for my written exam but have spent the day out in the sunshine. After hours and days of sitting in front of my laptop I was getting cabin fever so needed to get out and stretch my legs and generally just switch off study. I also have only around 8 or 9 weeks left until my 26mile charity walk so thought it best I start training!

Well that's me for the week...pretty dull. I have three weeks until I see my other half but my thought is that if I keep my head down and focus on my study I will get the reward of spending a week off with him over spring leave. Well...he gets the reward as I'll be taking him away for a birthday getaway and putting my hand to a Chinese buffet...maybe the two years at catering college could come in handy for once!

Anyway, I shall leave you to your evenings, but please feel free to say hey and let me know what is happening in your worlds, as mine is rather dull and repetitive at the moment! Has anyone else been watching the Student Nurses program on ITV (bedpans and bandages)? Let me know what you reckon! 


Chat next week!

Em x

(P.S. received my written offer of employment in the post today and very keenly signed and returned it! I will still be attending the careers fair next Thursday and will let you know how it goes. Will also try to give you a few comments from other students on how they found the meeting potential employers as I do not have to worry about that bit but the majority of students will be)

Quick catch up video from last week :)

 

Hi people! Below is a quick video I made saying hello from last week. Apologies for the tired look...I was mid study!x

 

 

Another thing out of the way...

Evening!

Hope life is treating you all well? Curious as to which stage of applying for university you're at!

Well this past week has involved study leave and my OSCE practical exam. After swotting up on the in's and out's of possible conditions that could arise on the day, I arrived for my OSCE in my uniform and felt rather nervous waiting outside the room waiting to go in. I had received a little feedback from a few people who had already completed theirs and heard that basically the mistakes that were being made were due to forgetting the basic information due to nerves.

The same happened to me.

I went into the room, introduced myself and was handed a piece of paper with information on my patient and asked to make notes about them for five minutes and feedback. My mind went blank. I literally mean...blank. I quickly jotted as much information as I could before moving onto the next stage. After speaking to the assessor about what the information told me, I was introduced to my patient whose condition was deteriorating. After rehearsing at home and going through my assessment in a systematic way, the actual assessment was the complete opposite. The assessor prompted with 'is there anything else you'd do?' and that is the one sentence that sends panic through my head to try to find the answers!

After the assessment, I was to look at a drugs list and identify which of the drugs I would use with that patient and way, followed by a handover to another member of the team of my findings. Once leaving the room, I felt in all honesty a bit dumb. I knew my stuff! I had studied the causes of vasodilation yet not mentioned it once! The basics I knew like the back of my hand had been forgotten. Many others who left that room seem to have the same worry as me. What exactly are they marking us on and what would cause a fail? OSCE's are known to be tricky with nerves and other factors causing quite a number of people to fail, and I think this may be the first time it will happen to me. If I did fail, I accept it as I know my nerves got the better of me. So yes, feeling rather disappointed at the moment but all I can do is patiently await the result next week sometime and continue prepping for my project presentation that is happening next Thursday.


Many people do fail something during the three years. If you fail anything you are given the opportunity to retake at the end of the year usually but can only gain the lowest pass grade. For me it isn't so much the prospect of failing, but more the pressure of knowing if you fail a retake that's it. 3yrs of hard work down the drain.

But hey...spa day booked for tomorrow and worrying about results wont help anyone (or my focus on my next assessment!)

If anything I hope this gives you an insight of how nerve wracking things can get...especially so so close to the end! Would love to end this by saying I will write to you next week with good news, but please keep your fingers crossed for me!

Speak to you then!
Em x