Getting organised

This week I have been full of cold so have appreciated my bed when I can finally crawl into it.  It is usually when I settle down to sleep however, that I suddenly remember everything that the day’s events have put to the back of my mind, which is why I sleep with a notebook and pen close to hand.

I’ve always considered myself to be an organised person, but even with my colour coded diary, there always seems to be something that prevents me from sleeping until I have scribbled it down in the semi darkness. 

When you start university, you will be reminded that you are an ‘adult learner’ on an almost weekly basis.  This means the investment you make in your education is much greater than it ever was at school or college.  Although the tutors want you to pass and are incredibly supportive, there is no spoon feeding of information.  They will provide you with the basics so you are safe in practice, but if you want to get a good grade, then you have to be self motivated and put in a lot of work yourself. 

When you are a health care student, not only do you have written assessments such as essays and exams, you also have the added pressure of clinical placement and your practical assessments.  This all means organisational skills are key.  Below are some of my top tips;

Get a diary
I would be lost without my diary, which is covered in post-it notes and coloured tabs.  Along with black pens, a diary with plenty of room to write for each day is an essential purchase for any health care student. 

Early to bed, early to rise
Not only will you catch the early worm, but you will also be more productive and healthier!  Too many times I have tried to burn the candle at both ends, with a 05.30am alarm for an early shift and then staying up until the small hours.  The result was burn out.
 
Make lists
One of the simplest joys in life is to cross things off your to do list.  It is often a good idea to break things down to smaller tasks which are manageable rather than popping down ‘dissertation’ and then carrying it over from day to day.  

Plan your day, week and month
During busy periods I have been known to plan my day hour by hour, but that is just me!  It is important you have an overview of what your month looks like so you can book in time for my last point…

Remember to rest
There is such as thing as working too hard!  It is important you take time to slow down and enjoy a day off.  Go for coffee with a friend, watch a film, stay in bed until 1pm, take the dog for a walk, however you relax, but make sure it has nothing to do with your course.  Otherwise, it is very easy to get lost down the rabbit hole.

Hope that has been helpful. See you next week. 

On a final note, if you get a chance to watch Childbirth: All or Nothing on BBC iplayer, I recommend you do.  It makes very interesting viewing and has sparked debate within our cohort. 

Reflection

 

Afternoon all!

 

Well with 10 days left until Christmas, I thought it would be a good time of year to talk about reflection.

Reflection is something you will most likely already do, whether it be due to a positive or negative experience. Those moments when you replay a situation in your head that you either observed or were involved in, then wonder whether you could have done things differently or maybe just take something from the moment that could affect similar scenes in the future.

This time three years ago, I had made the decision to apply for nursing. I remember vividly standing in my Gran's garden telling her how unhappy I then was with my life as my then job was not going anywhere, and she told me to come home. This happened a few weeks after she had been in hospital and I had worried about the care she had received and I decided I could care for people like her better than she had been cared for then. She passed away not long after I stood with her, and less than a week after her funeral, I was offered an interview for the course. I put everything into applying for the University of Bedfordshire as I wanted to be around my people to support them. When the email popped through the following summer offering me an unconditional place, I was over the moon. I gave in my notice at work and looked towards the future.

This situation made me view care of the elderly differently. I see families come onto the ward and see peoples children, grandchildren, partners, friends and other relatives. Every now and then I see similarities with some patients or families to my own which does remind me of why I am there. I think I will always have a soft spot for those patients who you notice do not have any visitors and you wonder how they feel seeing other people around them being visited with gifts and cards in tow. Does nobody miss them? 

The reason for the above example is that you will realise once on the course that reflection is very important for your learning. You will be expected to write reflections of your experiences throughout the three year course of any event that makes you stop and think. Reflecting on such events in nursing and general life will then lead to better future experiences. Because of my close family and past experiences, I believe that I appreciate working with the older generation more than I would have done prior to my Gran's death, as I have witnessed care both good and bad and know what care I want to give as a nurse.

Another form of reflection could be maybe writing a diary of events throughout your day...maybe during placement. I did this throughout my second year and found it a valuable tool to refer back to in regards to reflection and learning experiences.

Well, I now have three shifts left before Christmas leave then am determined to get my next essay done and out of the way. The work I have done so far along with research is currently sat staring at me so I must get on!

Thanks for stopping by, will catch up again next week :)


Em x