Wanted: more time

I would like to borrow Bernard's watch!

I can’t quite believe we are in March already.  I’m sure time travels quicker the older I become!  I have been told many times that my final year will go past in a blink of an eye, and I am starting to realise the truth in this cliché.

According to the countdown app on my phone, I have 187 days left of my degree.  This fact terrifies and excites me in equal measure.  I am also reliably informed that there are 84 days until my dissertation deadline.  *Please excuse me for a moment of mad panic.*

I have been considering my dissertation topic since I first put in my UCAS application.  At that time, I was interested in choice of birth place as my nephew had recently been born at home.  Then when I started my course, and especially after being a patient myself, I become fascinated by communication within healthcare, particularly between clinician and service user.  As it turns out, I am doing neither of these topics for my dissertation. 

Everyone has moments which completely change their perspective on life.  For me, one of these was the first time I cared for someone whose baby had died.  I remember feeling completely inadequate and ever since then bereavement care has become a passion of mine.  It seemed only natural therefore for this to be the topic for my (mini) tome.

Grumpy Cat feels my pain

My biggest stumbling block when it comes to writing is that I am a perfectionist.  If something doesn’t flow flawlessly, I delete it. This makes the thought of writing 10,000 words extremely daunting. Consequently, I have spent a lot of time formatting my title page and searching for literature.  Now, I need to put pen, or curser, to paper. 

By no means do I have all the answers when it comes to writing an essay, but 6 years of academic writing has taught me a few lessons;

Read the question thoroughly
Highlight the important words in the question – this will give you focus in your writing.

Dissertation = an excuse for new stationary

Start with a detailed plan
Write down all your ideas and start to put it in an order.  This will probably change as you start writing but it will ensure you don’t forget anything you wanted to say.

Begin early
It is possible to pull an all-nighter and write a 2000 word essay the day before the deadline but it is not advisable.  It will never be your best work.

Leave time for proof reading
There will come a point when you can’t see the mistakes any more.  When this happens, you will need a set of fresh eyes in the form of a friend or family member.

No doubt I will discuss my dissertation in a future blog post.  Hopefully I will have made more of a dent in the word count when I do!  Until then, see you next week.

Another assessment complete :)

Happy weekend everyone!

I'm once again sat at my desk (with back to sunshine ignoring the warmth) playing with my final essay. I am planning to submit on Tuesday so I have a busy long weekend ahead of me.

I have had a really lovely week of placement, which involved a good mixture of ward management and being allocated my own set of patients to look after. It has been refreshing to work so closely one on one with the same patients for a full 13.5hr shift, as I have then been able to handover my patients to the following staff and be able to answer questions about them off the top of my head. It really doesn't feel long now until I finish!

I had my intermediate (midway) assessment with my mentor on Wednesday, which you will find happens on every placement. It is a good opportunity to discuss how you are finding the experience and progress you are making. You also are required to grade yourself on where you think you are at, as well as your mentor grading you. This is quite an interesting thing to see whether you are over or under estimating your abilities! My mentor graded me an A- which I am absolutely thrilled about, so I hope to work on this before my final assessment and bump it up maybe to an A.

Relaxing day at Wrest Park-15min drive from Luton

I managed to sacrifice an essay writing day yesterday for a day out with my partner just relaxing and switching off. I think I needed it as I woke this morning and have been rather more productive than usual! You really do need to take time out to recharge once in a while!

So yes...in 4 weeks and 6 days time (not that I am counting) I will be on my last ever day of placement. I will be meeting with my personal lecturer the day before to get the OK on my nursing portfolio, and hope to submit that along with my assessment from this placement the day after placement finishes. The day this happens, I will have eight weeks off ahead of me. A number of these are consolidation which is used for assignment and examination redo's, but any student who has completed all of their work and all of the hours required on placement can just sit back and await their final degree grade. I will spend some of the time revising a number of things in preparation for my new job, but I am determined to have the most laid back summer ever! I wont ever get that much time off to myself again...until retirement maybe?!

All of the other students in my class have either been offered a job or are in the process of applying for jobs. The hospital I am currently working at had their maths/drugs calculation tests last week and for those who pass the test will be interviewed over the next week or so. Some are considering further studies, and I have heard a few contemplating applying for a further year of study for a Masters at the University of Bedfordshire.

It is all a rather exciting time for us all, as once this next essay is in we officially have no more assignments due in. The end really is in sight!

Have a lovely weekend all!

Emma x