Almost there!

Where is this man's oscar?!

Well the ‘D-day’ has finally arrived. Would you believe it, I was actually ready, despite pouring a fresh cup of tea over my laptop three days before the deadline!  Final word count; 10 997 words (30, 744 if you include all the appendices).  Now all I can do is wait for the results…something no student enjoys. 

Now my dissertation is out of the way, I can concentrate on filling in the gaps of my clinical skills.   I have eight babies to catch (but having two on one shift was a bonus), about 50 learning points, 7 clinical assessments, a presentation. Writing it like that makes it seem like a lot, but is hard to see anything as a challenge on the same day as you submit your dissertation.  I could probably climb Mount Everest today.  Probably. Maybe not.  I do feel like Jack from Titanic though….the “I’m the king of the world!” moment, not the freezing to death that is. 

Probably not the train she was thinking of

 One of our lecturers described our training as a train journey; in the first year you are leaving the station, excited about the trip, wanting it to gather speed so you can reach your destination.  Second year you go into a tunnel called ‘general placements’.  It goes dark and you feel like it will never end.  You start to wonder why you even started the journey in the first place. And then finally, third year; you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  But then it seems to be hurling towards you and you start to question whether you want to leave the comfort of your carriage.

Then there is small matter of getting a job.  My stomach lurches every time I get an alert from NHS jobs.  It makes the last three years of training very real and although sometimes I can’t wait to write RM after my name, at other times I think I would like to stay in my white student uniform for ever.

Interview tips; I must remember to shave

I have my first interview in mid June, so have been brushing up on obstetric emergencies and neonatal resuscitation. I have found running through these with a group of my friends on the course has been the most successful way of doing this.  Interviews for midwifery jobs also include a maths test so I have been practising my mental arithmetic.  I also have to choose an interview outfit.  A very important decision there!

I will let you know how I get on in my interview and my dissertation.  I’m now off to my cousin’s wedding, what a lovely end to a successful week!  See you next week!
 

Bad day at the office?

We all have tough days

We have all had those days when we wonder why we are doing the job we do; when nothing seems to go to plan and it all turns to skittles.  In midwifery, it could be something simple like missing a vein when trying to take blood or something much more serious and tragic.

It takes an enormous emotional input to be in a caring profession.  Self care is vitally important to ensure you can give the very best to the women in your care, because if you constantly give without putting something back into yourself, you will soon run empty.

Oreo cookie icecream is a must

Here are my top tips for coping with those bad days at the office:

Treat yourself
Eat chocolate, watch your favourite film, listen to your favourite music, go for a run – anything that will release endorphins.  The first step is to boost your mood. This can start on your journey home
from work, turn the radio up, open the windows and let the wind blow the shift away.

Reflect
Don’t wallow, but think about the experience; what happened, how did it make you feel, what was good or bad about the situation, what have you learnt from it, what would you do differently if it happened again.  Every experience is a learning opportunity, even if it is “I will never do that again”.

Share
Find someone you can talk to, and cry with if need be.  Debriefing a serious incident is as important for you as it is for the parents, as it helps you to make sense of the situation and will aid your

We all need a help! button

reflection.  Remember, you have a responsibility of confidentiality and cannot share personal information of patients, but having another person to talk to will stop you rerunning it over in your mind.

Remember the good experiences
It can be very easy to get into a negative mindset.  The best way to break this cycle is to focus on better times; remember your first delivery, the best feedback you got from an essay.  I believe the bad experiences are made worse because they happen so infrequently, so remember to look at all the positive things which have gone before.

Tomorrow is a new day
Move on.  Practice in light of what you have learnt from your reflection, but don’t get trapped thinking it is going to happen again.

Its all worth it in the end

Hope this has helped. See you next week!

Two weeks to go!

My face when I realised the time!

Today’s blog is very late, I apologise.  I have succumbed to the dissertation and was completely distracted.  As time tends to do when you need more of it, this week has slipped through my fingers.

As the title suggests, there is only a fortnight before the big ‘D’ day deadline. But of course, there are a number of other things to juggle alongside the small matter of 10,000 words.  Many of the third years, myself included, have been placed back on delivery suite in order to ‘catch’ our remaining babies.  Out of the 40 personal deliveries we need to qualify, I am currently on 30.  We all gather in the office at handover, working out who has priority, batting back the keen first and second years.  Every day, we look just a little more desperate!

International Nurses Day was also this week.  We celebrated at our hospital by having a nursing and midwifery conference and awards ceremony.  I was shortlisted for Student Midwife of the Year and

Because loser doesn't look as good

received runner up to my very deserving friend…and housemate (that wasn’t awkward over the breakfast table)!

One of the speakers at the conference discussed end of life care, which I listened to keenly as it is a subject similar to that of my dissertation.  He told us ‘The Starfish Story’ adapted from a story by Loren Eiseley.  For me, the story completely described my philosophy of care. Sometimes, the enormity of the role I am about to undertake is too much – there is too much responsibility, too much paperwork, too much pain.  How can I make a difference, have any influence?  But as the story below beautifully expresses, even the smallest act, for just one person can make an immense difference.

My new favourite story

We are going to be looking at our philosophy of care a lot more over the coming weeks at university.  It is important to remember why we want to be in this challenging and demanding role, as well who we are doing it for.  Although I originally applied for this course because I thought I had the right personal qualities to be a midwife and I was interested in the subject, I have come to respect what an honour it is and strive to do my best for the women who have given me the privilege to support and travel with them though their pregnancy and journey into motherhood.

Just a short one this week because, unfortunately – my dissertation hasn’t yet learnt how to write itself. See you next week!

Accomodation

One of the first decisions you will need to make once your place at University is confirmed is where you are going to live.  If, like me, you move away from home to study one of the options open to you is halls of residence.

I lived in halls for my first year both times that I went to university.  It made sense to me, and was relatively hassle free.  There are a few adjustments to make, as there always are when you live with someone (see my previous blog post Flat Pack Furniture and Flatmates) but the benefits are numerous.

Fancy new halls at UoB

Location, location, location
Most halls of residence are in the centre of town or very close to the university campus which makes navigating a new city easy.  I lived in halls next to the campus so I could be out of my bed and in lectures within 40 mins!  Very handy as you become used to the student lie-in!  There was also a bus stop 50 yards from the front door which was perfect for the early morning starts on placement.

A sense of identity
By living in halls you instantly have a group of people who you have something in common with – you all live together.  The first few weeks away from home can be daunting and homesickness is not unusual – I know I experienced it, and still do sometimes.  My top tip to beat the blues is to surround yourself with noise; turn the radio on, watch a DVD, or get together with some friends.  And this is so easy when you live in halls.  There is always someone around to share a cup of tea or cook dinner with. 

Being a grown up is hard!

All bills included
One of the horrible things about growing up is budgeting.  Living in halls takes some of the stress out of it as there is just one outgoing – your rent.  This covers water, gas, electricity, internet and all the other things that eat away at your student loan.  The only additional expense you will have is food, washing and a TV licence.  It makes the transition to independent living a little easier.

Finally, I have a few tips for living in halls:

• Designate male and female bathrooms – most apartments are co-ed and separating bathrooms will reduce arguments.
• Discuss a cleaning rota – it may not be something you want to stick rigidly to, but, it will ensure everyone does there bit.
• Buy some flipflops – you can wear them in the shower and around your room.
• Decorate your room – lots of pictures and bright colours.  Use white tac so it doesn’t cause damage, but it will make your room much more homely and warm.
• Get some earplugs – if you are working nights (which you will as a nursing or midwifery student) there will be times when you need to sleep when everyone else is awake.
• Keep a toilet roll in your room – just in case!

This is how I look after a run of night shifts

See you next week!

Take 2

My new theatre

I am often met by surprise when I explain what my career was before starting my training.  It does seem quite a jump to go from theatre to midwifery, but with half of my family working within the NHS, the change has always seemed more natural to me.

I had a few fears about returning to university for a second time.
Initially, I was reluctant to admit that I hadn’t made the right decision the first time.  I have always been the sort of person to agonise over the decisions I make.  I cried when I had to choose my GCSEs, scared that my teachers would no longer like me if I didn’t choose their subject.  In retrospect this is completely ridiculous, but for a 14 year old the overwhelming fear that the choices I made in that moment would dictate my future was a very real one. 

So when I realised the theatre wasn’t the right world for me, it took me a while to adapt to this. I knew I wanted a career, not just a job, so I was never looking for a quick fix.  It was however quite a

Its not easy to get on to a course!

commitment to agree to complete another three year degree.  Being a student again also wasn’t massively appealing; I had a nice life in London, earning a good salary and going to the theatre whenever I wanted so the prospect of limited funds, deadlines and assignments wasn’t something I was looking forward to.  It wasn’t long however, until I remembered all the brilliant parts about being a student.

I love learning, and from speaking to my friend who was half way through her training, I was absolutely fascinated about the process of pregnancy and birth.  There was also the opportunity to make a new group of friends, something which I am always open to.  Making friends at university is completely different from making friends at school – at school, you are friends because you are in the same form class, or you sit next to each other in Biology, but in higher education, you are brought together by a shared passion and interest.  In my experience, it leads to closer and longer lasting friendships.  It did cross my mind that I would be the eldest in the group, but I soon realised that midwifery attracts people of all ages and backgrounds.

The joys of being a mature student

I also had to consider that midwifery was a completely new subject for me.  I had not studied any science since my GCSEs, some seven years previous!  I also hadn’t always wanted to be a midwife in the same way I had always longed to be on the stage.  My move to midwifery was a considered decision, looking at my interests and personality strengths.  Although I had the bizarre experience of applying through UCAS at the same time as the students I was teaching, returning to study was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  I have never looked back.

I can hear the bells!

My friend is getting married tomorrow.  I am currently dashing back from Germany to be there, and I am so excited.  She is the second of this particular group to get married and as well as having the

I do...want to do this!

honour of watching her getting hitched to the love of her life, it also means an opportunity to catch up with the girls.

I refuse to believe I am old enough to get married, although many of my friends are determined to prove me wrong.  Of my two groups of friends from Loughborough University, we have had 6 weddings, 4 children and 8 homes bought!  It seems like it is just me lagging behind still as a student.

It’s funny where life takes you.  When I left school at 18, I didn’t know what I wanted to do.  I went to university because I always knew that was what followed A-levels, rather than having a game plan in place.  I studied Drama because I was passionate about it, and had a smidge of talent.  It was very daunting therefore when I left university the first time because I didn’t know what I wanted to be! 

The most optimistic part of me wanted to pursue acting.  I had dreams of being snapped up by a casting director as I walked down the road, but of course, this hardly ever happens.  So, I started working as a teaching assistant because I couldn’t find any other work and really enjoyed it.  I then had an opportunity to move to London for three months as my friend was going travelling and wondered if I wanted to take her room in the flat.  I had saved enough money to cover the rent so I decided to take her offer up.

Spot the Drama student

 A few weeks after settling into city life, I contacted the National Youth Theatre, of which I was a member, asking if they wanted any help, stuffing letters, making tea, that sort of thing.  They emailed me back and soon I was working as an expenses paid intern.  This was followed with an offer of a job working within the Creative Learning department and before I knew it three months had turned into two years.   The friend whose room I had taken came back and, along with her now fiancé (husband tomorrow!) lived in the lounge until they found a place of their own.

I was starting to think however, that a job in the Theatre wasn’t right for me.  Although I helped to run the Access to Higher Education course the NYT ran, much of my work was office based and I was beginning to get cabin fever.  I love a spreadsheet as much as the next geek, but I knew my future was in something more practical. 

It was either teaching or something medical.  I applied for Midwifery after being inspired by an old school friend who had recently started her training and the rest is history as they say.

It’s never too late to embark on a new career.  See you next week.

We're all going on a (belated) Easter holiday!

As you read this, I will be (hopefully) sunning myself by a pool in Germany because I am off on my hols!  Not that it will all be relaxing and sightseeing for 1) I have a chest infection and 2) I am taking my best friend 'Dissertation' with me.

Celebrate!

I am determined to be cheery though.  I have had my nails painted and I am going to spend two weeks thinking of anything other than the 10 births I have left to catch.

As a midwifery student, our terms don’t fall in line with the majority of the university.  There is no three month summer vacation for us!  It was most strange going to work as a second year on a Friday and then as a third year the following Monday last September.  I still haven’t got used to being referred to as a senior student. 

At university last week we were discussing labour ward management.  We had to imagine we were the coordinating midwife and had to assign our staff to the various women who needed care.  There were a few heated discussions as we all tried to decide who was best placed to go into each of the rooms – I heard phrases like, “well, we wouldn’t do it like that in our Trust”, “you can’t ask a student to do that!” coming from all the tables.  It was one of those annoying tasks where there is no right answer, as long as you can explain why you have done what you have.  It made me certain of one thing though – there is no way I want to be a senior midwife on labour ward!

One of my favourite things is to imagine where my friends will go with their careers.  There are some who are perfect for the wards, others more suited to labour ward.  There are a couple of people I can

I've often been likened to Miranda Hart

foresee specialising in a certain client group.  For me, community is where I have always wanted to be.  Although I love delivering babies, what I prefer is building a relationship with a woman and her family as she journeys through her pregnancy and then meeting their little bundle of joy when they get home.  It is always so rewarding to witness a woman as she grows in confidence and becomes a mother.

Throughout your training you will be able to witness the whole spectrum of midwifery; it's so exciting when you discover where you want to practice.

Bis bald!