I wrote this post last week and attempted to edit it and make it better 2 days ago, but I lost all my hard work. 
I apologise now if it’s not as good as it should be! (which it won’t!) These things always sound good in my head until I start to type them out.
Being at the end of my time as a student, I would like to impart my wisdom to other students and future students as well as share my observations. I first happened upon this site when I was in first year and I am aware there are other students who read this, although don’t always post comments, hoping for some more information and wisdom (haha, good luck with that one!).
Students have 50% of their time on placement, which tend to be only for a few weeks (between 6 and 12) at a time. Or they are at my Uni anyway. This gives the student a lot of new environments to get used to and quickly. You learn what staff to follow around, ask and speak to and who to avoid. In saying that, you can learn more from how not to do something than how to. One of the most memorable nurses I worked with is one that I got inspiration from in how not to be!
With the short length of placement, I often found that I was just finding my way and it was time to move on. Although in some placements, I was counting the days and glad of the short time there!
At first, it may seem daunting. I remember visiting my first ward before starting on placement there and thinking
“what the feck am I doing?”
Fortunately, the first shift reminded me why I chose this as a career/vocation/job. The patients weren’t actually as scary as they first looked.
Being left to hang about and being told just to talk to the patients was a daunting idea as well.
Talking? That’s hardly work!
What if someone says something and I have no idea how to respond?
Just be quiet and listen to what they have to say, or ask them more about it. It’s perfectly okay to admit you haven’t a scooby. Just don’t be scared.
I have found patients are generally used to students and can be quite accommodating. They are people after all. They don’t expect students to have indepth knowledge in 1st year (or 2nd year even).
Often, the patient would like to know about you and will ask you more questions than you would feel comfortable if it were you doing the asking.
Getting away from the task orientated work can be tough as talking to someone hardly seems like work, however, you’ll be beginning your therapeutic relationship and as Phil Barker said; talking, conversation and discussion are tools for recovery. There is a LOT of literature on the nurse-patient relationship if you fancy enough reading material for a month.
Make friends with the nursing assistant. Most of them are great, but rub them up the wrong way and your placement will not be fun. The student nurse is the bottom rung, not the NA, regardless of how clever you are or think you are.
When you are lost for things to do, the NA will find you something. It may not be fun or glamorous, but you can still learn. (Even down to how to tie the laundry bag – I have met staff nurses who don’t know and get stressed when there is no NA available).
It is not normal to regularly experience violence on an over 65 ward, because the patients have dementia. If you are, you need to pay close attention to the approaches taken. I heard this comment from a fellow student recently and was concerned.
The students biggest challenge is not likely to be the patients. It is the staff and surrounding ward politics.
It can be hard going walking into a ward for report when you are full of enthusiasm (even at 7am) to be met with tired and miserable faces stating the latest patient that presents as a challenge is another personality disorder. This has been covered before, and I’m sure it will be again, so I won’t go into that here. Basically, the nurse is doing exactly what they aren’t meant to…. being judgemental and negative about the people they are there to help. Don’t learn their attitudes, you have plenty of time for that after qualifying (:-p)
There is a fine balance in being a student as you can be classed in (at least) 2 negative ways;
Too quiet and not assertive enough – unable to find things to do, can be interpreted as lacks enthusiasm and/or initiative.
or
Being able to keep busy and/or questioning current practice, can be interpreted as over-confident and a know- it- all.
There are some nurses who are threatened by students but there are others who enjoy the opportunity to learn from, as well as teach students. Mentoring student nurses is part of the NMC code of conduct, therefore it’s written in their contract. Nurses who have no time for students are not doing their job right.
I remember this from school, but it’s still true as a grown up; you’re better to ask a question and learn than act like you know and remain unsure.
I thought that I preferred being at Uni to placement as there are less hours, everyone already knows you and it’s a comfort zone.
However, my nearest and dearest informed me that I hated Uni and much preferred placement. This was noted due to less ranting from me at the end of the work day on placement, than after class. I found this interesting and realised the poor soul who lives with me is much more perceptive than I thought!
Wow, that’s a long post!
Nice post, bloo. Sounds like the beginning of a series. You’ve done how to survive on placement – how about a handy dandy guide to surviving uni without upsetting the evil lecturer bastards like me? LOL.
Interesting idea……..
A long one, but a good one.
Since qualifying, I’ve actually found supervising and teaching students to be one of my favourite aspects of the job. Partly because I’m such a bloody show-off, but also because I’ve found that having a student, especially a keen, eager-to-learn student, to bounce ideas off helps to remind me why I want to do this job, and thus it helps ward off professional burnout.
Thank you for this post. I’m starting training as a MH Nurse in just under six weeks. I’ve worked as a medical secretary for the last six years but it’s a very different kettle of fish.
Thanks again.
I was working with a 1st year recently and found it really strange. I got used to it, but I was quite shocked at how much I appear to know!! Enthusiastic students are great though!
Enjoyed reading this post, a good bit of reflection going on !
Mine, yours or everybodys?!
Ok now I’m confused Bloo – not that it takes much.
Not mine. I could reflect on my typing, if you’d like.
the good bit of reflection, is from who SS?
Have a go entropy, you’ll get plenty of practice soon enough!
You Bloo. I was also attempting to be a bit ironic, cos aren’t you expected to reflect on things as a stoodent & indeed a professional ?
Of course. It’s a constant stream of reflecting. Reflecting on my reflecting until my head explodes!!
On the subject of university in general, I have some tips. I know sod-all about nursing courses, however, the following applies to classes in any discipline, albeit slanted towards maths/science.
It isn’t intended to be sarcastic or aggressive, if it does, sorry, I am typing this on a keyboard that encourages extreme economy of language due to a high typo count.
1. Attend your lectures. No, really. Go to class. If you don’t fully understand the material presented, ask questions. With the exception of the odd plonker, lecturers do actually like it when students take an interest. Nothing is more soul-destroying than a sea of blank, unreacting faces as you dish out Linear Algebra for Beginners. Some lecturers prefer you to keep questions until the end, in that case, it’s worth hanging round to do so, or making an appointment to see the lecturer in their office later.
2. If you are having problems with the material, try the library and the internet for explanations. Not everything is going to be in the lecture notes. Many lecturers organise things so that if you don’t give them back over and above the contents of the notes, thus demonstratin further reading, at the exams, you won’t get a first or even a 2.1.
Also, it’s worth mailing the lecturer to see if they can help you – if they are so inclined, they may ask you to go to their office where they will give you some 1-on-1 tuition. If you wonder how they can do this and still get anything else done, well, so few students actually do ask for assistance that it’s worth their while. Some very busy lecturers won’t do this, but if they say ‘no’ they are not going to personally try to fail you just for asking.
Reading the notes and regurgitating them is something you could do without making the commitment to become a full-time student. Going into them in depth, talking to experts (eg lecturer) about them and reading around the area is what the course of study is for.
3. Attend the tutorials/labs/demonstrations/practicals. Skipping the occasional lecture is one thing, skipping these is as BAD idea. This is where you will discuss case studies, do worked examples if you are doing any stats or science, and so on. Again, the opportunity to discuss the material arises and the group is much smaller, more specific, and designed to teach you things precisely in this manner. It’s far better, and much easier, to know the material because you understand it, rather than through rote learning or cramming of something you don’t quite get. I can’t stress the value of discussing the course material in the requisite classes, with lecturers or TAs, online, in the cafeteria with your classmates etc.
4. Do your assignments early or on time. Don’t start 2 days before it’s due because you can be sure anything you need, like a computer, library book, lab space or whatever, is desperately oversubscribed, and the printer WILL break just as you need it. Do the assignments, go to the pub afterwards.
5. If you must ask for an assignment extension, you will need a medical cert or death notice or other such proof. Universities do not give extensions otherwise so be aware and are not obliged to. The odd lecturer here and there may be a soft touch for extensions, but they could choose your term to change their policy and you could get a nasty surprise.
6. If you are having difficulties – ill health, mental or physical, housemates partying all night causing problems sleeping, car to drive to placement keeps breaking down – you need to tell the relevant uni welfare people at the time you are having the problem. The reason for this is that many students come up with excuses after failing a course and there’s no way of telling if they are telling the truth (a medical cert is another matter of course, that’s a separate issue for which the uni will have a set of policies and procedures).
My experience as a student, undergraduate and postgrad, a TA, postdoc uni researcher and spouse of lecturer is that the uni will generally bend over backwards to help a sincere, committed student who is really interested in what they are studying, as you get way too many wasters who never show up to anything, don’t hand in coursework and then complain when they don’t get top marks on the exams.
Anyway, Z, if you think that’s not relevant to nursing feel free to delete.
Sage advice Dee Dee.
I think your final thoughts are the key to it – lecturers will indeed bend over backwards to help sincere, committed students who show interest.
Having taught both medical students [PPD for x1 academic year] and post-grad nursing students [prospective ENPs and RGNs doing the ENB199 equivalent] I noticed a marked difference when it came to the overall attitude of the group.
Sad to say the med students were genrally more organised, inquisitive and motivated – hardly level 1 evidence, of course, just a passing observation.
Good post Bloo :0) I second every DeeDee says as well…Most lecturers I have had have been keen to help struggling students.
I find the balance hard to achieve, but I would rather be thought a know-it-all than lazy, so will have a go at anything that needs doing (usually the grotty jobs!). As you say Bloo, NA’s are key (not just saying that because I am one!) They have a lot of knowledge about the patients and the ward (including the all important – where the biscuits are kept). They may also have some bad habits, but then so do a lot of the nurses. Be choosy about what you learn from people, and you will be ok generally…
I’ve had mixed experiences about the lecturers, not all are “bending over backwards” for the good students (I might post about that later)
and I’ve been on placement with a lazy student, who got away with being lazy, while I worked. I will have got more out of it and learned more, but we both passed at the end of the day.
I wonder if this student has been successful in getting a job now though….
Yeah like in any workplace a few lecturers will just be arsewipes. But not most.
I’ve noticed a few students are so brilliant at talking bullshit, some lecturers let them away with all sorts and the harder working and more honest ones don’t get as much. There are more of the good ones than bad, fortunately. (lecturers and students)
Cheers for this post! I posted a few months ago when I was puzzling about swopping from adult to mh, I have changed so this was helpful, thanks again
PS I am reflected out! I’ve done 3 short reflections this year and 1 3000 word assignment, enough already
I bet you still have more to do though! Are you in 2nd year?
What Dee Dee said.
Also, just don’t be SILLY. Maybe I’m speaking personally here, but the one thing that infuriates me more than anything is people doing silly things.
Like trying to find me on the day of an exam to find out where it is. Er, hello – I’m going to be at the exam and you should have established all this days and days ago.
Or listening to other students rather than me when I tell them where the exam’s going to be: “oh sorry I’m late I was told it was on the 4th floor”, “by whom?” “by Dopey Dunderhead who isn’t even sitting this exam today”. GAH!
Or people who turn up at my office without an appointment and then get shitty with me because I wasn’t there. People, when I am not teaching you, they don’t just stick me in a cupboard. I have marking, moderating, clinical visits, lesson prep, other classes to teach, meetings, interviews, personal study and a whole host of other things to do.
Or students who think that rules and regulations just don’t apply to them, as long as they can schmooze me enough. It won’t work, chaps. I spent several years in acute psychiatry. I’ve been manipulated by the best and learnt my lessons well. You will not get round me to break the rules for you.
Most of my students are hardworking, conscientious and intelligent people. But numpties beware!
Wow, that’s a long post!
I’ve posted longer replies – but that’s me and my over-inclusivity.
This will be a short reply and it reminds me of my student days. Tho I wasn’t uni trained, I share a lot of your observations on the placements – tho I was never as observant as others seem to be about who’s good or bad – I’ve always just done my own thing anyhow and ignored the staff. One might stand out as really good or bad – but I’d accept either as perhaps a one off and tomorrow I’d forget about it.
I was there to learn mental health nursing for the good of delivering care to patients – not surviving organisations and cliques.
beakie would have loved me as a student – I think I left it til the last week of training – then asked one of the nurse tutors “where’s the library?”
I could still do a post on surviving uni, by stealing the comments here and adding my own, although I feel it may be a bit pointless now!
It’s good to share though
@ Azulinebloo, no I’m going into second year in September, can you recommend any books please? And the surviving uni post sounds good too
hm. I haven’t actually *bought* any books since my 1st year nursing dictionary (that i have used once).
Books are dated so quickly I suggest you stick with the library, where you can get 5 books that say the same things with different words!
I like the internet and journals too. I think I may use the internet more than most of my classmates…..funny that!
I’ll go and work on a post about Uni and plagiarise from the comments already here!
I hardly bought any books during my nurse training either. Most of those I did buy, I hardly used (other than my trusty BNF).
I wasn’t being lazy, just making good use of my Athens account to download lots of research papers.
the bnf is available online too though.
True, but I couldn’t slip my PC into my bag when I was running around on placement.
suppose. I was thinking more of the assignments though. I don’t actually own a BNF now. There has always been one (or more) on my wards, or in the CPN’s car!
I always advise the students to use their Athens account and download articles rather than cart around huge text books. Some of them get enormous 1000 page books on abnormal psychology and I wonder how exactly they’re going to use them.
Journal articles are more focussed, more easily carried around and can be read in less time than it would take you to wade through a text book chapter. If you’re going to use a textbook, make sure you have an idea what chapter might be useful rather than opening it on page one and sitting down to read it right through. Generally, they aren’t meant to be used that way!
I don’t buy books. I get inspection copies *smarm*
Beakie – I dislike textbooks for essays, they are too general. Journals are the way to go. Although I hate it when you find the perfect abstract then realise you have to pay £30 for the rest of the article. And when you find something but the site is too busy to access. Or when you trawl for hours and can only find a study done on 6 people in Nova Scotia in 1962.
Although, if you wanted to offload any of your old inspection copies…*ahem*
I like textbooks for the basic (and a bit more) understanding, as well as journals. Journals aren’t great for understanding things that are totally new to you. I think anyway.
True Bloo (just like the way that sounded), journals do just start wittering (by necessity) without much background. Although I find that if I like the gist of what they are saying, it encourages me to go out and find out what the long words mean…thus forcing me to learn stuff. Alternatively, I realise it’s a topic I will never understand and feel stupid. Pros and cons then…
I often do offload old inspection copies to the students. I regularly get sent an update of a big old bulky anatomy book so I get rid of the old version so as not to crowd out my bookshelf. At the moment, I have a student planner diary from Palgrave if anyone wants it. This is it: –
http://www.palgrave.com/produc.....PID=295538
Let me know if you want it and we can sort out how to get it to you.
ooh, I would have liked that last year. Don’t need it now though.
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