Ramblings of a Nurse

I wrote this one a while back now as I was finishing studying and completing my degree. Now a year on, I think the same issues are completely relevant and I would still invite any government representatives to shadow a nurse or student nurse for more than an hours publicity stunt ....   In a recent online poll, run by the Student Nurse Project, the question was asked of student nurses - have you experienced episodes of anxiety and depression since commencing your course? Within 20 minutes, over 100 people answered – Yes.    This course, this career, it is tough, and its one which invokes passion in every field. The most incredible nurses, students and lecturers fight fiercely as advocates for their patients or students; they push for better care, they work tirelessly to ensure holistic, evidence-based care is provided for everyone.  But is it enough for the powers that be to simply acknowledge that it's difficult?  I love my job, it's everything I ever wanted to...

  It takes a family: critical care and Covid-19 FAMILY   /   noun  :  “a group of people from a common stock”                                   “ a group of one or more … living together as a unit” TEAM   /  noun  :   “two or more people working together” Team   / verb  :     “come together as a team to achieve a common goal” The most striking thing I’ve found in my first three months since joining critical care is the close-knit community who inhabit it.  Being new, and looking at all those around you for guidance and support, you are in the unique position of watching how this team works together.  You observe a multi-faceted balance of emotional fortitude and empathy, combined with quick thinking, a dedication to continuous learning, alongside an observant eye on...

So, it’s here, you’re doing it, your last placement as a student. I had worried a lot beforehand that I needed to know everything by the end of this placement, and that I would be ‘good enough’, not only for the team, but for my own expectations. But that first day in blues came around, and amongst the high fives on the way in (after the nearly vomiting with nerves in the car park beforehand!), I remember saying to one of the nurses, who stopped to give me a hug and ask how I was feeling. I confided “I feel a bit like I’m walking around pretending I know exactly what I’m doing”. And her response? Horror? Shock? Escorting me off the ward? No, she just looked at me and said: “Yeah, what were you expecting? That you’d wake up this morning knowing everything you didn’t know yesterday? Welcome to nursing. I still have days where I don’t know the answers. Every day you’ll learn something new. You know more than you think you do, and you’re doing just fine”. It is nothing new, and its widely ...

It's easy to be negative, especially when under great pressure.  It's even easier to feel alone when you're struggling, and to see asking for help as a weakness.  But  my time as a student, and infact more so my time as a newly qualified nurse, has showed me you’re only as strong as the team around you.    And a great team is full of people who lead in a range of different areas – those who innovate; those who organise and co-ordinate work efforts; those who encourage trust and co-operation; those who litigate; those who act and both inspire and engage others, and those who support, develop and empower people.   All the research into leadership tells us great patient care comes when nurses feel encouraged and supported by their leaders, and in turn where the work climate is positive and supportive , and where people are given opportunities to participate in decision making, they report higher levels of organisational belonging and job performance ...

#Nurse366 Well, Christmas & new year are officially over, I’ve got a few days off so, obviously, I’m feeling ill & am stuck on the sofa with a pounding headache & that lovely achey everywhere feeling 🙈🤦‍♀️ But at least I’ve got a happy 9 year old to cheer me up! Thank you @charlottenhsrn & @nhsjess for the idea of #nurse366 - a day in the life of a nurse . I thought it might be a good start to reflect on my first Christmas working as a registered nurse. There’s been laughs- bays of patients joining in a bit of a sing song, enjoying a Christmas dinner and a mince pie. There’s been tears - a young patient passing away, surrounded by their devoted family. And it’s been busy, it’s been overwhelming to step back and see teams of people- away from their own family & loved ones- pulling together in times of short staffing, crowded departments & increased service demands- helping families through times of hope and supporting some through times of total despa...

So, I know you hear a lot about the NHS, about nurses tirelessly campaigning for safer staffing levels, about the whole system being underfunded.   And we’re all inundated with politicians using it as their bait in upcoming elections.   One sides telling you they’ll invest x amount, another that they’ll recruit z amount more.   Both blaming each other for the chaos that’s the current climate.   And in between all this, the power of social media means we’re flooded with stories of the queues outside emergency departments, about patients left needing the toilet and delays in getting treatment. And only if you look more closely, do you see the positive stories shining through like the first shaft of sunlight after a storm. But I’m sure you’ve had your own experience? There’s not one of us who hasn’t at some point either visited a family member or been the receiver of hospital care.   I’m a nurse, but I have a family, and I’m not immune to illness, disease...

So, its third year.   And all of a sudden, you’re nearly there, the end is in sight. The second year blues are a thing of the past and you’re ready to start all over.   But you’re nervous, right? How much are you expected to know on placement?   How “ready” are you meant to feel?   And, for most of us, it’s the year of the dissertation.   And, please, rest assured, it fills all of us with a huge sense of foreboding.   How on earth do you even start something like that? Where do you begin? Without sounding like a character from The Sound Of Music – the honest answer is – the beginning.   It is a huge piece of work, and it can seem daunting, but, as I’ve said before, and will continue to do so. Think back to the comments I’m sure you heard about second year “oh my god, its awful” “its so hard” and now, look into any reflective surface…… you did it.   You made it, and it wasn’t AS bad as you thought, right?   Yeah, its hard, it’s meant to ...