Management Placements

A few of the Student Nurse Project team are currently on their management placements. We thought we’d write a collaborative blog sharing some of our thoughts, worries, and concerns prior to starting and how we’ve combated these. Five of our team shared their experiences, as you will see, we all have similar anxieties, even though…

Easing the year two transition

In February, I celebrated being halfway through my degree. I had calculated on the train home from placement that day that I was exactly a year and a half in, and I had a year and a half to go. Where had that time gone? I felt elated, skipping home from placement, and even went…

Third Year – as a dual field Student Nurse

I walk into my new placement for the first time and introduce myself “hello my name is Jess, I’m a third year student nurse, I’m really looking forward to working with you guys over the coming weeks”. You can see the cogs whirring, the expectations of a third year are a lot higher than that…

Student Nurse Mental Health Awareness Day

My husband and I were married nearly 17 years ago and had our reception at a National Trust property - I know, I know - what’s she babbling about and what does this have to do with the Mental Health of Student Nurses? Well the property in question is a mill - one that took…

“There are no opportunities in Learning Disability Nursing” – Dispelling the Myth

When I first told people that I was I was applying to do a degree in Learning Disability nursing, I was swiftly told that “all you will do is jigsaws, colouring in and sing nursery rhymes. There are no opportunities in Learning Disability nursing”. And nearly three years later, when I speak with students; professionals…

Staying Healthy as a Student Nurse

We all know that we should look after our own health, but sometimes this is easier said, or thought, than done. We know that health encompasses many things, after all, we promote healthy lifestyle choices to our patients daily. These range from taking time for yourself to manage stress levels, to eating a range of…

Experiencing your first End of Life

This blog is written from purely my own personal experience and others may have a very different experience and approach to me. But that’s what makes this perfect, end of life is very different to each individual and from a patient’s perspective, everyone has their own religion, beliefs and values. Each person will have their…

Getting the most out of Placement – singing the praises of PDN’s

The two placements I feel I got the most out of were Trinity Hospice and a Haematology/Oncology ward (where I was for my management placement). The former had countless interesting holistic therapies that student could observe and assist with; the latter had an extensive MDT, the majority of which were only too happy to host students for…

“I’m 92 you know”

“I’m 92, you know?”, a patient says to me as we’re having a dance whilst I’m helping her to get washed and dressed in a less than conventional way. I can barely stand on one leg to put my other into a pair of jeans, and this lady is swinging her hips and singing whilst…

What happens during a cervical smear test…it’s not that bad!

As I have yet to reach the age of 25, I hadn’t had any experience of a smear test. Yes as a sufferer of endometriosis I have had many gynaecological interventions- but not an actual smear, this was alien to me.   Through my previous placement at a GP surgery I saw cervical smear tests daily and to…