Student Nurse, Placement Essentials / Advice?

[cherryscone]

Hi!

I'm starting placement (adult nursing) next week and need to know all the essentials I need for starting and any advice you have for those that have been in this position before 😊

TIA!

I got a card, bottle of Prosecco, tea bags, mug and Costa voucher from my last student. Apparently I was the best mentor she's had. (I think she's a bit crazy)

Be keen, be interested. Work hard.

Listen to the a/n, they have as much to teach you as the s/n.

Don't be scared to get stuck in, ask to see and do everything.

Read up on the speciality before you go

Sorry for multiple posts. Think about what insight vists you can do. Spend time with nurse specialists, eye casualty, eye clinic, theatres etc. if it's your first placement, aim to get familiar with obs, fluid balance, basic nursing care. And how to make beds.

Always book the first Wednesday of August as annual leave.

Hotter shoes. Always lace up. Velcro frays.

Ophthalmology should be a lovely first placement, good luck! My first ward must have seen how terrified I was on my first day, they were all so kind to me. When I left it was with the loviest gifts and cards. I still think of them and their kindness often and still see them in my nursing life, it'll be 20 years next year (can't believe I just wrote 20 years!). No wonder the doctors look so young now

Good luck, enjoy. Indeed try to achieve as many competencies/objective as possible. And THANK YOU for wanting to be a nurse - we need you!

Great advice!

Read your portfolio to see exactly what proficiencies, skills, values you need to achieve. Make sure you have met with your academic assessor to go through what you need to achieve. It's an assessment so it's important you understand that.

I remember trying to feed a lady a bowl of porridge, she was eating it so hungrily/enjoying it and between mouthfuls kept saying 'I've had enough, you must have so much to do'.

I told her the only thing I had to do right now was make sure she enjoyed as much breakfast as she can manage and she ate the lot, and enjoyed it. Worth missing the drug round with my mentor for.

Another time a woman with a new stoma was horrified that I, a young student, was emptying her stoma. She said 'what a terrible thing for you to have to do'. I told her absolutely not, she mustn't worry. It was my job, and not a horrible job at all, and she would get used to it too.

My clarks Funny Dream shoes are the best work shoes I have ever found. Comfy from day 1, and my feet aren't baking hot.

Our students always enjoy their community placements with us. We always get nice feedback and are told we make them feel welcome.

I would say take plenty of pens with you. They go missing. Lots of drinks. A note book is handy to write down things you might want to look into further, make notes of what your learning. Do you have a fob watch? I can't remember much more I was you 20 years ago, on my first placement in 2002!

Students should not be doing any work for you. They are supernumerary.

@angeltattoo the little things are the big things. Take time to brush patients teeth, I would hate it if my teeth weren't brushed and yet it is missed by so many HCP's as they are 'too busy'. Brush someone's hair, make sure they are in clean clothing.

I always think, what if it was my Mum or Nan? How would I want them to be treated. Kindness and care will see you through a lot.

Good luck on your placement OP. I have never regretted working in the NHS, even if sometimes it makes you upset, bone-crushingly tired and baffled by the never ending policy changes you will never meet a group of staff who will make you laugh and get you through.

I always say thank you to everyone I have worked with because they make it survivable and sometimes, actual fun!

Oh yes, I agree take a spare uniform. I always remember as a newly qualified nurse being covered in a patients vomit. I had to lend scrubs from theatre.

Just a little note to say thank you. We need all the nurses we can get at the moment. It's a wonderful career - flexible, adaptable and interesting.

It's a bit gritty to begin with; you'll have practical things to do/ learn and to remember, as well as the academic study we have to undertake.
I've been qualified since 2009 and although I've had some roles which haven't been that enjoyable, equally I've worked in roles which I've absolutely loved.

Well done lovely, work hard, be caring and make sure you have proper breaks and look after your mental health.

My best advice is .... don't!
Or at least be fully aware that you will be over-worked, most certainly not supernumeracy. Ward dependent, but some staff won't pass you if you don't pick up the slack on their & their HCAs work....

A pen with a lid, then always take the lid off before lending it, the Dr will look confusingly at the pen, then put it down somewhere nearby for you to retrieve.

Lots of fab advice here that I second.

I am in my second year of training with the open university, seconded from my usual job as a community HCSW for blocks of placement.

lots of pens, drinks bottles, note book is very important I use mine to note down obs or things patients ask me to follow up. Always insert yourself, I have found my ward placements to be very busy and short staffed so your mentor or other nurses may not automatically think the student might like to see that or the student could be having a go so make sure to listen to everything around you and speak up!

community had by far been the best of my placements though and that it where I want to go once qualified

A thick skin

I recall being asked 'do you want to go to the surgical ward or medical?' and had absolutely no clue what that meant! 😬

I've read/heard that ophthalmology is one of the few specialties where is covers both. (surgical ward- generally shorter stays for people having surgeries- it could be appendix out, colonoscopy, stoma placed) whereas medical is generally longer stays for people living with longer term conditions. Might be COPD, heart problems etc.

If you have nothing to do, go and sit with a patient. Chat to them, hear about their life, see if they'd like a drink (not if Nil by mouth pre op) or you could get them anything.

PENS- have lots! A pair of scissors that fit inside your pocket is handy for cutting tape/dressing etc too- but again- ALL needs to be labelled and ideally tethered to yourself with a long ,stretchy cord. The name tags patients have on their wrists are often used to label goods. 😀

Also an ODP as is DH, both did placements on wards, theatres and A&E etc.

The best bit of advice we received when training was to always call your placement about 2weeks in advance to 1. Double check they are expecting you, 2. Find out who your named mentor will be and 3. Whether you can pop in to meet them prior to placement or at least have a quick call to introduce yourself. No. 3 being the most important as it makes day 1 less daunting. There is nothing worse than turning up to a new area and then being told to sit in the rest room feeling unwanted as staff talk about your mentor being on a day off and them being too busy to look after a student. If mentor is going to be off on day 1, ask who you will be assigned to.

Always have comfy shoes, pens, pocket sized notebook, snacks.

Be open to learning opportunities and show an interest in the placement area and people and a willingness to get stuck in.

Good luck, and don’t be scared to ask for help or to say you don’t understand something. We’ve all been there.

Oh another things I’ve found really useful, when doing night shifts make sure to take longer lasting things to eat. I have a bowl
of porridge around 2-3 am and that gives me a boost to finish the rest of the shift. Night shifts are a good time to get caught up with your mentor for your paperwork and any course work you have to do

Also, go through your portfolio and learning needs asap with your mentor and don’t leave sign offs until the last moment.

Get the 4 colour pens, everyone has them. Especially the shiny ones.

Dont put your pen down anywhere. You’ll never find it again.

Water bottle.

You will follow your mentor to the toilet at least once. Always happens.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.

Excellent, another student joining the ranks!! Welcome and enjoy the ride!

I'd read up about the ward (I can see you've done that), see what skills you can pick up there, and what you can get signed off in your book on your placement. I imagine that you'll be doing lots of surgical stuff on that ward, so obs, monitoring, analgesia, pre/post op care, recovery stuff. See if you can follow a patient's journey from admission to discharge +/- any follow ups. See if you can go to theatre. I watched eye surgery in theatre when I was a student nurse, and it's amazing. See if the ward has a student info pack: my ward does.

Don't be scared to ask questions (there's honestly no such thing as a stupid question) or query things. Don't be scared to say, "I'm not sure, but let me find out and get back to you". Buddy up with the HCA's on your first couple of shifts to get an idea of ward routine and what is what. You will learn a huge amount from them. Helping to wash, feed or toilet a patient gives you valuable time with them. Remember each patient is a person with feelings/thoughts/ideas and so on. Think always of how you'd want to be treated and try to do your best to give patient centred care. I love doing patient care, it gives me a chance to really get to know people. Try and learn what the local Trust policies are and always remember the Code.

Try and shadow members of the MDT: so specialist nurses, OT/physio/dietician etc. Be part of a huddle/board round (and listen to what is said). Have look at some of the commonly used drugs used on the ward and read up a bit about them. Don't be scared about not knowing stuff during handover. I'm still learning, we all are!! Remember that every single nurse, doctor, HCP etc was once a student and had a first day on a first placement. Even the consultants, matrons etc!!!

Self care is vital. Make sure you bring: food, a water bottle, some decent pens (not too expensive - HCPs are magpies when it comes to pens!), something to write on, scissors, a comfy pair of shoes and maybe some toiletries in a bag to help keep you refreshed during shift.

You're going to find that some parts are wonderful and other parts will break your heart. You can work with some amazing people (patients/families and staff).

Good luck and enjoy it! :D

@XenoBitch yes they are. But they have to be able to manage a full work load with minimal supervision by the time they are on their last placement. They are supposed to be able to delegate what they want me to do.