Ive just started a placement in a community hospital with the principle client group of elderly, rehab and terminal/paliative care... the unit is nurse led and i can safely say that my eyes have been totally opened. I would say my career aims are not anywhere near aged care as id like to spend some time in acute, maybe even A and E or trauma for a spell before moving into obstetrics, but this placement so far has been awesome. I was really quite scared about being involved in any terminal care, all the how do i treat them worries... what about their families? rang loud in my head. Ok so so far two terminal care cases have died and not in my presence but i now feal if either of the current two individuals i have treated were to die i would feel highly privileged to have been able to help them feel comfortable and relaxed during their final days. I can genuinely see how my student placements will aid me in practice. Which may sound bizzare but or me it has been an eyeopener. If id been told at induction you will be sen on an elderly/ paliative care ward id have run screaming but it has broadened my perspective on holistic skills and made me feel jsut so much more able to cope! just wanted to put this out there to see how others feel about it....