What's been going ooooooon?

Hello all you lovely people

I'm here and have been uber busy

 I'm sorry guys I know its been a wee while, but as I'm sure you can understand I have been a busy bug!

 So where am I know??

 I have- in theory- finished all theory for first year (eeeee!!!) and have 3 weeks left of a special schools placement and that's- hopefully!- IT for first year!!

Oh my gosh someone pinch me!

Of course I still have to make some changes on the assignment I failed, but essentially I am almost a year two nursing student!

So in summary my first year has looked like this:

Semester one:

• 3 modules: theories of nursing, introduction to life sciences, nursing skills
• 2 exams: life science (biology) and numeracy
• 1 poster presentation on a care plan
• 1 practical exam (basic life support)
• 1 assignment based on the theories of nursing module
• 1 placement (12 week hospital ward)

Semester two:

• 3 modules: communication with children and young people, professional values ethics and law, life sciences
• 1 presentation on a case study
• 2 essays based on social sciences and professional values, law and ethics
• 1 placement (6 week special school)

So as I said busy, busy!

 Right now I have one day left at my special school placement and then the half term break, followed by a further 3 weeks at the school. I will do a post about the special school and my experience there...... but not for today!

 The essays I have written I am hoping with everything I have I will have passed them, I'll let you know either way!

 On that note I will also be constructing a post around dyslexia and studying nursing, as after being advised by a tutor I was assessed and found to be dyslexic. This has actually really eased my ' I cant do it'ness as now I have a reason why I was finding some aspects of the course so tricky!

Until my fingers find the energy to bounce around the keyboard telling nursey tales, have fun and eat yummy food!

Kimbers xXx

Open Heart Surgery

Yes it's scary!

Yes there is lots of blood!

Yes I did pass out!

No DON'T read this just before eating!

My mildly embarrassing experience of observing heart surgery 

Please note: this may well be a long post, so grab a cup of tea before reading!

 Let me make something very clear: 

I am not squeamish!

 I have seen, guts, gunge, ooze, pus, blood, faeces (of a wildly wide variety), vomit, snot, rotting flesh. I have seen somebody accidentally slice their arm open on glass, have their tooth pulled out, have a very very long needle stuck into their stomach, (many times) seen an animal be born with and without help, cleaned a persons intestine (stoma bag)...... need I say more? 

 Never once have I observed or done any of these and felt even mildly funky and yet the simple sight of watching blood go through a tube was enough to make me all light headed and very suddenly fond of a lie down!

 This is what happened:

 I was given the opportunity to observe open heart surgery on placement, this was something I had been desperate to do since I had started. I was so excited the night before I couldn't sleep and was unable to entertain the idea of having breakfast that morning. The train couldn't go fast enough and my legs just wouldn't move me quick enough towards my ward. I was SO excited!!

 I took my patient down to theatre, watched them be given a general anaesthetic that made them fall to sleep and observed cannula's, drains and tubes being plugged into them. I was then given a pair of blue scrubs, crocs, a rather fetching hat and a face mask and told to go and put them on and meet them in theatre. I did as I was told and quickly rushed back not wanting to miss anything!

 The first thing that struck me when I walked in was the sheer amount of people in there: 2 surgeons, 3-4 nurses or ODP's, several anaesthetist's, a person operating the bypass machine, a couple of people at computer's (I have no idea what these people were doing!) and me with two medical students standing against the wall trying to not get in the way (and of course the patient!). Along with all the monitors, apparatus, trolleys and wires it really was a tight squeeze.

 The first thing the surgeon done was the initial incision and then burnt the layers of skin and tissue until the sternum was visible. The smell of burning tissue is not pleasant, its similar to the smell when you singe your hair only slightly stronger and it lasts a little longer. When the surgeon was happy he then used a circular saw to separate the sternum which can then be pulled apart to expose the heart.

 This all sounds very barbaric but really it wasn't, it was very professional and only the chest is exposed, the rest of the patient is covered in these green covers. This may sound silly but not being able to see the patient made it easier. However the atmosphere in the theatre was very very intense and because of the amount of bodies in there I had begun to feel a tad odd.

 But in true British style I mentally told myself to harden up and concentrate. 

 By this time the heart was completely exposed and I could clearly see it beating. The patient was under a year old so the heart was about the size of a small plum and a reddy purple in colour. I was fascinated by this! I had seen a animal heart before from the butchers and hadn't really thought anything of it. But actually watching the heart 'in action' was amazing and added real substance to my A and P lecture on the cardiac system!

 Then came the tubes attached to the bypass machine, I watched them be inserted into the veins and arteries connected to the heart and then saw the dark red (oxygen poor) blood and bright red (oxygen rich) blood ooze its way along the tube.....

 And that was IT!

Suddenly my mind decided it did not like the idea that blood which was meant to be in the body was suddenly being carried away, put through a machine and then returned through a tube!

 I broke out in a cold sweat, my stomach lurched, the operating lights suddenly became intensely bright and the ground felt like it was made of playdough. 

"oh god no don't faint on the patient!!!" was my immediate thought and I forced my legs to move towards the door. Thankfully I made it to the anaesthetic room before the light headedness took over and I collapsed (with the aid of a lovely medical student) onto a chair. 

 To say I was embarrassed was an understatement! I was mortified!! However I was incredibly thankful that I had made it out of the theatre, it would have been 100 times worse had I not! I am also very grateful to the medical student who thought the whole thing was very funny and kept me topped up with water and assured me I had nothing to worry about!

 On reflection and having got over the humiliation I felt I am actually very glad that this happened to me. You see it allowed me to experience what parents and patients must go through when they are in hospital. They are in an unfamiliar environment that they do not understand and have no control over, they can feel intimidated and lost. As nurses and nursing students this can be something we forget as we are exposed to it everyday and it becomes the norm. I will not forget this experience and will remember how I felt whenever I am talking to a patient who is anxious and has a lot of questions. 

 Since then I have been down to theatre again to watch a similar procedure and managed just fine. The very same medical student was there again and winked at me when bypass begun. I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out (which of course resulted in my licking my face mask..... yeah..... smooth) and turned my attention back to the man operating the bypass machine as he explained exactly what was happening as the blood ran through the tubes. 

Until I write again,

Kimbers xXx

The first kit to the gut thus far!

Oh poop :(

Bugger, bugger, bugger, BUGGER!!

*picks self up, brushes self down*

 It was bound to happen, at one point.... I'd just hoped it wasn't going to be quite so soon after starting......

DEEP BREATH

I failed my first assignment..... by 5%.....

5%!!!!!!

BUT! Never mind, it could have been worse, I am not alone and its only 5% sodding percent!

If/when you go through this please, please, PLEASE don't flip out in a panic, beat yourself up and contemplate suicide by chocolate and quavers! 

I'll admit that maybe I done this a little bit, but then my super friend came to the rescue in the form of a text and a 'slap round the face with smelling salts' phone call. 

 This friend I have known since year dot, we have grown up together, conquered school, sixth form and teenage life. 

She qualified as a midwife over a year ago

 But most of all she said exactly what I needed to hear, in the way it needed to be said at the right time. So, I am going to quote her life saving text on here. It may not mean much to you now but whenever you suffer a fall back remember this as it is what I would say to you:

"Don't worry too much about the result everyone fails first time, including me!! And everyone has that crisis of faith about essays and uni in general, just remember why you are there in the first place... Because you are an amazing person who deserves to be there and if they didn't think you could do it, they wouldn't have let you on the course in the first place!! Try not to get too disheartened (I know it's easier said than done) this is only going to make you stronger and work harder to achieve. You can do this.... I know you can. I have every faith in you because I know what you are capable of. Try and get some sleep and it will feel better in the morning I promise" 

Me? Have a lump in my throat??

 Yeah, maybe!

But do you see? THAT'S what I needed to hear, encouragement and that it really wasn't the end of the world. Infact, that it really isn't even that bad.

 And since then I have reflected and realised that she was right, I am worker harder and I do feel stronger and I will bloody pass that essay (and the other 2 that I need to write!!)!

 Point of this post?....

Surround yourself with supportive, caring and wonderful people because they pick you up and show the the sunshine when all you see is rain. 

Until next time,

Kimbers xXx

End of Placement and Exam results

'So long.....' 'Farewell....'

'Take THAT maths!!!'

'zoooooooom', hear that? It's the sound of placement!

'Eurlashhhk', hear that? That's the sound I made when I got my exam results!

 There I was on my last day of placement, departing from my warm cosy bed at 5:30am to drag myself out into the freezing, wet cold weather so as to catch a train into London.... hang on its a tad windy out there isn't it? 

*looks out window*

 ........hmmm, there is alot of water too......

*checks train time*

Oh wonderful all trains before 10am are cancelled due to 'inclement' weather

*slaps forehead and falls back into bed*

So after calling my ward and explaining the situation, taking 1 and a half hours to complete a 20 minute journey and getting very wet and hacked off, I rocked up on my last day at 11:30am.

And breath......

 However after that dismal start I did have an absolutely wonderful day, with lots of laughing and chocolate (my leaving treat) and goodbyes. When I left at 8 that night I felt very proud of myself; I had completed 12 weeks of hard, testing and emotional placement and I can hand on heart say that it has changed the way I perceive illness and nursing, AND I'M STILL HERE!! I bloody did it and loved it! I left the hospital beaming and almost skipping to the station..... until I saw my train had been delayed by 50 minutes, it was raining and I had forgotten my umbrella.

*Sigh*, cant have it all I spose...

 Now I am sitting at home home, feeling stuffed after a very large portion of chips from the chippy, watching the winter Olympics, sipping red wine and still getting my head round the fact (an actual fact- written and everything!!) that I passed my nursing numeracy exam....

Please let that sink in......

 Me.... a person who has had to have life long one to one tutoring .... has been reduced to tears and throwing books (yes really..... sorry Mr Farrent) ...... who physically feels sick and jittery ..... whenever the dreaded word maths (ARGH!!) is uttered. 

But there it is, right THERE.... 82%

Beautiful beautiful number and that little 2% just makes it even sweeter!

The pass mark for the exam was 80%. I had pretty much written off getting a pass, the exam (in my mind) went terribly, I was going through it totting up all the marks I thought I'd lost and was pretty sure my summer would consist of more numbers and a resit. But no, I did it :D

Now I want to tell you (yes you, the one who like me trembles in a corner, rocking in a cold sweat whenever the words 'maths' and 'exam' co-inside).

If I can do it you can, you will have to work hard, watch other people 'get it' first time, feel stupid, feel worthless, feel like giving up and crying so many tears you have to change your pillow because its dripping.

But you can do it

If you want advice and tips on how I revised for the exam just email me (kimbers27290@gmail.com) and I will either write a post (depending on how many requests I get) or email you back with help.

 My other exam on human biology was a 40% pass and I got 62%, not amazing but as I have written before I am not academic and will never breeze exams and essays. I am very much the 'middle' in all things written, but like to think that what I lack in this area I make up for in the practical side of nursing..... which just reading the feedback in my placement documents makes me feel hopeful that this is the case :)

Until I blog again, 

Kimbers xXx

Next Post Coming Soonish

Hello lovely people!

Fear not- I am still here!

OK....

So basically I have written another post (all about my experience with Open Heart Surgery) and its all ready and eager to have your eyeballs eyeball it, however I have to hold off making it public until the 5th of March.

'WHY?!' I hear you gasp in exasperation!!

 Well I am lucky enough to have been given the opportunity for my blog to be published by britainsnurses.co.uk :D 

 Unfortunately they don't publish as fast as I write my blog updates and I've been told to hang fire until they have published it their end before I go live this end........ Does that make sense?!?

I hope so!

 But anyway I have decided to update just so you all know that I am surviving life and haven't run off into the sunset (be it a rather flooded sunset right now!) and forgotten all about blogging!

 I have only two days left at my placement now which makes me sad, but I have learnt so so much and am excited about heading back to uni so that my head may be filled with stuff to try and understand and get me all knowledgeable! 

 Please email me (kimbers27290@gmail.com) if you have any questions regarding any of my posts or if you would like me to cover something specific. 

As I said, I will put Heart Surgery post up as soon as I get the ok from t'other end- but keep eyes peeled on here in the mean time as I may get all spontaneous and post something interestingly nurseyfied! 

Tata for now!

Kimbers xXx

Placement numero uno!

It comes round quickly and then flies past.... is it Superman late for dinner?

No! Its Placement!!!

 So those first 6 weeks of uni had passed, I'd done all my skills labs to make ABSOLUTELY sure I new my stuff before being let loose. I new all the systems of the body, nursing models, care planning, how to carry out observation and calculate drug doses, how to fill in my placement documents, how I was going to get there, my uniform was ironed and proudly hanging up in my room all ready for my 5:30am start... I was ready, I was confident, I was prepared......

YEAH RIGHT!!!!!

 I was so nervous I reckon I developed iron hard abs my stomach was churning that much!

 Not because I felt unprepared or like I new nothing, as Uni had given me the low down on what to expect to some extent and I felt that I had learnt as much as what I could from lectures and skills lessons without actually experiencing it.

 No, it was because this was REAL!

Real sick children, real life and death situations, real life changing times for patients and parents and I was going to be part of it. I was going to contribute and have input (even if only in a small way) in their care and that terrified me! These children were not dummies like in the skills labs, the parents were not being played out (often in fits of nervous giggles) by fellow nursing students in lectures and these drugs were actually administered to patients instead of harmless water just being drawn up and injected into a sponge for practise. 

 This was the real deal and I was going to be experiencing it for 12 and a half hours, 3-4 times a week for 3 months.

 So I turned up to my placement ward 20 minutes early all wide eyed looking at tiny babies with wires and tubes and beeping things attached to them and thinking, 'I have to help look after them?!'. 

 It can be a shock for those who have never really been in hospital to see somebody all rigged up to machines and apparatus, even those who have experienced  Nan's and Grandads, Uncles and Aunties etc receiving care in hospital. Because these were children and children just shouldn't get ill and be exposed to this sort of thing, they should be at home running round the house causing havoc or at school painting and learning to read or at Birthday parties playing pass the parcel. Not here being given yucky tasting medicine, being put to sleep to have operations, being poked and prodded by strangers and certainly not doing anything so terrible as passing away.

 But this is reality. Being a nurse to such children and being able to help them and their family while receiving care is truly the greatest reward you can ever have. Making a difference. 

  As I found out it is not all sad and sorrow and hard times. In fact these are relatively unoccurring and the majority of the time children get better, are happy and leave with a smile on their face (and normally leave you with a Thank you card and box of chocolates!!). It is very rare for a child to die, most of the nurses on the ward could count on one hand how many child deaths they had seen and some had been there a LONG time!

 If you are nervous about starting placement talk to your personal tutor, they can point you in the right direction or give you some sound advice. 

 So the nitty gritty (and why your really reading this!!!) : What have I been doing??

Taking observations- such as blood pressure, temperature, respiration rate, heart rate, O2 saturation, capillary refill time and plotting these on a chart to calculate a PEWS (Paediatric Early Warning System) score

Calculating drug dosages- in tablet, liquid, capsule and topical (cream) form

Feeding patients- alot of the children I care for are babies, so it would be giving them milk in either a bottle or down an NG (nasogastric) tube

Passing an NG tube- a hollow tube that is inserted up the nose and down the throat into the stomach. Milk and liquid medications can then be given to unconscious patients or patients with an unsafe swallow this way

Injecting medication- as a student you are NOT allowed to administer anything IV (intravenous) related, how ever subcutaneous and muscular injections are allowed

Writing nursing notes- basically documenting how the patient has been on your shift, any changes or information that needs to be passed over to the next shift

Admitting patients to the ward- patients who have come in to have operations or procedures done need to be admitted. Basically doing a set of observations on them, medical history, any allergies, that sort of thing

Changing and washing patients- again I look after alot of babies so changing nappies and baby grows, giving them a bath, changing their sheets etc

Operations- fear not I don't actually DO them!! I am given the opportunity to observe them down in theatre. I have seen open heart surgery...... I'll save that interesting experience for another post!!

Wound dressing- changing the dressings over the scar after operations and removing stitches (this can be barrels of fun on an unwilling toddler!!!)

Removing cannula's- basically a cannula is a hollow tube placed into a vein and kept there so that medication can be given through it, when patients go home they need to be taken out

Interacting with patients and parents- this may be in general or you may be teaching them how to draw up medication for themselves/their child at home or taking them to have scans or xrays, anything really!!

 These are a few, there is more but I'd be here for ever writing them all! These are the main ones though, but these may vary from ward to ward depending on what kind of ward it is (ie cardiac, neuro, medical etc).

I have LOVED placement! I finish mid February and I'm dreading it. I feel I have learnt so much and developed leaps and bounds in regard to my chosen profession.

 I had nothing to be nervous about that first day, once you get to know and understand the running of a ward it is all so less daunting and complicating. You find your feet and flourish! My mentors are amazing, they encourage me without putting me under pressure, they will explain things fully before asking me to do them, they are funny and friendly (they don't seem at all teacherish!) and they can see when I am ready to be pushed abit harder to reach my potential. 

 All in all this placement has really confirmed that I have chosen the right career for myself and I cannot wait to be a fully qualified Nurse and be out there all superwomenlike :D

Till my next post,

Kimbers xXx

Starting Uni *WooHoo*

Thus it Begins...

The first few weeks of Uniness

 Ok, so I packed my bags and ran off to Uni: time of new beginnings, maturation, fun times and self discovery........

 So at my uni the first couple of weeks are mainly introduction lectures (aka FRESHERS!!!), they say its not, but really its almost standard to turn up hanging from the night before. Take advantage of this now because once the course properly starts they are likey to skin you alive before they let you sit in on the lectures (and as you now know, to get your Bursary you need to keep up your attendance!).

 For the first few weeks I studied 2 modules: Introduction to Life Sciences and Theories of Nursing. These are pretty standard to most nursing courses and they break you in nicely to how uni life works. 

 By now you will have a fairly good idea that a Nursing degree is tough, I once heard it was like doing a degree and working full time. I'm not sure about that but it is by no means a course to be ventured into lightly and does require you to embrace it 100%, otherwise you will struggle and have a crap time! I was in 2 half days and 2 full days every week until I went on placement, I also had workbooks and reading to do when I was not in uni. I studied nursing numeracy (I will go into more depth about this in another post) and clinical skills labs on my half days. Clinical skill labs are great for you to gain a better understanding on the runnings of a ward. You will cover things such as: manual handling, taking observations, infection control, eating and drinking, injection techniques, washing and changing and basic life support.

 You get to wear your (oh so shexy!!) uniforms and act and feel all nursey!! This is when it really hits home what you've let yourself in for as actually practising nursing skills allows you to visualise yourself as a nurse and just a few of the responsibilities it comes with!

 So the first few weeks really are all about settling in and finding your feet. Make sure you explore outside of uni as well so you can appreciate what else your city has to offer and enjoy it to the max!!

 Until I see you again, have fun :D

Kimbers xXx