The Student Room Group

How to cope on placements!

Anyone think its a good idea to produce a wiki for healthcare students about placements- ie tips on how to survive etc?

Im happy adding some tips to nursing, but any physio, ot, S&L..midwives et fancy helping out? Plus nurses from mental health, child etc?

Or we can just do a stickied thread!


Edit: Ok I've added my tips for adult nursing, PM me those who have spoken up to do tips for their area, and i'll add it to this thread, and do a wiki on it aswell! If anyone wants to add tips aswell, post on here!



Surviving a placement on Adult Nursing

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Surviving a Placement on Mental Health Branch

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Surviving a Radiotherapy Placement

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Radiotherapy Placements

* On the first placements the staff will just be looking for you to get used to what happens in the department, what equipment is used and chat to patients, do any ID procedure and bring them through into the room, communicate well with other members of staff etc

* They will probabaly start you off participating in treatment set ups by moving the gantry, learning the controls for the bed without a patient in the room, getting the room ready for the next patient by getting the correct equipment ready and so on. They will go through the local rules on radiation protection and you may also have an induction package to complete from your uni, this will help you settle into the department.

* If you dont understand anything-ask a member of staff! You will have a mentor for your placement so ask them if you are unsure. They will be supervising you all the time when you begin to set patients up and they wont let you do anything wrong so dont panic about that! Towards the end of the placement staff will probably let you get involved more in the treatment set up by moving the patient etc, dont panic about this you will be fine :smile:

* You will be on your feet for most of the day going in and out of the treatment room - wear comfy shoes!

* Make sure you have a pen and a notebook to go in your tunic pocket - i feel lost without my notebook now! Also try to get hold of some skin marker pens, we have them provided in department but i also have a collection of ohp pens too. Bring a small ruler as these are often needed.

* Remember some terms that will be used in department - these will help you become familiar with treatment set ups:

Patient supine - the patient lies on their back
Patient prone - the patient lies on their front

Look up meanings for anterior, posterior, inferior, superior, sagittal etc as you will need these terms daily!
1. Be prepared. Do a teeny bit of research into your current placement. There are so many bits and bobs you can start to grasp even before you start placement.
2. Enter the ward with a sense of humour. This will help, you with the staff and the patients. Some staff are very sarcastic so be aware, they don’t mean to insult you.
3. Don’t take anything negative to heart. Over the rest of you career you are likely to come across patients who will swear, punch, kick, insult you. It’s them or their diagnosis. Just take it with a pinch of salt and report it.
4. Following on...REPORT IT. If it’s not reported, it didn’t happen, and everything needs to be documented.
5. Be prepared to meet some characters. You will not like every patient you ever meet. You may have major problems with their character but remember you are a nurse; you cannot treat them any differently.
6. Physical health is you know is very important as you know. Carry a fob watch for the all important respiration rates and a note book so you can jot things down.
7. The HCAs are your friends. They are often more helpful than the actual nurses who are swum of their feet, who despite their best intentions cannot always supervise you. The HCAs are also very friendly and will watch out for you.
8. Ask questions, you are there to learn and do not feel ashamed pronouncing some of the drug names wrong. Believe me, the staff will help you through it and my current ward manager cannot say Haloperidol to save her life. To her it’s “Halodelalol”.
9. Go observe and sit in groups. Even if it isn’t branch specific, you may never get another chance. Also it uses up time if you are THAT bored.
10. You will learn about so different drugs. Keep your eye on the BNF, after all the medic may miss something and if that’s not important, you may save a patient.
11. Doctors can be your friend, make yourself available and ask questions. Some may ignore you; some may want you there and will teach you about any topic you ask.
12. Feel free to question diagnoses and other parts of a patient’s treatment if you feel like it is ignored or may be wrong. As long as you can back up your questions there is no harm done.
13. Smile. Patients respond well to a smile on your face and a cheesy Grin.
14. If there is no work in the office that needs doing, go into the day room. You learn so much from talking to patients, or even observing them watching the TV.
15. Enjoy it. You are only a student for three years; enjoy learning and the supernumerary status. You won’t ever get it back.:smile:
I've added a few more from adult nursing, and also requested this thread get stickied- childrens nursing tips, sppech and language therapy AND physio, OT tips etc would be appreciated!
Ooo yay the thread is stickied!
Those tips will definitely be saved on to my favourites list
Reply 6
These tips are fab :smile: Starting placement tomorrow so will keep these all in mind!
Reply 7
Awesome tips, thank you! :smile:

*hopes someone posts some tips for learning disability nursing* :biggrin:
I have to agree with everyone on here very good tips Cup of Inspiration on how to cope on clinical placements.Academic is one thing.But you need to pass both clinical and academic in order to pass the nursing course over the 3 years.I quite looking forward to it all thats if i am lucky to be offered a place at any of the universities i applied to:yes:
Reply 9
Great post, some of it i wouldnt of thought about before, thanks :smile:
Tips for Diagnostic Radiography students:

-Guard your markers with your life! It's a horrible feeling when you go to put a left marker on the cassette, and you've only got a right one.

-Be assertive with your positioning. If you move the patient's arm like it's made of unicorn's tears, they're less likely to cooperate, whereas if you assertively put it where you need it (you don't have to be aggressive, or hurt them, just confident) they're more likely to keep it in that exact position, because you mean business!

-If you're in a department where you get left by yourself a lot, don't take it personally. The radiographer might be there the whole time you're positioning, but as soon as you go to take the image, they've disappeared off the face of the earth. Worse still, that skyline knee was perfect when you set it up, but by the time you've found someone to check it, the patient has flopped their leg down and the radiographer now thinks you have no idea how to image knees. Don't worry! It happens, especially in busy departments. Just bite your tongue and move on.

-Treat everyone (not just qualified radiographers, but fellow students, APs, and other staff) as potential future colleagues, because they are! It doesn't matter if your placement is in Edinburgh, and you're hoping to work in Auckland, radiography is a relatively close knit community, and if you piss people off, word will get around, and by Sod's Law, that person will end up being your supervisor. Equally, try to make a good impression- we were told just after our first placement that opinions will have already been made as to whether we are considered good candidates for employment, and we've got three years to go yet!

-Show an interest! Even if you're terrified and want the ground to swallow you up, go get involved. Even if you're just handing cassettes or accessories to the radiographer, get in the room and see what's going on. You're more likely to be respected that way.

-If you see things in practise that you either don't agree with or things that clash with what you've been taught, don't say "we've been taught not to do that". If you feel you must question it at the time, word it differently "ooh that's an interesting method, I've not seen that done that way before..." and listen to their reasoning. Sometimes it's a bad habit, sometimes it's due to local rules. Otherwise, just make a mental note of it and ask your tutors when you see them. It's less likely to cause conflict this way- a long-qualified radiographer isn't going to take it very well when a first year student tells them they are wrong.

-However, if you are put in a situation which could adversely affect you, for example in fluoroscopy without appropriate protection, don't just play along! If there aren't enough lead aprons for you to have one, excuse yourself and go find one! Don't miss out on seeing really interesting procedures just because someone's nicked an apron. Equally, if there are no thyroid shields, ask where you might find another! You might get treated like a worry-wart, but this is YOUR SAFETY at stake, and hopefully you're going to be working with radiation for many many years to come, so it's best to look after yourself. It's in everyone's interests that you're safe: you don't want cancer, and the NHS really don't want you to get cancer- it'll be a waste of a radiography degree, and they'll have to treat you!

Last point (for now)- if you're in a department with quite a few students on placement, don't herd together! It's really intimidating for the patients and it's annoying for the staff. If you're assigned to be somewhere, and there's nothing happening, don't sprint back to be with your mates, it looks really bad and you could miss something interesting.

That stuff all sounds really negative, but it's not meant to be! Just enjoy your placements and make the most of your time in practise. It'll be over before you know it.
Good advice so far... as a mental health nurse for 10+ years, the best students are those that ask questions, treat patients like humans, have a smile on their face, are enthusiastic (we all have bad days.. just pretend!) and who offer to make me a cuppa every so often!! Don't be afraid of your training - enjoy the placements.
Reply 12
Cup of Inspiration
Anyone think its a good idea to produce a wiki for healthcare students about placements- ie tips on how to survive etc?

Im happy adding some tips to nursing, but any physio, ot, S&L..midwives et fancy helping out? Plus nurses from mental health, child etc?

Or we can just do a stickied thread!


Edit: Ok I've added my tips for adult nursing, PM me those who have spoken up to do tips for their area, and i'll add it to this thread, and do a wiki on it aswell! If anyone wants to add tips aswell, post on here!



Surviving a placement on Adult Nursing

Spoiler



Surviving a Placement on Mental Health Branch

Spoiler




Surviving a Radiotherapy Placement

Spoiler




These points are fab.... even for child branch.
Reply 13
Cherry Black
Tips for Diagnostic Radiography students:

-Guard your markers with your life! It's a horrible feeling when you go to put a left marker on the cassette, and you've only got a right one.

-Be assertive with your positioning. If you move the patient's arm like it's made of unicorn's tears, they're less likely to cooperate, whereas if you assertively put it where you need it (you don't have to be aggressive, or hurt them, just confident) they're more likely to keep it in that exact position, because you mean business!

-If you're in a department where you get left by yourself a lot, don't take it personally. The radiographer might be there the whole time you're positioning, but as soon as you go to take the image, they've disappeared off the face of the earth. Worse still, that skyline knee was perfect when you set it up, but by the time you've found someone to check it, the patient has flopped their leg down and the radiographer now thinks you have no idea how to image knees. Don't worry! It happens, especially in busy departments. Just bite your tongue and move on.

-Treat everyone (not just qualified radiographers, but fellow students, APs, and other staff) as potential future colleagues, because they are! It doesn't matter if your placement is in Edinburgh, and you're hoping to work in Auckland, radiography is a relatively close knit community, and if you piss people off, word will get around, and by Sod's Law, that person will end up being your supervisor. Equally, try to make a good impression- we were told just after our first placement that opinions will have already been made as to whether we are considered good candidates for employment, and we've got three years to go yet!

-Show an interest! Even if you're terrified and want the ground to swallow you up, go get involved. Even if you're just handing cassettes or accessories to the radiographer, get in the room and see what's going on. You're more likely to be respected that way.

-If you see things in practise that you either don't agree with or things that clash with what you've been taught, don't say "we've been taught not to do that". If you feel you must question it at the time, word it differently "ooh that's an interesting method, I've not seen that done that way before..." and listen to their reasoning. Sometimes it's a bad habit, sometimes it's due to local rules. Otherwise, just make a mental note of it and ask your tutors when you see them. It's less likely to cause conflict this way- a long-qualified radiographer isn't going to take it very well when a first year student tells them they are wrong.

-However, if you are put in a situation which could adversely affect you, for example in fluoroscopy without appropriate protection, don't just play along! If there aren't enough lead aprons for you to have one, excuse yourself and go find one! Don't miss out on seeing really interesting procedures just because someone's nicked an apron. Equally, if there are no thyroid shields, ask where you might find another! You might get treated like a worry-wart, but this is YOUR SAFETY at stake, and hopefully you're going to be working with radiation for many many years to come, so it's best to look after yourself. It's in everyone's interests that you're safe: you don't want cancer, and the NHS really don't want you to get cancer- it'll be a waste of a radiography degree, and they'll have to treat you!

Last point (for now)- if you're in a department with quite a few students on placement, don't herd together! It's really intimidating for the patients and it's annoying for the staff. If you're assigned to be somewhere, and there's nothing happening, don't sprint back to be with your mates, it looks really bad and you could miss something interesting.

That stuff all sounds really negative, but it's not meant to be! Just enjoy your placements and make the most of your time in practise. It'll be over before you know it.

There's some really useful advice in there, thank you very much. I've just had a very difficult placement where my mentor blatently told me yesterday that she didn't like me. I suppose marks for honesty are due but it wasn't nice to hear and I must have done something to deserve this. One thing she kept saying that I was disrespectful towards her. I never mean to be, so it is obvious that I need to work on holding my tongue and wording things differently, such as when someone shows me how to do something different to how the uni showed us. Really sound advice, thanks.
Ive just received details of where i have been allocated. Its Birmingham Childrens hospital on the heart transplant unit.

Im supposed to be going toa child branch meeting on July 20th but that is the day i go on holiday.

Ive sent an email to the heart unit at BCH to introduce myself, and i asked if i could go down there myself to look round the hospital. I explained that i cant go to the child branch meeting.

I hope they wont get angry with me- i have offered to go down there myself if they will let me.

Does anyone know how soon after starting a course that you get your uniform.

I started my course on 19th April. Im been completely CRB cleared and im fully enrolled and still i dont know when im going to get my uniform?
Have you tried asking your university about these queries?
confuzzled1986
Ive just received details of where i have been allocated. Its Birmingham Childrens hospital on the heart transplant unit.

Im supposed to be going toa child branch meeting on July 20th but that is the day i go on holiday.

Ive sent an email to the heart unit at BCH to introduce myself, and i asked if i could go down there myself to look round the hospital. I explained that i cant go to the child branch meeting.

I hope they wont get angry with me- i have offered to go down there myself if they will let me.

Does anyone know how soon after starting a course that you get your uniform.

I started my course on 19th April. Im been completely CRB cleared and im fully enrolled and still i dont know when im going to get my uniform?



Firstly, having a holiday during uni time isn't wise and is not a good idea to tell a future placement, doesn't look good on you and its always a good idea to make a good first impression

Secondly, if the placement starts AFTER the 20th july, then I wouldn't bother going in to say hello 2 weeks before you start, they wouldn't have your offduty until then, and probably won't remember you if you went in now!

Finally- could you stop making threads about every question you have? If you have many questions, why not ask them in one thread or in the sticky threads above, for example the one about placements?
I will be going on my first clinical placement soon, and would like to know how best to prepare.

Have have you prepared when you did your first placement?

When do first year students have to complete their F1 documents? Is it before or after placement?

I know i need to get a fob watch but do i need to purchase any other equipment?

I have made contact with my placement area and went down to the ward last week. I still dont know at the moment what my hours of shift will be.
Reply 18
confuzzled1986
I will be going on my first clinical placement soon, and would like to know how best to prepare.

Have have you prepared when you did your first placement?

When do first year students have to complete their F1 documents? Is it before or after placement?

I know i need to get a fob watch but do i need to purchase any other equipment?

I have made contact with my placement area and went down to the ward last week. I still dont know at the moment what my hours of shift will be.


You dont say what type of ward you are going on to, but you could spend some time reading about the health problems of the patients.For example, if you are going to a renal ward you could read about dialysis, renal failure A and P of the kidney, etc.A fob watch is handy, although in some trusts you are not allowed to have it pinned on the front of your tunic for health and safety reasons, instead you could pin it on to the pocket of your tunic and tuck it inside the pocket. You wont need to buy any other equipment. I would advise getting a pen and a notebook so that you can write down anything that you find interesting or something that you might like to find out more about. On my first placement our F1 was completed whilst we were on placement, although that was 3 years ago I would assume that its still the case as many of the outcomes are related to your placement.

Hope that helps and good luck with your placement :smile:
Reply 19
Annie72
You dont say what type of ward you are going on to, but you could spend some time reading about the health problems of the patients.For example, if you are going to a renal ward you could read about dialysis, renal failure A and P of the kidney, etc.A fob watch is handy, although in some trusts you are not allowed to have it pinned on the front of your tunic for health and safety reasons, instead you could pin it on to the pocket of your tunic and tuck it inside the pocket. You wont need to buy any other equipment. I would advise getting a pen and a notebook so that you can write down anything that you find interesting or something that you might like to find out more about. On my first placement our F1 was completed whilst we were on placement, although that was 3 years ago I would assume that its still the case as many of the outcomes are related to your placement.

Hope that helps and good luck with your placement :smile:


This.

Do a little background research and get yourself a black pen and little note pad. Apart from a fob watch, you won't need anything else!

Good luck, don't worry and don't be scared to ask questions!

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