[Kim_maria]

Hullo :-)
I was just woundering what peoples thoughts were on the different types of placements during the nursing course. For example one uni i will be applying to (brighton) sets out its timetable as 2 days of placement a week with 2 self study days and 1 day lectures at uni (so im told). Another uni im applying to (canterbury) has the more traditional block uni then block placements.
Anybody have any thoughts on what they think is the better option?
Block placements are great for proper "nurse" experience but i can imagine you get totally out of tune when your back at uni for weeks on end??
Any info or experience would be great :-)
Xx

[zippyRN]

block all the way, when i trained students from one uni in the area ( the one i went to did block placements apart from the very first placement - which was an 'early clinical experience' one) the other did strung out 2 day a week placements ... it was widely felt that the block placements were better for learning and gave far better continuity of care etc etc ...

[Kim_maria]

Well that was my thought. Surely the majority of nursing students will want to go full time when they qualify, how will they know what to expect from that if they have never had the typical 37 1/2-42 hours a week experience before?? And also areas such as rehabilitation and pallative care are incredibly difficult to experience without the full amount of hours?!
But then on the other hand I've read student nurse blogs that say the person is dreading going back to uni after placement because their so in tune with 'nurse' life and will fimd it boring after the pace of the wards!
Its a toughy!!

[xx-Samantha-xx]

It is a toughy, personally i prefer block placements because of the continuity of car for patients and you get a real feel for the kind of hours a nurse works but then on the other hand i hate going back to uni for weeks on end after a really good placement, for example i finished my second year placement about 3 weeks ago and aren't back out on placement now until december for my elective which is too long to wait for me personally but then i don't like the other structure of one day a week for a couple of months then going up to full time for a couple of months that UoM does....really i'd prefer staying on placement but then the theory is important as well so i suppose i'm just gonna have to either like it or lump it lol and i don't want to quit as i do enjoy it !!

[Kim_maria]

Having not experienced either its a hard one to call for myself. What branch of nursing are you studying? No dont quit, not long and you can wave byebye to lectures (for a while!) and enjoy what you studied so hard to do without the interruption of long weeks at uni! Alot of the nursing blogs Ive read say that the second year is abit of a slog, just gotta keep your eyes on the prize lol
:-)

[xx-Samantha-xx]

(Original post by Kim_maria)
Having not experienced either its a hard one to call for myself. What branch of nursing are you studying? No dont quit, not long and you can wave byebye to lectures (for a while!) and enjoy what you studied so hard to do without the interruption of long weeks at uni! Alot of the nursing blogs Ive read say that the second year is abit of a slog, just gotta keep your eyes on the prize lol
:-)

I'm doing Adult branch. The second year really is a slog most of us have found it hard this year, you not new to it anymore so they expect more out of you but yet you can't really see the end of the tunnel per say. But atm i am just thinking of my lovely elective on A&E to keep me going and focused

[moonkatt]

(Original post by xx-Samantha-xx)
I'm doing Adult branch. The second year really is a slog most of us have found it hard this year, you not new to it anymore so they expect more out of you but yet you can't really see the end of the tunnel per say. But atm i am just thinking of my lovely elective on A&E to keep me going and focused

I think a lot of people find the second year the worst, the novelty of starting has gone, the end of it all is far far away, hence the second year blues. Trust be, before you know it it will be the end of the third year wondering what all the fuss was about.

[Kim_maria]

Sounds fun, keep your chin up and focus on the end result. Im sure you will be a fantastic nurse :-)