As a nurse, what will I be expected to do?
I received an offer for Adult Nursing, but I'm having second thoughts now. I know the role of a nurse (or at least I think I do), but I didn't hear anything about wiping bums and cleaning urine/poop etc until I read a few threads on here. How true is this? Also, I feel like I wouldn't have as much responsibility as I would like in nursing, and thus I'm thinking of sticking it out and then applying for graduate entry medicine afterwards, but I'm not too sure. Who knows, I might even really enjoy it... maybe I'm just anxious about starting the course. Initially, I wanted to do midwifery, but I got rejected by all 5 unis and got an offer from a top uni through extra, so that's that.
What is the role of a nurse? And do you think nursing is for me? Is it normal to have second thoughts at this stage? Can you please share your experience as a student nurse? Greatly appreciated!
What is the role of a nurse? And do you think nursing is for me? Is it normal to have second thoughts at this stage? Can you please share your experience as a student nurse? Greatly appreciated!
Original post by AfroBeats
I received an offer for Adult Nursing, but I'm having second thoughts now. I know the role of a nurse (or at least I think I do), but I didn't hear anything about wiping bums and cleaning urine/poop etc until I read a few threads on here. How true is this? Also, I feel like I wouldn't have as much responsibility as I would like in nursing, and thus I'm thinking of sticking it out and then applying for graduate entry medicine afterwards, but I'm not too sure. Who knows, I might even really enjoy it... maybe I'm just anxious about starting the course. Initially, I wanted to do midwifery, but I got rejected by all 5 unis and got an offer from a top uni through extra, so that's that.
What is the role of a nurse? And do you think nursing is for me? Is it normal to have second thoughts at this stage? Can you please share your experience as a student nurse? Greatly appreciated!
What is the role of a nurse? And do you think nursing is for me? Is it normal to have second thoughts at this stage? Can you please share your experience as a student nurse? Greatly appreciated!
A large part of being a nurse is supporting people with their personal care because they can't do it themselves. So yes you will be "wiping bums and cleaning urine/poop". Also, sick, sputum and other bodily fluids! The fundamental role of a nurse is to provide care for their patients. Have you had any other experience working with people? A nursing course is extremely intense so you will need the enthusiasm and motivation to do it. You can do an 18 month top up to become a midwife after you have qualified as a nurse. Hope this helps?
Original post by AfroBeats
I know the role of a nurse (or at least I think I do), but I didn't hear anything about wiping bums and cleaning urine/poop etc until I read a few threads on here. How true is this?
What is the role of a nurse? And do you think nursing is for me? I
What is the role of a nurse? And do you think nursing is for me? I
Seriously? How can you apply for a place on a nursing course and NOT KNOW that helping with personal care is part of your job remit???
How did you get on a course and not know the role of a nurse? Do you have any experience of working in a care environment?
No, I don't think nursing is for you if you think that you are "too posh to wash".
Demand for places on nursing courses is very high. You could be taking a place from someone who really wants/deserves it and who would take it seriously, rather than a stepping stone into medicine.
crikey Roobie72, she was only asking!
AfroBeats, is it really midwifery that you want to do? If so, is it possible to take a year out, (defer the place you have) but get some work, voluntary or otherwise in a nursing/caring environment and then see if nursing is for you, or to have another crack at midwifery. Did you get feedback from the uni's that turned you down for midwifery? If it was your PS a year gaining some experience may really help if you applied again.
AfroBeats, is it really midwifery that you want to do? If so, is it possible to take a year out, (defer the place you have) but get some work, voluntary or otherwise in a nursing/caring environment and then see if nursing is for you, or to have another crack at midwifery. Did you get feedback from the uni's that turned you down for midwifery? If it was your PS a year gaining some experience may really help if you applied again.
You're okay dealing with all the gunky stuff coming out of a woman with a baby but not a bit of poo? :/
Original post by infairverona
You're okay dealing with all the gunky stuff coming out of a woman with a baby but not a bit of poo? :/
Usually there's a fair bit of faecal matter expelled during childbirth.
Original post by lilibet01
crikey Roobie72, she was only asking!
AfroBeats, is it really midwifery that you want to do? If so, is it possible to take a year out, (defer the place you have) but get some work, voluntary or otherwise in a nursing/caring environment and then see if nursing is for you, or to have another crack at midwifery. Did you get feedback from the uni's that turned you down for midwifery? If it was your PS a year gaining some experience may really help if you applied again.
AfroBeats, is it really midwifery that you want to do? If so, is it possible to take a year out, (defer the place you have) but get some work, voluntary or otherwise in a nursing/caring environment and then see if nursing is for you, or to have another crack at midwifery. Did you get feedback from the uni's that turned you down for midwifery? If it was your PS a year gaining some experience may really help if you applied again.
I won't apologise for my reply - I do wonder what goes through some people's minds. No wonder student nurses get a bad rep.
You are more diplomatic than I am and your response is more contructive than mine lol
Original post by roobie72
I won't apologise for my reply - I do wonder what goes through some people's minds. No wonder student nurses get a bad rep.
You are more diplomatic than I am and your response is more contructive than mine lol
You are more diplomatic than I am and your response is more contructive than mine lol
I agree with you. I'm sick to the back teeth of the whole too posh to wash stuff that's floating round, as it's utter rubbish.
but surely it's better to ask the question, get the facts, than to not do so, and then waste a place?
I agree that potential nursing students should be far more aware of the role of a nurse than some seem to. But to be fair to the OP she was applying for a midwifery role, yes there's 'mucky' stuff to deal with, I've had 4 children I know, but the nursing place was an add-on.
I'm not too posh to wash, and also know that I'll only get 7 weeks holiday a year, something that was a surprise to a fellow student (also with children and therefore childcare issues) I met at a pre-start day. So there are a lot of issues with a nursing degree, that some people seem to miss.
Not sure that I've got across what I was trying to say, but hey ho!
I agree that potential nursing students should be far more aware of the role of a nurse than some seem to. But to be fair to the OP she was applying for a midwifery role, yes there's 'mucky' stuff to deal with, I've had 4 children I know, but the nursing place was an add-on.
I'm not too posh to wash, and also know that I'll only get 7 weeks holiday a year, something that was a surprise to a fellow student (also with children and therefore childcare issues) I met at a pre-start day. So there are a lot of issues with a nursing degree, that some people seem to miss.
Not sure that I've got across what I was trying to say, but hey ho!
Original post by roobie72
Seriously? How can you apply for a place on a nursing course and NOT KNOW that helping with personal care is part of your job remit???
How did you get on a course and not know the role of a nurse? Do you have any experience of working in a care environment?
No, I don't think nursing is for you if you think that you are "too posh to wash".
Demand for places on nursing courses is very high. You could be taking a place from someone who really wants/deserves it and who would take it seriously, rather than a stepping stone into medicine.
How did you get on a course and not know the role of a nurse? Do you have any experience of working in a care environment?
No, I don't think nursing is for you if you think that you are "too posh to wash".
Demand for places on nursing courses is very high. You could be taking a place from someone who really wants/deserves it and who would take it seriously, rather than a stepping stone into medicine.
Firstly, I do not think I'm "too posh to wash", and secondly, I did not plan on taking a nursing course to begin with but under the circumstances, I had no choice. All 5 universities rejected me but one of them got back to me with the offer of an adult nursing course, whereby I was told I would be able to apply for the 18 month midwifery programme afterwards. Yes, this may take longer, but if you had met my parents, taking a gap year is not an option. I understand the role of a midwife as I had done sufficient research prior to writing my personal statement, but I am not so certain of the role of a nurse because like I said, it was never my intention to apply for a nursing programme. And no, I do not see nursing as a stepping stone to medicine, but I am contemplating whether I should stick to midwifery or apply for GEM afterwards. I guess I will have to sleep on it and see how I feel about it in the coming years.
In answer to your question, yes, I actually have plenty of experience working in health and social care settings (7 different settings to be precise), so I really do not appreciate that patronizing tone.
And what do you mean "you could be taking a place from someone who really wants/deserves it"? Because I can assure I deserve it as much as the next applicant. I worked my butt off achieving top grades and ensuring I had relevant experience and clearly, the university thought I was good enough and deserved it, so your comment is irrelevant.
Everyone else, with the exception of 'robbie72' and 'moonkatt', thank you for your replies. Much appreciated!
Original post by AfroBeats
Firstly, I do not think I'm "too posh to wash", and secondly, I did not plan on taking a nursing course to begin with but under the circumstances, I had no choice. All 5 universities rejected me but one of them got back to me with the offer of an adult nursing course, whereby I was told I would be able to apply for the 18 month midwifery programme afterwards. Yes, this may take longer, but if you had met my parents, taking a gap year is not an option. I understand the role of a midwife as I had done sufficient research prior to writing my personal statement, but I am not so certain of the role of a nurse because like I said, it was never my intention to apply for a nursing programme. And no, I do not see nursing as a stepping stone to medicine, but I am contemplating whether I should stick to midwifery or apply for GEM afterwards. I guess I will have to sleep on it and see how I feel about it in the coming years.
In answer to your question, yes, I actually have plenty of experience working in health and social care settings (7 different settings to be precise), so I really do not appreciate that patronizing tone.
And what do you mean "you could be taking a place from someone who really wants/deserves it"? Because I can assure I deserve it as much as the next applicant. I worked my butt off achieving top grades and ensuring I had relevant experience and clearly, the university thought I was good enough and deserved it, so your comment is irrelevant.
Everyone else, with the exception of 'robbie72' and 'moonkatt', thank you for your replies. Much appreciated!
In answer to your question, yes, I actually have plenty of experience working in health and social care settings (7 different settings to be precise), so I really do not appreciate that patronizing tone.
And what do you mean "you could be taking a place from someone who really wants/deserves it"? Because I can assure I deserve it as much as the next applicant. I worked my butt off achieving top grades and ensuring I had relevant experience and clearly, the university thought I was good enough and deserved it, so your comment is irrelevant.
Everyone else, with the exception of 'robbie72' and 'moonkatt', thank you for your replies. Much appreciated!
Show me where I've implied that you're too posh to wash? I was agreeing with robbie's comments on the too posh to wash stigma that is being attached to nursing at the moment.
Oh, and if you're going to whine about me at least have the courage to quote me so I can defend my position.
ETA (been doing some work)
From your original post it sounded like you were surprised that nurses are expected to deal with various body fluids and deliver personal care. It's a fundamental part of nursing and one of the most important. There has been a stigma for some time (since P2000 I believe) that nurses going to university to train will be seen as "too posh to wash", a lot of us have worked very hard to try and remove that stigma. Throughout my training I was expected to prove myself as willing to take part in personal care, no matter what level of my training I was at, this at time was at the detriment of my learning needs for that placement. Because of this stigma attached to it I'm sure you can understand why people react quite strongly to what may have been implied in your OP, you may not have meant it that way, but when there's no nonverbal communication on here things can be lost. I'm surprised that you were unaware of it with the experience you've gained to apply for university.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by moonkatt
Show me where I've implied that you're too posh to wash? I was agreeing with robbie's comments on the too posh to wash stigma that is being attached to nursing at the moment.
Oh, and if you're going to whine about me at least have the courage to quote me so I can defend my position.
Oh, and if you're going to whine about me at least have the courage to quote me so I can defend my position.
My reply was aimed at 'robbie72', hence why I quoted said user. Since you did not contribute effectively to this thread, I still stick by what I said earlier in that I do not appreciate your input, because it was evident that you were attempting to incite rage at my expense. I honestly do not know how you reached the conclusion that I was whining about you when I only mentioned you once (at the end of my comment) - everything else was not about you, so stop with the delusion and paranoia please.
Edit: Thanks for the edit. Perhaps I should have worded it differently.
(edited 10 years ago)
To be honest Afrobeats roobie72 has a point. After all you are on a blog site and asked for opinions.... Whether you liked the reply or not. And also you do sound a bit whiny about the role of a nurse for having " 7 " different job experiences under your belt.
Yes as a nurse you will have to wipe bums but you should already know that. So when you start a thread about that topic it points out the negative side rather than focusing on the positive.
To go back to your original questions and to give you " my opinion" I do think its normal to have second thoughts. Especially for a field you did not originally choose. But both midwifery and nursing are very similar. Another good thing about nursing is you will have that degree and then you can specialise in something else as you stated in your response to roobie72. Good luck!
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Yes as a nurse you will have to wipe bums but you should already know that. So when you start a thread about that topic it points out the negative side rather than focusing on the positive.
To go back to your original questions and to give you " my opinion" I do think its normal to have second thoughts. Especially for a field you did not originally choose. But both midwifery and nursing are very similar. Another good thing about nursing is you will have that degree and then you can specialise in something else as you stated in your response to roobie72. Good luck!
Posted from TSR Mobile
I do not think I'm "too posh to wash"
All 5 universities rejected me
I understand the role of a midwife
no, I do not see nursing as a stepping stone to medicine
yes, I actually have plenty of experience working in health and social care settings (7 different settings to be precise)
I'm interested to know what kind of experience this is and how extensive it was.
I really do not appreciate that patronizing tone
You come on a public forum and ask for an opinion, you may not get the "warm and fuzzies" you expected. How you deal with it is a measure of your emotional maturity.
And what do you mean "you could be taking a place from someone who really wants/deserves it"?
I mean exactly what I said. You don't want to do nursing; you see it as somehow inferior to midwifery and you don't appreciate the chance you have been given. You may think you deserve it but ask yourself this: DO YOU WANT IT?
I worked my butt off achieving top grades
Sorry but they don't really count for much in the real world. They are merely the key that opens to door to university
Whatever path you choose, I hope you are successful.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by AfroBeats
I received an offer for Adult Nursing, but I'm having second thoughts now. I know the role of a nurse (or at least I think I do), but I didn't hear anything about wiping bums and cleaning urine/poop etc until I read a few threads on here. How true is this? Also, I feel like I wouldn't have as much responsibility as I would like in nursing, and thus I'm thinking of sticking it out and then applying for graduate entry medicine afterwards, but I'm not too sure. Who knows, I might even really enjoy it... maybe I'm just anxious about starting the course. Initially, I wanted to do midwifery, but I got rejected by all 5 unis and got an offer from a top uni through extra, so that's that.
What is the role of a nurse? And do you think nursing is for me? Is it normal to have second thoughts at this stage? Can you please share your experience as a student nurse? Greatly appreciated!
What is the role of a nurse? And do you think nursing is for me? Is it normal to have second thoughts at this stage? Can you please share your experience as a student nurse? Greatly appreciated!
Hi, I hope you don't mind me commenting. I'm a registered nurse (qualified 4 years ago) so have been through the training process. I think it is perfectly natural to have doubts before starting a new course, particularly one you didn't originally apply for. Think it through carefully, consider working as a healthcare assistant for a year whilst you make your mind up. Nursing is hard, the training is hard, as is the job, and what you are expected to do on a day by day basis varies drastically between different departments/specialities.
Think about why you want to be a midwife, if it is your dream you really should consider a gap year, what seems like so long will fly by very quickly. Something i've found is most student nurses who don't 100% want to be there don't pass/finish the course. It is hard to stick to a challenging full time course if you aren't completely committed. I'd say the best thing you can do is think about what you want to do in the future, where you see yourself. Is it as a nurse, a doctor or a midwife? As they are all very different roles.
I'm now starting Medical school to retrain as a doctor after realising I can't see myself as a nurse for the next 40 years. Nursing has helped me to get into medicine because I have several years experience in a specialist field, most nurses who move into medicine have work experience, they don't usually jump from one to the other... another factor worth considering.
Gain some work experience, shadow a staff nurse on a ward, even just for one day before you make your mind up
Don't do nursing if you're not 100% sure you want to. If you're already doubting it before you've even started then it really isn't for you. It pisses me off that people see it as 'just nursing' and 'a stepping stone to medicine or midwifery'.
Nursing is a hard course to do, I was so enthusiastic about it when I started it and I have had moments where I wonder whether it's the right course. A hell of a lot of people drop out after the first placement.
Take a gap year, re-apply for midwifery. Don't take nursing as an easy or second option. You won't last.
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Nursing is a hard course to do, I was so enthusiastic about it when I started it and I have had moments where I wonder whether it's the right course. A hell of a lot of people drop out after the first placement.
Take a gap year, re-apply for midwifery. Don't take nursing as an easy or second option. You won't last.
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If you want to be a midwife, go for it and reapply. You said you got top grades, so maybe you didn't get a place because the other candidates had more practical experience? One of my best friends is a midwife, there is ALOT of poo and bodily fluids, but she loves it and hates the idea of nursing. Don't do nursing, it will be hard and if it's not what you want to do there's a good chance you'll drop out. Which will look bad if you apply for midwifery after, and I don't think you'll be eligible for nhs funding? Plus the 18 month course is competitive, hard, and my friend says people struggle more when they qualify than people who did the 3 year BSc.
To answer your question, I'd say the role of a nurse is very varied and challenging, always with responsibility and maybe with some poo...but you don't spend the three years learning to clean up poo!! Drives me mad when people ask me why I want to "wipe people's bums all day?!"
To answer your question, I'd say the role of a nurse is very varied and challenging, always with responsibility and maybe with some poo...but you don't spend the three years learning to clean up poo!! Drives me mad when people ask me why I want to "wipe people's bums all day?!"
Original post by roobie72
Seriously? How can you apply for a place on a nursing course and NOT KNOW that helping with personal care is part of your job remit???
How did you get on a course and not know the role of a nurse? Do you have any experience of working in a care environment?
No, I don't think nursing is for you if you think that you are "too posh to wash".
Demand for places on nursing courses is very high. You could be taking a place from someone who really wants/deserves it and who would take it seriously, rather than a stepping stone into medicine.
How did you get on a course and not know the role of a nurse? Do you have any experience of working in a care environment?
No, I don't think nursing is for you if you think that you are "too posh to wash".
Demand for places on nursing courses is very high. You could be taking a place from someone who really wants/deserves it and who would take it seriously, rather than a stepping stone into medicine.
Agreed!
Posted from TSR Mobile
I think you guys are being really harsh. Nursing is a valued profession but if people want to expand and become doctors, midwifes or whatever let them. It's not the easiest profession to be in, I worked in care since I was 18 and it took me 4 years to realise I had the desire to become a nurse. The point is it takes time to actually know what profession you want to enter and if midwifery is what you really like then please take a gap year. You researched a midwifes role, prepared yourself to start the degree and enter the profession and then you had to convert to a whole different spectrum of care altogether it's just not worth you being miserable for the whole 3 years of your training trust me on this one. Your parents want you to be happy, it's your life!
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