Registered Nurses/Nursing Students Chat Thread

Original post by claireestelle

Is joining a union when you start nursing degrees compulsory?

Just wondering whether i should take out the rcn membership before september

Not so much as a student but you will need indemnity insurance (which comes with union membership) when you qualify. Wait until you start to get a student membership, as they often come to the uni in the first week and have some freebies to entice you.

I would recommend joining one, just for the legal and professional assistance they can offer you.

Reply 382

Original post by ForestCat

Not so much as a student but you will need indemnity insurance (which comes with union membership) when you qualify. Wait until you start to get a student membership, as they often come to the uni in the first week and have some freebies to entice you.

I would recommend joining one, just for the legal and professional assistance they can offer you.

Thank you forestcat, shall save my money for freshers week if my uni has unions coming, quite like the sound of freebies :smile:

Reply 383

Original post by claireestelle

Thank you forestcat, shall save my money for freshers week if my uni has unions coming, quite like the sound of freebies :smile:

Its usually stuff like pens and highlighters but I seem to remember getting a free nursing dictionary

Reply 384

Original post by ForestCat

Its usually stuff like pens and highlighters but I seem to remember getting a free nursing dictionary

Nothing wrong with some good free pens, doing my health and social care i ve been to freshers fair 2 years in a row and never need to buy a pen now :wink:

Reply 385

Katbatt

Original post by x-pixie-x

New to this thread also. I did PG Dip Adult at King's but jacked in older people to work in a neonatal unit which I've done for nearly a year...any questions ask!

Hello Pixie, I'm so happy I found your comment!! I just firmed my conditional offer from Kings to do the pgdip in adult nursing course. I'm so excited but also a little bit anxious as I've heard that the course is very intensive. I was hoping that to gain some extra income I would be able to work a bank shift once a week. Do you think this is possible? Also, overall how did you find the course? May I ask which trust you are working for now?

Many thanks for your time!!
Kathryn :smile:

Reply 386

x-pixie-x

8

Original post by Katbatt

Hello Pixie, I'm so happy I found your comment!! I just firmed my conditional offer from Kings to do the pgdip in adult nursing course. I'm so excited but also a little bit anxious as I've heard that the course is very intensive. I was hoping that to gain some extra income I would be able to work a bank shift once a week. Do you think this is possible? Also, overall how did you find the course? May I ask which trust you are working for now?

Many thanks for your time!!
Kathryn :smile:

I knew a few people who did HCA bank work and they managed fine. It's definitely doable when you're having lectures.
If I had my time again tbh I wouldn't have chosen KCL, good reputation yes but lots of us felt it was too academic and didn't focus enough on how to actually nurse since they said a lot of the practical stuff you can learn on placement but busy wards mean you don't always have the time to learn.
Otherwise for me the workload was very manageable. I trained at GSTT and moved to Imperial.

Reply 387

x-pixie-x

8

Original post by pollyabu

O pixie! I'm about to start PgDip at Middlesex in September, this is a very personal question, I'm a single mum of two little ones, and I'm terrified I'm going to have no money, what was your bursary like? Any suggestions?

At the time I got a bursary of £650 a month and managed living on that in a flat share but it was a bit tight. They've changed the rules since though, now I think you get a £1k grant and a means tested bursary.

Reply 388

PaediatricStN

12

Original post by claireestelle

That sounds like one great trust :smile:

are you moving to a different area for your first job then? :smile:

Yes I will be. Clinically, I'm applying for jobs that are similar to the experience I already have - there's plenty in the more 'general' paeds areas that I can learn before moving on to specialise should I want to - but for now I want to move to a different area for a new challenge and new opportunities :smile:

Reply 389

Original post by PaediatricStN

Yes I will be. Clinically, I'm applying for jobs that are similar to the experience I already have - there's plenty in the more 'general' paeds areas that I can learn before moving on to specialise should I want to - but for now I want to move to a different area for a new challenge and new opportunities :smile:

Moving to a new area for new challenges, sounds inspiring :smile:

have you done any specialised placements in your degree or were they all general? I hope to come across as many specialties when i start as i ve no preference at all at the moment, not even completely set on adults mental health although not sure how hard cahms is to get into
best of luck in your applications :smile:

Reply 390

PaediatricStN

12

Original post by claireestelle

Moving to a new area for new challenges, sounds inspiring :smile:

have you done any specialised placements in your degree or were they all general? I hope to come across as many specialties when i start as i ve no preference at all at the moment, not even completely set on adults mental health although not sure how hard cahms is to get into
best of luck in your applications :smile:

Haha! Thank you. I'm often not that inspiring so that is nice to hear!

I've been fortunate in one sense to have done a mixture of placements. I've done 2 general acute paeds wards for different ages, the Paediatric Assessment Unit linked to those, NICU (Level 3 - the most critical), and a children's hospice.

So I guess you could say the NICU and the hospice were specialised :smile:

I think CAMHS is hard to get into, however with there being a lot of pressure for the NHS to expand CAMHS services you may find when you come to qualify, that there are more jobs around then. If it's an area you are interested in, you can always request to do a placement there :smile:

Reply 391

moonkatt

19

Original post by pollyabu

Hi again

What is your opinion on the Physician Associate role? Is it worth it? It seems an easier route.

Original post by ForestCat

I really don't know much about it. I don't really know how established it is in this country, so it would be a bit risky job wise. Personally if I'd wanted to advance professionally but not do medicine I would have gone do the advanced nurse practitioner/clinical nurse specialist route. Much more established and greater job opportunities.

To me it seems like you'd just be stuck halfway between being a nurse and being a doctor (and having most people not really having a clue what you can or cannot do).

Quite a lot of advanced practice roles use the PA course as a means of training. I've worked at a trust where they have advanced practitioners in A&E who have done some sort of PA course and work independently in the ED. It's a way for people who work in theatres to become advanced practitioners as there's the PA anaesthetics role. It's not a massively widespread role, some places have embraced it more than others and there can be a bit of resistance to having them around.

Reply 392

Original post by moonkatt

Quite a lot of advanced practice roles use the PA course as a means of training. I've worked at a trust where they have advanced practitioners in A&E who have done some sort of PA course and work independently in the ED. It's a way for people who work in theatres to become advanced practitioners as there's the PA anaesthetics role. It's not a massively widespread role, some places have embraced it more than others and there can be a bit of resistance to having them around.

Hmm interesting. I suppose like all things, it takes time for it to be adopted and for people to understand and accept new roles.

Reply 393

Original post by PaediatricStN

Haha! Thank you. I'm often not that inspiring so that is nice to hear!

I've been fortunate in one sense to have done a mixture of placements. I've done 2 general acute paeds wards for different ages, the Paediatric Assessment Unit linked to those, NICU (Level 3 - the most critical), and a children's hospice.

So I guess you could say the NICU and the hospice were specialised :smile:

I think CAMHS is hard to get into, however with there being a lot of pressure for the NHS to expand CAMHS services you may find when you come to qualify, that there are more jobs around then. If it's an area you are interested in, you can always request to do a placement there :smile:

Well moving, starting a new career in somewhere where you dont know anyone is very brave :smile:

That is quite the mix of placements :smile:

how did you find the hospice? palliative care is the one thing i wouldnt want to work in.

Thank you for the info, i think i shall definitely request a camhs placement if they can allocate them, otherwise i may try and do an elective/spoke at a child mental health setting if i cant get a whole placement there.
Addiction services and supported housing are the only two settings i ve experienced for a short period of time so hope to get in as many as possible to figure out which i d be best suited to :smile:

Reply 394

PDizzle

1

Hi All,

I'm Pete and new to this thread. I have a conditional offer for Leeds on Child Nursing degree and all being well I will be starting in September.

Reply 395

Original post by PDizzle

Hi All,

I'm Pete and new to this thread. I have a conditional offer for Leeds on Child Nursing degree and all being well I will be starting in September.

Hey Pete,

Congrats on your offer! Are you excited?

Reply 396

PDizzle

1

Thank you

. Definitely excited. I can not wait to get started to be honest.

Slightly concerned with finance as I am a mature student returning to uni with a mortgage hanging over my head but that's a price you have to pay for your dream job I guess.

Reply 397

PDizzle

1

Original post by Becca335

Im working and volunteering on a paediatric ward, im working in a nursery,

i dont know what else to do, what experiences have you had

I would say your experience as a brief statement looks good. In fact much more relevant than mine. As someone else previously mentioned the key is to highlight the skills you have learnt in the experience and link them to the skills required for nursing.

For example as a mature student my bulk of experience came from previous work places such as working in a call centre or as a Police Community Support Officer. As job roles neither look relevant to nursing but I highlighted areas from each role making them work. Like communication skills from working in a call centre and data protection and integrity because it was for a bank or team work and multi-agency working for PCSO role linking in with social services and other agencies which I can expect to do as a child nurse.

You can find qualities required from most areas but you need to spell it out for them and don't assume they will know. Good luck with applications though and always get people to read over what you put. :biggrin:

Reply 398