The Student Room Group

Ask an RN/Mentor! :)

Are you looking at studying nursing? Want to know what the wards are like and what practice placements entail?

Are you first year student about to start your first placement but not sure what to expect?

Are you on placement and having a hard time on the ward and need some advice?

Are you a 3rd year student nurse about to qualify and nervous about your first job or need advice on job hunting?

Any other questions also welcome!


I'm a qualified RN and have been qualified for nearly 3 years and have recently become a nurse mentor and will become a newly qualified nurse preceptor in the near future (just waiting the confirmation date for the course). I work on an acute medicine for the elderly ward and have done since qualifying, but worked in a wide range of areas as a student nurse and I also do the odd bank shift here and there.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Hi there!
I'm not a nurse or a nurse student, but I have considered applying for a (graduate entry) nursing course.
I just want to ask how you found your nursing degree. And also do you enjoy your job as a nurse? I have been doing quite a bit of reading online and it seems that quite a lot of nurses hate their job because they're so stressed out or because of mean older nurses :s-smilie:
I'm really considering going into nursing because I believe it could be a career that I might enjoy, but the stuff I've been reading id quite worrying to me.
Sorry to ask so many random questions haha :redface:
Reply 2
Original post by stars_
Hi there!
I'm not a nurse or a nurse student, but I have considered applying for a (graduate entry) nursing course.
I just want to ask how you found your nursing degree. And also do you enjoy your job as a nurse? I have been doing quite a bit of reading online and it seems that quite a lot of nurses hate their job because they're so stressed out or because of mean older nurses :s-smilie:
I'm really considering going into nursing because I believe it could be a career that I might enjoy, but the stuff I've been reading id quite worrying to me.
Sorry to ask so many random questions haha :redface:


I really enjoyed doing my nursing degree, although in the 3years that I’ve been qualified the course content and even placement structurehas changed dramatically. At times it was extremely tough, having to do 3assignments with placement evidence on top whilst working 37.5 hour week is noteasy. You will have days where you really do wonder what the point is, but whenthose assignments have been handed in and you are holding a patients hand intheir time in need, it reminds you that all the hard work and effort is worthit.
Were you considering doing the Graduate Entry Nursingprogramme or the normal 3 year degree? I’m not too familiar with the academiccourse structure of the GEN programme but a little bit more knowledgeable onplacement structure. A lot of GEN students I have met really enjoy it but theyall say it’s extremely tough, because you are not only cramming 3 years’ worthof work into 2, you are also completing a Master’s degree instead of a BSc.
I’m not going to lie and say that nursing is not stressful,because I think it is one of THE most stressful occupations out there. There isa lot of pressure on nurses at the moment because most hospitals are full andthere is a serious lack of beds which is why people are stacking up in A&E.There is a lot of pressure from those above and sometimes when they are yellingat me because I’ve not yet discharged the lady in bed 1 because I was holding apatients hand whilst they took their last breath, I smile sweetly and apologise,then when they turn their back and have walked off the ward I will probablygesticulate something rude. You have to have very broad shoulders and you haveto have a very dark sense of humour at times because that is how you make itthrough the day. I don’t hate my job at all, I love my job but I hate thepolitics surrounding the NHS at the moment and that’s how most nurses feel.
I know what you mean about the “mean old nurses”, I am toldthat some of these nurses still exist however they are becoming fewer as theyget older and retire. I was lucky enough to never have come across any duringmy training and although there are a couple of nurses from that generationstill about on the ward I work on but they are lovely and one of them is myward manager, who I want to aspire to be like one day as she is a real role model.The other is also a sister and although she can perhaps come across as veryhard faced, she is one of the most knowledgeable nurses I know and one of themost kind hearted people you could ever meet.
If you want to get a taster of what nursing is like, you canalways volunteer at your local hospital or become a bank HCA in your localtrust to get some experience of whether you feel that nursing will be for you.
I hope that this helps, and if you have any more questionsthen please feel free to ask.
Reply 3
Wow, thanks for answering! And yes, I was considering the 2 year graduate entry nursing course but I might also go for the undergraduate degree as it is 3 years which might reduce the pressure (a tiny bit in comparison to doing it in just 2 years).
Your reply has really helped me a lot. I really want to do this. Thank you so much :smile: :smile:
Hi there,

I am currently doing a health and social care degree with the open university and am hoping to go into doing nursing.

Was just wondering what mentors look for in a student?

I can be quite shy till I get to know someone could this hinder me?

Thanks x


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 5
Original post by ButterflyRN
Are you looking at studying nursing? Want to know what the wards are like and what practice placements entail?

Are you first year student about to start your first placement but not sure what to expect?

Are you on placement and having a hard time on the ward and need some advice?

Are you a 3rd year student nurse about to qualify and nervous about your first job or need advice on job hunting?

Any other questions also welcome!


I'm a qualified RN and have been qualified for nearly 3 years and have recently become a nurse mentor and will become a newly qualified nurse preceptor in the near future (just waiting the confirmation date for the course). I work on an acute medicine for the elderly ward and have done since qualifying, but worked in a wide range of areas as a student nurse and I also do the odd bank shift here and there.


Sorry to disturb, I've applied to study bsc child nursing at university this september. But I need help on one thing. I've been searching all over the Internet and medical magazines about current issues in child nursing and nursing in general but I still don't know what to extant from them. What exactly does it mean by current affairs in nursing? Is it do to with a&e, more highly educated nurses?? Please help x
I think they ask you about the Francis report, so I've heard 😄


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 7
Original post by HurdlesToJump
Hi there,

I am currently doing a health and social care degree with the open university and am hoping to go into doing nursing.

Was just wondering what mentors look for in a student?

I can be quite shy till I get to know someone could this hinder me?

Thanks x


Posted from TSR Mobile


I'm just happy when I get students who are keen to learn and not afraid to get stuck in with personal care. That's all I ask really. When I was a student I was really shy and had awful social anxiety but I just got on with every placement and did well because I worked hard. Just because you are quiet doesn't mean you don't get noticed, trust me we notice hard workers :smile:
Reply 8
Original post by Vxckyy_
Sorry to disturb, I've applied to study bsc child nursing at university this september. But I need help on one thing. I've been searching all over the Internet and medical magazines about current issues in child nursing and nursing in general but I still don't know what to extant from them. What exactly does it mean by current affairs in nursing? Is it do to with a&e, more highly educated nurses?? Please help x


I'm not massively hot on current issues in children's nursing as I am an adult nurse, but there's a lot in the press about cuts to the child and adolescent mental health services. There's also the Jack Adcock case where a doctor and nurse have been suspended because of negligence which meant the young boy died. In general, the hot topics in nursing at the moment is the current crisis in A&E's across the country and The Francis Report is always popular.
Original post by ButterflyRN
I'm just happy when I get students who are keen to learn and not afraid to get stuck in with personal care. That's all I ask really. When I was a student I was really shy and had awful social anxiety but I just got on with every placement and did well because I worked hard. Just because you are quiet doesn't mean you don't get noticed, trust me we notice hard workers :smile:


This is very reassuring to hear. I am not scared of hard work or personal care. I am currently a support worker in the community and have worked in a care home. :smile:

Whenever I tell anyone that I want to become a nurse (would love to specialise in palliative care/hospice) I always get told its all paper work and meds no actual hands on care etc is this true?

Thank you xx


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by HurdlesToJump
This is very reassuring to hear. I am not scared of hard work or personal care. I am currently a support worker in the community and have worked in a care home. :smile:

Whenever I tell anyone that I want to become a nurse (would love to specialise in palliative care/hospice) I always get told its all paper work and meds no actual hands on care etc is this true?

Thank you xx


Posted from TSR Mobile


No, that's not true at all. I do washing, feeding, assisting with drinks, toileting, repositioning as well as all my other nursing duties such as medication rounds, IV drugs, NG/PEG feeds, dressings, admissions, discharges, care planning etc. as well as talking to my patients and being there for them in their time of need. Yes, there is an awful lot of paperwork in nursing these days and it can take you away from your other nursing duties but it's not all my day consists of.
Original post by ButterflyRN
No, that's not true at all. I do washing, feeding, assisting with drinks, toileting, repositioning as well as all my other nursing duties such as medication rounds, IV drugs, NG/PEG feeds, dressings, admissions, discharges, care planning etc. as well as talking to my patients and being there for them in their time of need. Yes, there is an awful lot of paperwork in nursing these days and it can take you away from your other nursing duties but it's not all my day consists of.


Thank you ButterflyRN, it's all I ever hear when I say what I want to do! Like they are trying to put me off kind of thing. Thank you :smile:
Original post by HurdlesToJump
Thank you ButterflyRN, it's all I ever hear when I say what I want to do! Like they are trying to put me off kind of thing. Thank you :smile:


Don't let anybody put you off! If palliative care or hospice nursing is your end game, you do so much more for your patients than just administering medication. You are looking after their emotional/psychological needs, carrying out their last wishes, looking after their families etc. I have an interest in palliative care too as well as dementia and would love to eventually become a palliative care specialist nurse or a dementia specialist nurse in the community.
Original post by ButterflyRN
Don't let anybody put you off! If palliative care or hospice nursing is your end game, you do so much more for your patients than just administering medication. You are looking after their emotional/psychological needs, carrying out their last wishes, looking after their families etc. I have an interest in palliative care too as well as dementia and would love to eventually become a palliative care specialist nurse or a dementia specialist nurse in the community.


No I won't let anything put me off. It's always been what I wanted to do. I'm going to go for it :smile: I've had a lot of experience kind of with end of life care in a care home and it just reignited my passion for it! Its a honour to experience that with someone and their family and know you are helping them. Xx


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by HurdlesToJump
No I won't let anything put me off. It's always been what I wanted to do. I'm going to go for it :smile: I've had a lot of experience kind of with end of life care in a care home and it just reignited my passion for it! Its a honour to experience that with someone and their family and know you are helping them. Xx


Posted from TSR Mobile


Hi,

I don't wish to usurp this conversation... But I'm going to anyway! Hope that's alright! :P I'm a 3rd year student nurse, albeit of the paediatric variety...

Having spent 10 weeks in a children's hospice before Christmas, I can say that (although I know I'm much more of an acute nurse) palliative & end of life care is incredibly rewarding, especially if you know you have promoted a "good death". It's very hands on as patients require pretty much all of their needs to be met by you, and in my experience there wasn't an excess of paperwork. From a student's perspective, there was lots of time for me to prepare medicines and stuff as well, which was great.

I can only echo what ButterflyRN says, don't let people put you off. There's a lot more to palliative care nursing than the clinical skills as well. Your personal and people skills have even more value in this area than they do in other, more acute, settings.

I'm not sure where you're at, but if you are in/do go into a nursing degree, see if you can request to have a hospice placement at some point during your training, and this will (Hopefully) confirm your interest to you before qualifying.

Best of luck!
Joel
Original post by ButterflyRN
Are you looking at studying nursing? Want to know what the wards are like and what practice placements entail?

Are you first year student about to start your first placement but not sure what to expect?

Are you on placement and having a hard time on the ward and need some advice?

Are you a 3rd year student nurse about to qualify and nervous about your first job or need advice on job hunting?

Any other questions also welcome!


I'm a qualified RN and have been qualified for nearly 3 years and have recently become a nurse mentor and will become a newly qualified nurse preceptor in the near future (just waiting the confirmation date for the course). I work on an acute medicine for the elderly ward and have done since qualifying, but worked in a wide range of areas as a student nurse and I also do the odd bank shift here and there.


Hi ButterflyRN,

I'm primarily on here to help others, but seeing your post inviting questions, I can't resist!

I'm a 3rd year child field student nurse, wondered if you had any general tips or advice for:

A) Final placement
B) Job hunting/interviews

I'm not particularly nervous about either... I've requested to go back to a general paediatric ward for 0-2 year olds, where I did a placement in 1st year. And I've visited two large children's hospitals where I intend to apply, but obviously I want to do as well as I possibly can. And I don't want to think that just because I'm not nervous, means I know everything - because it doesn't!

Thank you so much in advance
Joel
Original post by PaediatricStN
Hi,

I don't wish to usurp this conversation... But I'm going to anyway! Hope that's alright! :P I'm a 3rd year student nurse, albeit of the paediatric variety...

Having spent 10 weeks in a children's hospice before Christmas, I can say that (although I know I'm much more of an acute nurse) palliative & end of life care is incredibly rewarding, especially if you know you have promoted a "good death". It's very hands on as patients require pretty much all of their needs to be met by you, and in my experience there wasn't an excess of paperwork. From a student's perspective, there was lots of time for me to prepare medicines and stuff as well, which was great.

I can only echo what ButterflyRN says, don't let people put you off. There's a lot more to palliative care nursing than the clinical skills as well. Your personal and people skills have even more value in this area than they do in other, more acute, settings.

I'm not sure where you're at, but if you are in/do go into a nursing degree, see if you can request to have a hospice placement at some point during your training, and this will (Hopefully) confirm your interest to you before qualifying.

Best of luck!
Joel


Thank you so much for your post Joel! I will be asking if I can have a hospice placement. I can't wait to apply etc to get into nursing.

Must be exciting knowing you qualify soon :smile: xx


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by PaediatricStN
Hi ButterflyRN,

I'm primarily on here to help others, but seeing your post inviting questions, I can't resist!

I'm a 3rd year child field student nurse, wondered if you had any general tips or advice for:

A) Final placement
B) Job hunting/interviews

I'm not particularly nervous about either... I've requested to go back to a general paediatric ward for 0-2 year olds, where I did a placement in 1st year. And I've visited two large children's hospitals where I intend to apply, but obviously I want to do as well as I possibly can. And I don't want to think that just because I'm not nervous, means I know everything - because it doesn't!

Thank you so much in advance
Joel



Sorry this is so late! I have been so busy!

1) For your final placement, make sure you take up any management opportunities. Spend time with the nurse in charge or co-ordinator. Make sure you do ward rounds with the doctors and sit in with the multi disciplinary meetings. Be pro-active and be able to manage a team and a bay of patients. Manage admissions and discharges etc. The aim is that you are the one in charge and that your sign off mentor is just over seeing what you are doing. Obviously there will be times when you need to ask for help and you will need direct supervision from your mentor but the idea is that you are autonomous and YOU are in control

2) Make sure you swat up on things relevant to your field of nursing and the area that you are applying for. So for example if you were applying for children's gastroenterology you would look up what's hot and relevant in that area. There's also the 6 C's of nursing and it may not be as relevant to children's nursing but the Francis Report and Mid Staffs could come up. For my interview I also brought my dissertation along as it was relevant to the area I was going to work in. They probably won't read it, but if you explain the topic it will impress them and they find it interesting.
Original post by ButterflyRN
Sorry this is so late! I have been so busy!

1) For your final placement, make sure you take up any management opportunities. Spend time with the nurse in charge or co-ordinator. Make sure you do ward rounds with the doctors and sit in with the multi disciplinary meetings. Be pro-active and be able to manage a team and a bay of patients. Manage admissions and discharges etc. The aim is that you are the one in charge and that your sign off mentor is just over seeing what you are doing. Obviously there will be times when you need to ask for help and you will need direct supervision from your mentor but the idea is that you are autonomous and YOU are in control

2) Make sure you swat up on things relevant to your field of nursing and the area that you are applying for. So for example if you were applying for children's gastroenterology you would look up what's hot and relevant in that area. There's also the 6 C's of nursing and it may not be as relevant to children's nursing but the Francis Report and Mid Staffs could come up. For my interview I also brought my dissertation along as it was relevant to the area I was going to work in. They probably won't read it, but if you explain the topic it will impress them and they find it interesting.



Please don't worry - I completely understand! Very grateful for this advice, thank you ever so much :smile:
Bump!

Quick Reply

Latest