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Second Year Student Children's Nurse- feel free to ask for advice!

I am coming to the end of my second year.. and I am happy to answer any questions people may want to ask in relation to Children's Nursing!

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Original post by ht76845
I am coming to the end of my second year.. and I am happy to answer any questions people may want to ask in relation to Children's Nursing!


Awesome, thank you.

What is the timetable / hours like per week? How difficult have you found it in general? Are the people at your uni / people you work with supportive?
Reply 2
Original post by Kevin De Bruyne
Awesome, thank you.

What is the timetable / hours like per week? How difficult have you found it in general? Are the people at your uni / people you work with supportive?


The timetable generally varies from semester but tends to be a bit more full on than other uni courses! My timetable is in blocks so we often have a 9-12 week block of uni (often 3-4 days a week) and then a 6-9 week block of placement. Days in uni are often 9:00-16:00, but can be shorter! The uni timetable is generally varied so you can have days in the lecture theatre/classrooms and days in the clinical skills labs. If you are on a ward placement you typically do 37.5 hours a week (3x 12.5 hour shifts) and if you are in the community you will do the same but these hours will be spread out so you will do 5 instead of 3 days a week. I am unsure if other universities have similar timetable patterns!

The course isn't easy but it is enjoyable. You do have to make the most of your free time because on your days off you are often doing assignments/preparing for exams. The modules are interesting though, and if you have a genuine passion for the course then you should stay motivated to get through!

Lecturers are very supportive- you can email them and they often reply promptly. You can also go to their office for a quick chat. All students at my university are assigned an academic advisor to overlook their academic studies, and a link lecturer who overlooks your placement experience; they are always there for any questions you may have.. so you generally feel well supported. I have to say though the support is very different from what you get at school so you have to learn to support yourself independently! I hope this helps
Original post by ht76845
I am coming to the end of my second year.. and I am happy to answer any questions people may want to ask in relation to Children's Nursing!



Hello,

I will be starting children's nursing in September and I am just wondering what books you may recommend, websites and what I could expect from the modules?
For instance, do you have any additional information which could help me.

Thank you,

Shannon x
Reply 4
Original post by shannonjade800
Hello,

I will be starting children's nursing in September and I am just wondering what books you may recommend, websites and what I could expect from the modules?
For instance, do you have any additional information which could help me.

Thank you,

Shannon x


Hello,

That's very exciting that you're starting Children's Nursing! :smile: my best advice would be to contact one of the lecturers at the uni you're enrolling into and ask them what books they would recommend. I know I have found 'Human Anatomy and Physiology' by Marieb very useful, but there are lots of Anatomy books out there. I have also used 'Wongs Nursing Care of Infants and Children very useful' although this is an American based book I've still found it very applicable. I also have a book called 'How Children Develop' by Siegler which was useful for my Child development module. I also have a book titled 'Clinical Skills in Children's Nursing' which covers most nursing skills and how you perform them. I am not sure what modules you will do as each university is slightly different but so far I have covered things like anatomy and physiology, person centred care, mental health, family nursing, child development, and care of the sick child. But each uni may have different modules and different texts might be required for them so my best advice would be check with your lecturers. There will also be the practice side where you are on placement and in the clinical skills laboratories practicing clinical skills.

Useful websites can be found on your university databases where you will do your literature searches for essays. I would also recommend the RCN as a website as they have some very useful resources.

I hope this is of some help... Best of Luck! :smile:
Original post by ht76845
I am coming to the end of my second year.. and I am happy to answer any questions people may want to ask in relation to Children's Nursing!


Hi! :smile:

I'd like to find out how much support there is in learning technical skills like inserting peg tubes and administering injections?

How do you find OSE's and do you get mocks for them? I've been studying a related course and OSE's are my absolute fear! Is there opportunity to do extra practice outside of workshops and tutorials before sitting an OSE?

How much work experience did you get before applying?
Reply 6
Original post by Ultra_Phoenix
Hi! :smile:

I'd like to find out how much support there is in learning technical skills like inserting peg tubes and administering injections?

How do you find OSE's and do you get mocks for them? I've been studying a related course and OSE's are my absolute fear! Is there opportunity to do extra practice outside of workshops and tutorials before sitting an OSE?

How much work experience did you get before applying?


Hello,

From my personal experience the support level is good. You practice clinical skills at university in the skills laboratory, and you are timetabled to do this. You then receive support from your mentor at placement in carrying out these skills. Although, you do need to be quite proactive in setting your objectives on placement, and make these clear to your mentor so opportunities can be given to you.

From a nursing point of view, nurses will not insert PEG tubes- this is something done by a doctor in theatre under a general anaesthetic. However, nurses do play a role in inserting enteral tubes like nasogastric tubes and orogastric tubes. I have inserted a few NG tubes and I did this on placement under direct supervision and I was also taught in university. Some university libraries will have access to websites specialised in clinical skills and there are quite a few texts out there which are useful. Whilst you will be taught a variety of clinical skills both in uni and on placement it is important that you are proactive in your learning and you familarise yourself with clinical protocols/guidelines.

We did have practical exams in first year- I am not sure how many universities do. But you get lots of practice and a chance to resit if need be. You've just got to practice and revise so you know your stuff!

I hope this helps... best of luck! :smile:
Original post by ht76845
Hello,

From my personal experience the support level is good. You practice clinical skills at university in the skills laboratory, and you are timetabled to do this. You then receive support from your mentor at placement in carrying out these skills. Although, you do need to be quite proactive in setting your objectives on placement, and make these clear to your mentor so opportunities can be given to you.

From a nursing point of view, nurses will not insert PEG tubes- this is something done by a doctor in theatre under a general anaesthetic. However, nurses do play a role in inserting enteral tubes like nasogastric tubes and orogastric tubes. I have inserted a few NG tubes and I did this on placement under direct supervision and I was also taught in university. Some university libraries will have access to websites specialised in clinical skills and there are quite a few texts out there which are useful. Whilst you will be taught a variety of clinical skills both in uni and on placement it is important that you are proactive in your learning and you familarise yourself with clinical protocols/guidelines.

We did have practical exams in first year- I am not sure how many universities do. But you get lots of practice and a chance to resit if need be. You've just got to practice and revise so you know your stuff!

I hope this helps... best of luck! :smile:


Thank You! :smile:
Hi! Thanks so much for offering advice to people! Basically I need to choose between child nursing in Bangor University and adult nursing in University of Liverpool by Monday (eek!)
So just wondering, what made you choose child over adult nursing and do you enjoy it/are you glad you chose adult nursing? I'm assuming you may have core modules or at least in first year with adult nurses? Is the adult course very different to children's?
Lastly what do you find most enjoyable and most challenging about the course?
Also have you found it hard to see family at home with being so busy on the course and also your housemates in halls due to different timetables?
Sorry for all the questions!!! I'd really appreciate a reply, thank you :smile:
Reply 9
Original post by Adultingishard
Hi! Thanks so much for offering advice to people! Basically I need to choose between child nursing in Bangor University and adult nursing in University of Liverpool by Monday (eek!)
So just wondering, what made you choose child over adult nursing and do you enjoy it/are you glad you chose adult nursing? I'm assuming you may have core modules or at least in first year with adult nurses? Is the adult course very different to children's?
Lastly what do you find most enjoyable and most challenging about the course?
Also have you found it hard to see family at home with being so busy on the course and also your housemates in halls due to different timetables?
Sorry for all the questions!!! I'd really appreciate a reply, thank you :smile:


I am so sorry it's taken me this long to get back to you. I have been very very busy! I realise this reply is probably of no use to you now, but I'll answer anyway just in case it provides you with any reassurance. To be honest I never really had to make a decision. I knew from the outset when I decided I wanted to do nursing, that I very much wanted to be a Children's Nurse. I have always enjoyed working with children. My first job when I was 16 was a sessional support worker for children with special needs, and I enjoyed that very much. Children's Nursing is pretty specialised, and whilst in first year I had an overview of adult nursing the rest of my degree is purely child focused. My first year was with the adult nurses and we shared basically all of our modules. But now I don't really share any of the same modules as the adult nurses. Adult nursing is fairly different because children's nursing is very specific. If you're unsure it's probably best to do adult nursing and later if you want to specialise you can do another course to become a children's nurse. I enjoy placement the most, and I do enjoy a lot of my modules- they are very interesting. The most challenging thing is balancing time. The course is very full on and it can be difficult to have a social life (but you need to have time for yourself!). You also have to be very independent with your learning which can be a challenge when coming straight from college or sixth form. Yes it is difficult to see family as I live a few hours away but it is doable on some weekends. I try and see them every couple of months but sometimes that's not possible if I have too much work to do so I just see them in the holidays. Luckily I was placed with other nurses in halls so they were completely understanding when it came to shift work/night shifts on placement. If you are housed with people from another course you've just got to try and make it work as much as possible- if you explain that you have placement they will probably be understanding. Good luck with everything :smile:
Hi

I’m a bit late in viewing this post.

I’d like to know more about placements? Can you request what area of children’s nursing you go to before your placements start? Eg, community or A&E? My friend did her adult nursing degree sometime ago and she was able to request what area she would like next for her placement (although not guaranteed).
Thank you.
Reply 11
Original post by Milly229
Hi

I’m a bit late in viewing this post.

I’d like to know more about placements? Can you request what area of children’s nursing you go to before your placements start? Eg, community or A&E? My friend did her adult nursing degree sometime ago and she was able to request what area she would like next for her placement (although not guaranteed).
Thank you.


Hello! I am not sure about other universities but my university has a system where you can request a placement area. But this is not guaranteed so it is best to make the most of any placement you get. Most unis arrange placements so you have a mix of hospital and community, and it is useful to make the most of both of these areas even if they don’t lie in your interests! I hope this helps!
Hello, i am thinking about applying for nursing:smile:
What experience did you have prior to your degree? Also what gcse grades did you achieve and what did you do for a level and results etc. Is the degree very academic and is there lots of science involved? Thanks
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 13
Original post by Davies44
Hello, i am thinking about applying for nursing:smile:
What experience did you have prior to your degree? Also what gcse grades did you achieve and what did you do for a level and results etc. Is the degree very academic and is there lots of science involved? Thanks


Hello :smile: it's great to hear you are interested in applying for nursing! Work experience/voluntary work is essential when applying for a nursing degree- I found that my interviews at the unis were based around my work experience. I did some support work for children and teenagers with special needs- I used to help run activities for them at weekends. I also did a weeks work experience in a care home for the elderly (although this isn't child focused it allows you to experience a care setting), and I was also fortunate enough to get a weeks work experience in a children's hospital (although this can be difficult to arrange). Just finding any experience is good- care homes for the elderly are good and it can be quite easy to arrange work experience for this. There may be some voluntary things you can look at online too. For GCSEs the most important thing for me was getting a B in English and Maths and Science- these were recommended requirements. I managed to achieve all 10 of my GCSEs A*-C with A*s-As in my sciences and Bs in maths and English. However, some unis may only require Cs in maths and English so have a look around! For A-level I would recommend choosing Biology, as this is directly relevant to nursing as you will learn a lot of anatomy and physiology. I then also chose Sociology (also very relevant), Geography (we learnt about healthcare in developing countries which was very relevant), and English lit (which was useful for essay writing skills). Health and Social Care is also another very relevant subject you may want to consider! I managed to achieve A*-As in my A-levels, but you don't need to achieve this to do nursing. If you look on different university websites it tells you how many UCAS points/grades you need to be accepted onto the course. The degree is quite academic in some areas and there is a fair bit of science when learning about human anatomy/physiology and medications. However, the degree is also very practical and obviously looks at person-centred care etc.

I hope this helps and good-luck with applying! :smile:
Original post by ht76845
Hello :smile: it's great to hear you are interested in applying for nursing! Work experience/voluntary work is essential when applying for a nursing degree- I found that my interviews at the unis were based around my work experience. I did some support work for children and teenagers with special needs- I used to help run activities for them at weekends. I also did a weeks work experience in a care home for the elderly (although this isn't child focused it allows you to experience a care setting), and I was also fortunate enough to get a weeks work experience in a children's hospital (although this can be difficult to arrange). Just finding any experience is good- care homes for the elderly are good and it can be quite easy to arrange work experience for this. There may be some voluntary things you can look at online too. For GCSEs the most important thing for me was getting a B in English and Maths and Science- these were recommended requirements. I managed to achieve all 10 of my GCSEs A*-C with A*s-As in my sciences and Bs in maths and English. However, some unis may only require Cs in maths and English so have a look around! For A-level I would recommend choosing Biology, as this is directly relevant to nursing as you will learn a lot of anatomy and physiology. I then also chose Sociology (also very relevant), Geography (we learnt about healthcare in developing countries which was very relevant), and English lit (which was useful for essay writing skills). Health and Social Care is also another very relevant subject you may want to consider! I managed to achieve A*-As in my A-levels, but you don't need to achieve this to do nursing. If you look on different university websites it tells you how many UCAS points/grades you need to be accepted onto the course. The degree is quite academic in some areas and there is a fair bit of science when learning about human anatomy/physiology and medications. However, the degree is also very practical and obviously looks at person-centred care etc.

I hope this helps and good-luck with applying! :smile:


Thankyou for replying :smile: i also have 10 gcse’s at grades A*-C with an A in both english language and maths. However, i didnt do too good in my science i had a B in core and a C in additional (BC in double award gcse science). It was the only c i had. I am a male and theres not many in the profession but i think my gcse’s will not be good enough due to science. I just hope i’ll get in, im gonna try and get as much experience as i can and do well in my diploma. Thankyou! Also, are there any men on your course?
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by ht76845
Hello! I am not sure about other universities but my university has a system where you can request a placement area. But this is not guaranteed so it is best to make the most of any placement you get. Most unis arrange placements so you have a mix of hospital and community, and it is useful to make the most of both of these areas even if they don’t lie in your interests! I hope this helps!




Thank you so much for your quick reply. Good luck with the rest of your course 👍🏼
Reply 16
Original post by Davies44
Thankyou for replying :smile: i also have 10 gcse’s at grades A*-C with an A in both english language and maths. However, i didnt do too good in my science i had a B in core and a C in additional (BC in double award gcse science). It was the only c i had. I am a male and theres not many in the profession but i think my gcse’s will not be good enough due to science. I just hope i’ll get in, im gonna try and get as much experience as i can and do well in my diploma. Thankyou! Also, are there any men on your course?


That's very impressive! I wouldn't worry too much about the Science- I know a lot of people who didn't do science at A-level and got B/C grades in science at GCSE. If the uni requires you to do a science A-level then you can always see if they accept a social science such as sociology or psychology. I know a lot of people doing nurse training did subjects like these at A-level. I am pretty sure health and social care might have an anatomy module which is also good! Whilst there are a lot more females on nursing courses, males aren't non-existent and there are a few doing nursing training and in the nursing profession so I wouldn't worry! Your GCSEs sound really good so I wouldn't worry too much about the science! If you go on a unis website which offers nursing training you can look up entry requirements and it will tell you what GCSE/A-level grades they like. Good-luck! :smile:
Reply 17
Original post by ht76845
I am coming to the end of my second year.. and I am happy to answer any questions people may want to ask in relation to Children's Nursing!


Hi :smile: thanks for offering your advice.

I'm applying for children's nursing with 5 choices, and will be a mature student at 25. Feeling really confused about whether I'll realistically be able to afford to move away from home as a nursing student! How have you found it financially? I only have 1 (possibly 2) unis that I could commute to from home as I live in the middle of nowhere :biggrin: and even they are an hour away so I will have the cost of travelling to uni and placement fund if I do stay at home!
hiya,
i want to be a pediatric surgeon i know its not nursing but still.. would you have any thoughts about it im only in yr 10 but thats my goal.. thanks safarisafa
Reply 19
Original post by safarisafa
hiya,
i want to be a pediatric surgeon i know its not nursing but still.. would you have any thoughts about it im only in yr 10 but thats my goal.. thanks safarisafa


Hey! That sounds very exciting! Not that I know much about medicine/becoming a surgeon but the best advice I can give you would be to work super hard at science and maths at GCSE and try to aim for A*-A grades in your GCSEs if possible. When it comes to doing A-levels I'd look on different university sites to see what A-level subjects they usually recommend for medicine- they tend to involves the sciences and maths. Medicine is a competitive degree so they usually ask for high grades at A-level (A*s-As). There's usually an entrance exam to get into medicine courses called the UKCAT exam but you don't need to worry too much about this now. Once you complete your medicine course at uni and are out practicing, after a few years I believe you can begin to choose your speciality and you'd need to go down the paediatric surgical route and then undergo further training to become a surgeon. It will be very hard work but totally worth it. When it comes to applying for medicine at uni it's useful to have good work experience as the course is competitive and lots of people apply. Experience within a hospital would be good, but is understandably very difficult to do. Alternatively you could look at care homes, GP surgery etc. and voluntary work. It would be useful to make yourself stand out so things like playing an instrument and taking graded examinations for music, or doing Duke of Edinburgh may also be useful!

I hope this helps you out and good-luck! :smile:

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