A new year for a new nursing student
Monday, January 23, 2012
As a first-year mental health nursing student I started my course in September 2011, along with around 20 other enthusiastic would-be nurses, of all ages and backgrounds.
With the pride and excitement of achieving a place on a nursing degree course still freshly buzzing around my head, I believe I made the mistake of focusing on how many sharpened pencils were in my brand-spanking new pencil case instead of getting stuck straight in, despite several pre-warnings from newly-qualified friends. Perhaps three or four weeks prior to assignments being due for submission, I found myself desperately trying to search for books in the university library that were already on loan and trying to avoid having to learn to search for journals.
With regards to my first clinical placement, I may as well have skipped onto the ward with a sign stating the words ‘Florence Nightingale II’ stuck to my forehead with a drawing pin. Needless to say, I left the dementia assessment unit after my first shift with tears being determinedly held back, and tail firmly tucked between ones legs. My first experience of dementia certainly opened my eyes.
I have never been frightened of working. Although unfamiliar, the shift pattern was something I grew accustomed to rather quickly. However, it was my sheer ignorance of how many learning opportunities that would suddenly be placed in front of me that really took me aback - first-year ignorance at its exemplory best. I also found that almost every single nursing student has an “I will never cut it as a nurse” moment; in my case, there were more than one. Being a nursing student genuinely is a case of learning something new every single day; luckily, I was blessed with the opportunity to work with a fantastic, supportive group of staff on my first placement.
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