Hello everyone!
Long time no blog… Sorry about that! 🙂
I thought I’d have a little chitchat and up-date you about what’s been going on with me, but I’m not sure where to start, so much has happened over the last month or so….
First things first and the big thing to mention – I have been signed off by my lovely sign-off mentor as fit to enter the NMC register as a children’s nurse – happy days! Basically, in a nutshell, that means I’m safe enough to look after patients and nurse them under no supervision as I’m viewed as a safe and competent woohoo!!!! I can’t tell you how much a relief it was when she signed my name on the dotted line. I LOVED my final placement and I had a fantastic experience, but it was a long 13 weeks and it did seem at times it would never end (especially during the many, many night shifts I worked!).
I passed my OSCE – This was the dreaded final practical exam of my degree. This involved being examined teaching a junior student a skill – mine was manual pulse and oral temperature. This sounds easy, but I had to perform the skill as well as give in depth rationale behind each step and ensure I kept engaging my student throughout. Until you have done an OSCE, I cannot explain how much of a strange experience it is being examined by a lecturer holding a clipboard, who takes in every word you say and the slightest slip up they could fail you! The first two years we did OSCE’s, I was a nervous wreck but this year, I seemed to have a new found confidence and went in and thought, “Alex you can do this!” and it must have paid off because I was awarded the highest grade I had received over the three years.
And the best bit….. I handed in my dissertation!!!!! I have never been so happy to get rid of a piece of work in my life. For the last 6 months it has been hanging over me – I’ve been worrying about articles, flow charts, themes and critical appraisal but it’s finally over. It was the most amazing feeling submitting it and I feel so proud of what I was able to create. I just hope it’s good enough to pass! I decided to write about “What are parent’s experiences of having a child admitted to Paediatric Intensive Care?” and it was so interesting. I’m hoping if it is good enough, I can hopefully apply to get it published, so my findings can help healthcare professionals see what parent’s views are and how they can make their experiences more positive. But I’ll get back to you on that…
In the last two weeks, September 2014 children’s nurses have spent our final weeks in University. It’s so crazy to think these three years have gone so quickly, I’ve learnt so much and I’ve definitely made some friends for life. On our last day in uniform, group 3 (my lovely, lovely group!) took a final picture of ourselves and all signed our uniforms like when we were back in school – I’ve posted some pictures below! 🙂 I love each and every one of the girls – It’s true what they say… You make friends for life when you study nursing at uni! 🙂
So what am I doing with my life now I’ve finished my degree? (It sounds scary now I say it like that!)
I have been very lucky to have been offered my dream job at Great Ormond Street in Neurosurgery and Craniofacial surgery as a staff nurse and I will be doing a blog post soon all about my experiences on final placement here! Until I start in September, I will be working at Richard House Children’s Hospice as a play and care worker (I will also be writing a blog post about my experiences here, as I did a placement there as a student and fell in love with it!) and admire the work they do with children and families.
I hope everyone who is currently sitting exams and handing in coursework is getting on well – you will all be amazing!
Alex 🙂 xx
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