Daisy Azmi

Some Things We Probably Should Have Known in First Year: Advice From Students and Teachers

In honor of International Nurses Day last Tuesday, I asked some nursing students (and teachers!) to share some advice to other students to help prepare them for studying and working as a nurse.

This week, we’ve seen the stories of so many amazing nurses in celebration of International Nurses Day. This day was particularly special as this year is the Year of the Nurse and Midwife. Although this was not the year most of us were expecting, there has been a fantastic celebration of all the hard work that nurses do and deserve to be recognised for!

Nursing can be a challenging (but very rewarding!) job. Learning things in class doesn’t always entirely prepare you for what you might face on placement or on the job. I asked some nursing students and teachers ‘what was something you wish you’d known in first year, when you first started?’ Most nurses could talk all day, so it’s a little bit of a longer one! Thank you Elise for the idea of doing this post!

From the Students:

‘Semester one can be a struggle to find a balance between uni and everything else but you do manage to find your feet and find that balance despite uni being sometimes overwhelming. Three years seems like a super long time but it’s not – it goes by so quickly. Teachers really are more like your friends and really want you to do well because they are your future colleagues and you might be caring for them one day. Don’t be afraid to ask your teachers for help.’ – Amy

‘We’re all learning forever – don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions and jump at every learning opportunity that is presented to you.’ – Tash

‘Uni provides so many opportunities to be involved in! You have the chance to be part of clubs, societies, study abroad, faculty led programs, and volunteer and employment positions are often advertised to us. Apply for them even if you’re not sure you’ll get it or you’re thinking ‘yeah that might be alright but I’m not sure’. There is no harm in applying. The worst-case scenario is that you won’t get it and that’s okay. Other times you will get in and it might surprise you. Merely getting your degree restricts your knowledge to the curriculum. Being involved in other things broadens your experiences and helps you grow as a person and a professional.’ – Blair

‘Make good, strong relationships with your peers and teachers. There can be some hard days and weeks so having an awesome and encouraging group of people to support you can make such a difference.’ – Emma

‘Uni gets easier! During the first year it’s quite difficult trying to find resources and understanding them, learning how to learn, stuff like that. But it gets easier!’ – Cam

‘Do all the gross stuff like showering, bed pans and gross dressing changes because eventually you’ll get used to it and it’ll just be normal work. Read the Occupational Therapy (OT) notes – there’s so much super useful information. OTs coordinate how patients interact and are nurtured by their environment. They have information on eating habits, pressure injuries, mobilisation, socialisation and so much more. It makes nursing so much easier with this information and your patient can get the best care.’ [Side note from Daisy: they also generally have some great handwriting!] – Dash

‘Take every opportunity that gets handed to you. Always ask for feedback. Nursing friends are the best therapy [they know what you’re going through!]. When you have an opportunity, take a break. Learn to take care of yourself even in the busiest time periods. You are going to see and deal with things that the average person won’t. Make sure you reflect and think talk about it! Mental health is just as important as physical health. And always remember why you are doing what you’re doing – find your motivation. Sometimes placement gets tiring – you want to procrastinate with assignments or you don’t feel like studying for that exam. Make sure you know how to drive your drive and passion in these moments!’ – Elise

From the Teachers:

‘I wish I’d known how to perform in the moment, having a whole list of catch phrases to get through difficult situations and how to write your own narratives for different situations. “Sentence stems” can be very helpful. If they say… you can say… For example: “Aren’t you a cute little lady?” “You can call me nurse, or you can call me … but you need to stop calling me that or I will have to get another nurse.” or “Why do you need a three year degree to help me wipe my butt?” “If you make it out of hospital without any complications, you’ll be glad you had a nurse as educated as me!” – Dr. Kasia

‘Figure out your own way/structure of documentation. This takes time. Nurses can work anywhere! I don’t think people know where nurses work. You can work on cruises, the community, outside the hospital – most nurses work outside the hospital. It’s so diverse and it looks different in every setting. You probably won’t end up working where you might have thought you would.’ – Fellon

Some Advice From Me:

Everyone has been spot-on in their advice. The first year is especially hard while you’re trying to figure it out but you’ll get the hang of it in no time! If you’re paired with a nurse on placement that you really get along with, try and work with them more. The more you work with that person, the more trust they’ll have in your ability so you can start to do more and more. If there is something you really want to learn, ask. The worst they can say is no and you don’t want to regret not asking. In most cases they’ll try their best to make it happen for you! Try and make the most of every opportunity and have fun!

I hope this will be helpful to some of you and that you’ve celebrated the nurses in your lives this week! Thank you all the amazing nurses who contributed to this post! If there’s anything else anyone would like to share please leave a comment – I’d love to hear any advice you might have to share!

The Terrifying Experience of Giving My First Injection

For many students, giving an injection can be a terrifying experience. It can also be one of those things that makes you feel like a real nurse! This is the story of giving my first injection.

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The information in this post has been de-identified and some of the details changed to protect the identity of the patient. All the information in this blog is consistent with the NMBA Social Media Guidelines and can be found here: https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Codes-Guidelines/Social-media-guidance.aspx . This is NOT a ‘How to’ and should not be taken as instruction on how to do injections. This is just me, sharing my experience of giving my first injection.

I was lucky enough to be doing a community placement during my second year. The nurses I had been working with asked me if there was anything I wanted to do while on placement with them. Of course I had a list as long as my arm but what I really wanted to do, more than anything, was give an injection!

I’d been practicing preparing different medications and giving injections on dummies in class and I couldn’t wait to give my first injection. Luckily, the nurses had one patient who was receiving medications by intramuscular (IM) injections. By chance, his last dose was due later that day. A wave of terror washed over me. There was no time to go home and reexamine my textbooks – this was happening today. I had never even had the opportunity to give any oral medications before.

The nurses informed me that the patient was particularly afraid of needles and that he might be a little apprehensive in letting me give the injection or he may jump from the needle as he had done previously. This was all very helpful information that would later help me give the injection.

We arrived at the patient’s house and he invited us inside. I was so nervous, I was sweating. The nurse asked if it would be okay if I gave the injection today and he consented. I began preparing the medication and the patient. I was so nervous about getting it right that it took me almost ten whole minutes to prepare the medication.

The patient asked me ‘Are you any good at giving these?’ I felt like a deer caught in headlights. I said ‘You can let me know after this.’ It was all over in a second. It went smoothly. No apprehension. No jumping. After all my nervousness, I had given my first injection! (My first ever medication for that matter!) I felt like a proper nurse!

Now that I’m in third year, I’ve given more injections than I can remember. I still get excited and nervous giving them! And I still have a long way to go. Almost every time I need to give an injection I need to look up the medication in the Injectable Drugs Handbook and it still takes me almost 10 minutes every time but practice makes perfect.

There’s more to nursing than giving injections but it was super exciting to give my first injection! And to any mums, happy mother’s day!

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What It’s Like Working as an Agency Nurse or AIN

What does an agency nurse or assistant in nursing (AIN) do? What are some of the challenges and benefits? Let me clear that up for you and tell you a little bit about what it’s like! I’m hardly an expert but I thought I’d share my thoughts so you can inform yourself or decide whether this could be something for you!

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I’ve been working as an agency AIN for almost ten months now. I work for an amazing agency and with a group of passionate, caring and knowledgeable colleagues. Working for an agency is much like working as a nurse or AIN in any other setting, apart from a few key differences. I hope that this article gives you some idea of what agency staff do and what it’s like to work as an agency AIN.

Put very simply, there are two types of agency jobs: short term contracts or day-to-day shifts (please excuse the lack of technical terms!). Short term contracts usually last from a month to a few months in one facility. Day-to-day shifts mean that the nurse or AIN work at a different facility booked on a per-day basis. You may be working at one facility for a day and another facility the next day. From what I have observed, different agencies tend to either specialise in short-term contracts or day-to-day shifts rather than have a combination of both. At the moment I work on a day-to-day basis.

The Positives

Working for an agency gives you the opportunity to practice in a variety of clinical settings. I have had the opportunity to work in many areas which have helped to teach me lots of thing which I couldn’t have learnt by working in a single facility.

If you love travel, working for an agency might be for you! Working on a short-term contract basis means you can go anywhere in the country. A lot of nurses use this as an opportunity to see the country and experience a different lifestyle for a short while. Often these agencies will also pay for your accommodation while in a different part of the country which gives you the opportunity to save lots! (But check with the agency – each agency is different).

The hours aren’t great. Sometimes you have to work very early or very late but all nurses are compensated for these crazy working hours! It’s a very flexible position. Working on a day-to day basis has been amazing for me as a student as I can take time off for placement or exams. On a short-term contract basis, you may be able to accept or decline work opportunities.

The Not So Positives

Working for an agency on a day-to-day basis is hard. I can’t lie to you. You don’t have the same support network as you might in a regular position as a nurse or AIN. This is because you are never working with the same people and rarely see your boss. Sometimes I’m referred to as ‘the agency girl’ instead of my name (I’m bad with names too, but I wear a name badge). Though I know that if I have any questions or concerns, my boss can help me, day or night.

Working at different facilities means that you don’t always know a client’s preferences. This makes it difficult, if certain information isn’t handed over to you, to do your job to the best of your ability. For example, one client may be on thickened fluids but if this information is not handed over, there is a risk of aspiration (choking hazard).

The Verdict

Agency work is some peoples’ bread and butter. It’s not mine but nevertheless I love my job. I love my job because of the amazing clients. I am in the privileged position to make a direct impact on the lives of my clients. Making a difference for the better makes everything worth it. If you have the opportunity to work as an agency nurse or AIN, you will learn so much and be in a position to help those who need it.

If you have any questions about nursing or agency work, please feel free to ask!

Preparing For My Next Semester of Study Online as a Nursing Student

In the current COVID-19 climate I’m going into the next semester (my last semester!) as a nursing student. I’m finding that I’m more unmotivated than ever to study. So how do I get prepared and motivated again?

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I’m about to go into the last unit of study of my degree before I become a registered nurse. This unit will bring together all the content I’ve learnt over the last three years and (hopefully) prepare me for the big, bad world. I’ve always been a procrastinator (I talk more about this in my post: Adjusting to Studying Online) but with everyone in lock down, I’m feeling a lack of social interaction and very unmotivated to get back into studying.

Half of my first semester was taught online and there are a few things I’ve been doing to stay on top of my studies during this crazy time. It is important to note that information regarding the spread of the COVID-19 virus and restrictions on travel and movement are developing and changing. Any information within this post is correct at the time of publication (23 April 2020).

Get Organised

Get your supplies! I’m only doing one unit so I have one notebook, my diary, a textbook, my laptop and phone. I know a lot of people just type notes on their laptop but I need to write it out on paper to get any information in my head. Now is a good time to buy this stuff online – stay at home! The most important step: I write all the assessment due dates in my diary and calendar.

Get Learning

At university, we work using a flipped classroom model. This means that the student (that’s me) does all the week’s work before the online tutorial. Organisation is key as you generally have to stay a week ahead of the content but I mainly use organising as a way to procrastinate. I’m not sure how everyone else studies but I generally do something like this:

Watch the week’s lecture/s.
Do the week’s readings.
Complete any extra activities.

When I’m doing my readings I struggle to concentrate. It’s a lot of detail. I’ve been using the pomodoro method to study. Yes,… tomato method. I can’t recommend it enough.

Set Goals

I’ve been setting myself some goals during this time, mainly to give myself a reason to do anything other than stay in bed. My first goal is to learn a new medical term everyday. When I first started uni, I bought a copy of the Oxford Dictionary of Nursing which I have hardly used, thanks to Google. I learn a word from each letter section of the dictionary so I don’t only know words starting with ‘A’.

I also aim to have a new post on this blog every Thursday. This keeps me committed to something and gives me something to do outside of uni. I’ve also been trying to go to online yoga classes a few times a week which helps me to get out of bed and avoid sitting at my desk all day. I’m the most non-sporty person you’ll ever meet but it’s been really helpful for me during this time.

Get Relaxing

A lot of people have been talking about using this time as productively as possible. That’s great for some people but not me. I have learnt that if I am in the mindset of ‘go-go-go!’ all the time, I start to feel burnt out. While I’ve just been talking about how to get organised and productive, it’s important to check in with yourself and give yourself some time to relax. My mum and her team are all working from home and she gave them the best advice: ‘It’s very easy, now that we’re working from home, to never stop working but at the end of every day, pack up your desk and put your things away’. We’ve been spending more time as a family now that we are working from home. Recently, we’ve been working our way through the Harry Potter movies.

I hope this provides some helpful in-sights about what it’s like to study as a nursing student online during this time! If there are any study tips you have, I would love to hear them!

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Coming Home from Work: Decontaminating

Working for a healthcare agency means I go to many facilities. In the current COVID-19 situation I am taking special precautions when coming home from work.

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I love Scrubs as much as anyone else but I will not bathing with Rowdy (the dog) or anyone else! When I get home from work I avoid everyone as much as possible! This is by no means the gold standard and of course, not perfect but this is what I do when I get home from work based on the information I have regarding the spread of COVID-19. If there’s anything else that I should be doing or anything you are doing when you are getting home from work, let me know!

Before I Go In The Door: I sanitise my hands if I have access to hand sanitiser (it’s a rare commodity, I know). I knock on the door using my elbow. I knock in an area that I hope people don’t normally touch. Luckily everyone is working from home and someone can let me in the house without me having to touch the door handle.

Getting in the Door: I take my shoes off – it’d be great if I could leave them outside but Redbacks are a thing in my courtyard and I don’t want any in my shoes! I leave my shoes in their special spot near the entrance. Everyone knows not to touch them. The lovely person that opens the door for me then escorts me to my bathroom and opens the door for me.

The Bathroom: They then turn on the tap and give me a big pump of soap to wash my hands (1). We are lucky enough to have two bathrooms in our apartment and the family agreed that they would all use one bathroom and I would use the other to avoid any cross contamination. I then lay out a disinfectant wipe and clean my phone and name badge. I dispose of that wipe and wash my hands again (2). A little privacy please! I get undressed and my work clothes go straight in the dirty clothes basket. Wash hands (3). Get straight in the shower!

Washing the Uniform: After getting out of the shower I take the whole dirty clothes basket straight to the laundry. I put the uniform straight in the wash! Don’t let it touch anything or you’ll have a world more of cleaning to do! I wash my hands again (4). Then turn the washing machine on. Wash hands… again (5). When the washing is done I usually put it straight in the dryer (and wash hands again (6)). Normally I would hang it out, but let’s not risk it.

Source: Hand Hygiene Australia, consistent with the WHO.

Following the five moments of hand hygiene and taking these extra steps I hope will keep my clients, my family and myself safe! This routine isn’t a perfect art but it’s something that I can keep working on! Stay safe and if you have some free time check out Scrubs!

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Adjusting to Study Online

During this COVID-19 crisis, university has moved online in a bid to try and ‘flatten the curve’. But this comes with some challenges. How does this affect me and other nursing students?

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University started for third-year nursing students in early February. Our first semester began with placement and then moved to academic study in March. The Faculty of Nursing moved to an online mode of study during mid-March (Go nurses! Ahead of the game!) while the rest of university moved completely online during April.

What’s Changed?

In terms of classes, not a lot! I’ve found that online tutorials have been really beneficial and I don’t feel that my learning has been too affected. Our lectures were already all online and our online tutorials have been quite interactive. If anything, we have more flexibility in terms of engagement – there have been some days where I have stayed in pyjamas and turned my camera off.

The lack of interaction has been a little difficult; I miss seeing my nursing sisters and brothers everyday but we are keeping in touch and messaging each other with questions about our study continuously. I don’t know what I would do without this amazing group of people! It makes me think that it must be very hard for those first-year students who haven’t yet had the opportunity to find their people.

OSCAS (or OSCES): We recently had our first ever online OSCA! This is a nursing assessment where you are presented with a case or situation and the student uses their knowledge and skills to demonstrate to the assessor that we are capable. Never have I felt prepared for an OSCA but an online OSCA! This was the stuff of nightmares! It was a bit like using virtual reality to examine the patient and the notes and documentation provided. We then had to create a video to upload addressing how we could address the scenario.

Clinical placement: At this moment in time, clinical placements are limited and in high demand due to this pandemic. We are wondering whether we will be able to graduate this year and whether we’ll have the clinical hours to register as nurses. For now, we’ll sit tight; hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

What Hasn’t Changed?

I’m still a procrastinator. I’ve seen a lot of people talking online about how they’re going to use this time to be as productive as possible. This has been the opposite in my case. Writing this blog post… procrastination. Reorganising my filing… procrastination. Bingeing Ozark… Procrastination. I’m glad some things haven’t changed during this crazy time!

The University has been doing an amazing job of checking in with us and trying to support us to complete our degree. No amount of planning could have prepared us for this, so of course there will be some little hiccups (especially in the technology department) but we are all doing the best that we can, given the circumstances.

In the words of Doctor Mike (check him out on YouTube, you won’t regret it) : ‘Stay alert, not anxious!’

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Hi.

Hi. I’m not sure this blog will ever be read but it’s more for me to have a little project during this crazy time. If anyone reads this, I hope it brings you some happiness. Stay safe!

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Buckle in – there’s 20 years to catch you up on. I was born in 1999 in Australia. Shortly afterwards we moved to Singapore. My Dad has worked as a diplomat and we were lucky enough to travel and live around the world. We came back to Australia at various times and then moved to Solomon Islands. This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life!

I got the travel bug from my parents and was travelling through high school and college (year 11 and 12). Altogether, I have been to 22 countries and I hope that I can share some of those experiences with you in future.

When I’m not travelling, I’m working and trying to fund the next adventure. I still call Australia home (get it?) and I decided to go to uni to study nursing. If I’m being completely honest, I wanted a job where I would travel a lot and make positive impacts in peoples’ lives.

Starting nursing was overwhelming. I didn’t quite know how to get myself organised and I was fresh out of college. Some of my peers were starting their second or third careers. I felt completely out of my depth.

Once I found my nursing sisters and brothers, it was all go from there! I’ve been having the best time and I love being in the hospital with my patients. I feel like nursing is something that I could do well and make my profession.

When I’m not studying I work as Assistant in Nursing for a healthcare agency. I sing a choir with some of the loveliest and talented people! I love scuba diving and swimming (but only if it’s warm!). I love food and cooking – if I cook for you, you must be special! I love going out for lunch, spending time with friends and my boyfriend.

Well there you go – that’s pretty much everything moderately interesting about me! It’s all down hill from here. I hope that anyone who reads this is staying safe and healthy during this time! More to come later!