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!
Daisy Azmi 