Clinical Placement: ups and downs

So as part of semester 2 I'm out on clinical placement again. This time our placement is 6 weeks and I have 2 different sites that I've been placed on. One is an acute surgical facility, and the other is a step-down from acute. So far I'm finished with week 1 and I absolutely love it! The best thing about clinical placement for me is the patient interaction and I feel I really get to make a difference in people's lives. I would never want that to change. The feeling is incredible when you finish your shift and you realise that you may have brightened up someone's day... I've had some hard moments this week, when I felt that I didn't know things and when negative things have happened to my patients. I felt like crying (and have cried) a few times, but by speaking to other student nurses has helped me get to grips with my feelings. I'm not a crier by nature, I find that it takes a lot for me to cry, but these situations kind of catch me off guard at times and then I have to step away for a minute and shed a little tear. I think that that's what happens to a lot of us students when we go out on placement, especially seeing people struggling, because we can't help but imagine "what if that was my mum/dad/brother/grandparent?". It's hard emotionally...On the other hand, the positives far outweigh the negatives. That's part of the reason why I started this blog. I wanted to document these ups and downs and what I've learnt from each experience so that I could look back. And maybe it might help someone else when they're struggling. On the positive side, most (if not all) patients are wonderful and they're very much on board with helping you learn and observing/performing procedures. I find that people are very open and honest and are placing such trust in you that you can't help but give 110% for them. Maybe that's part of the reason that clinical is so exhausting, in that every time I leave the ward I feel like I gave it my all and I hope I can do everything better the following day.
Clinical is such an emotional time and it has a physical/mental impact on you as well. These are the things I've learnt so far:

1. Even though you'll have to work 12 hour shifts a lot, most days you won't even notice the time fly. I swear it's like an alternate reality, where time goes by 3x as fast haha! That's why, even though 12 hour days might seem long and daunting at first, you won't even notice the time go by, so be prepared for that.

2. Make time to study. I don't know about you, but I have to study to get good grades, and obviously I want to be the best nurse I can be. You will find sometimes that you'll have to look things up, because patients will ask you questions that you might not know the answers to. It's good to make it a habit to learn something new everyday, be it the different drugs you see being administered, or the different procedures that patients go through. Or maybe it's the different services that are available for patients in your area, specific to a particular problem. Whatever it may be, you will find yourself wanting to do your very best for your patient, which will involve educating them (and yourself) on different things. It will all help you in the end, and sometimes these things will overlap with your assigned topics in college. For example, I found myself needing to know more about caring for patients with respiratory conditions, and this topic is 10% of one of our modules. So not only did that help me in practice, I also found that once I learnt more about the topic, I now feel more confident about that exam. Win-win, right?

3.Pack a small bag with only just the essentials. Most clinical areas probably won't have the space to accommodate your super-large (suitcase-like) handbag, so it's always good to bring only the essentials, because chances are, you're like me and when you carry a huge handbag you fill it with crap that you don't even use. Packing light is a skill I'm still trying to perfect, but believe me I'm working on it!

4. Do one thing just for yourself every day. OMG this is so important. Whether it's having a glass of wine, phoning a friend you haven't talked to in ages, or even reading a trashy magazine, make time for yourself daily.

5. Try and get organised. This is kind of a broad one, but by that I mean things like having enough laundry done, filling your car with petrol/diesel in advance, having cash for lunch (or packing your lunch the night before), or even having your diary/agenda organised with appointments/events for the week. Just make sure to think ahead, because at 6 am the last thing you'll want to do is search your whole house for your car keys or find out that your fuel tank is empty and there's no petrol station open, or even that you forgot your nursing shoes! Avoid the FML situation and you'll thank yourself later.

6. Get a travel charger/power bank for your phone. I have an iPhone, which is anything but generous in its battery life so this is essential for me. Of course the fact that I'm constantly on Facebook/Instagram/YouTube doesn't help matters much, but this powerbank has saved my ass several times.

7. Wear comfortable clothes to clinical. We have to change into our nursing clothes on-site (for infection control), so we can wear whatever we like beforehand. I usually opt for tracksuit bottoms, hoodie and running shoes because I have to walk about 10 mins from where I park to the changing facility, and I want to be comfortable, especially on long days when I get there at 7 am and leave at 8.30.

I thought about these tips and these are the things I've learnt from experience. I hope they help someone who's in a similar situation :)

Xo,
Gintare