Nurse Gintare

Since I last posted on this blog. I had so many plans and ideas and have wanted to update and keep posting but somehow all the commitments in my life have held me back. After slacking on this front for so long I asked myself if I wanted to continue with this blog and my Youtube channel as I haven't been able to dedicate any time to it, and the answer surprised me. It turns out, I do. Lately,  I have felt a renewed sense of motivation to revamp this blog and keep posting more videos. I still want to have my own platform for sharing my experiences as well as learning from other people's. Now more than ever, as I am nearing an exciting milestone in my journey, I feel like I can contribute something as well as learn from everyone else.
For so long, I have been struggling with this whole technology thing as I am not the most tech-savvy person. Even though we live in an age where technology is so vital, I am still learning to use certain aspects of it. In the last year I have learnt more and more about the importance of social media-not only how it can benefit you, but also how you have to be cautious about what you put out into the world. This has reinforced my initial resolve that I wanted my social space to be a positive one. I am still learning bout the technical aspect of it all, hence why I'm slowly updating all of my platforms and putting my vision into practice. As in all other areas of my life, I am aiming for progress, not perfection. If you are a technical genius, I would love your tips/advice!

Love,
Gintare xo

I cannot tell you how exciting this is to me, mainly because I've been trying to update this blog for a few months now. Not being technologically savvy (at all-I'm a little ashamed to admit it!), it took me MUCH longer than I expected.
Mostly I wanted to update this because I just didn't like the look of the blog itself, but also I felt that it wasn't an accurate representation of what I want to write about. I started this blog and my YouTube channel to talk about my journey to being an RN, but along the way I realised that I didn't want to limit both this blog and my YouTube channel to JUST nursing (as much as I love it!). I also wanted to include my other passions- beauty (I'm a fully qualified beauty and body therapist) is something I've been interested in for years; planners and stationery in general are an obsession that just keeps growing hahah; and health and fitness is something I strive to learn more about every day. So this is my way of sharing those passions with you!
I hope you enjoy reading this blog <3

Gintare
XO

Here is a random compilation of things I've been wanting lately:

Since I came back for year 2 of nursing school in September, I've been basically straight out into placement (aside from a week's orientation). We started specialities in the last semester of year1 and back then I did my Care of the Older Person placement (which was wonderful). As we have 7 specialities altogether (COOP, A&E, OT, Community, Mental Health, Peds, and Maternity), years 2 and 3 will be spent completing these placements, which is super exciting, because it gives us an idea of the different types of nursing and the services available, and maybe an idea of what we'd like to do when we're qualified!
This semester I have 2 different placements- OT (Operating Theatre) and Community. I have 3 weeks at each one. I've my theatre placement done and at this stage I'm almost finished with community.
Before I went into theatre, I didn't really know what to expect. Some of my friends had been there last semester and they all said that they had an amazing time there, which put my mind at ease, but at the same time I wasn't sure about what kind of prep I should be doing etc. One of the girls told me I should ask to scrub in at the earliest opportunity, which I was super excited about because I was dying to get in on the action! I also knew that I had to be confident about what's going on, so I definitely wasn't scrubbing in on Day 1 haha! In theatre, you're not thrown into things as much as you are on the wards, and they definitely take the time to explain things and teach you. You also do a lot of observing and asking lots and lots of questions! I think the one thing you need to be aware of in theatre is how aseptic technique works and what the sterile field is- the last thing you want is to contaminate the sterile field, whether you're scrubbed in or not!
As part of theatre, we were rotated into the different specialised theatres, such as ortho, ob/gyn, general and ENT. We didn't spend much time in the emergency theatre (if any), but that's for essential personnel only so it was definitely understandable! There were so many different procedures going on every day, and it was kind of hard to memorise and get my head around them all, but I did commit the most interesting ones to memory for sure! Needless to say, my time at theatre flew and I had an amazing time there. I was delighted to get great feedback from my preceptor which was the icing on the cake!
Then I went onto Community. I'm still there for another week, but I've already learnt so much in the last 2 weeks. Going into it I knew certain aspects that would be involved in community nursing- such as dressings and home visits. But let me tell you... There are soooo many services out there that I knew nothing about! I was lucky enough to be assigned to my local community setting, which instantly made it easier-I'm saving myself 10 hours/week not having to commute! The nurses at my facility are exceptional-I've never met a team that works as well together. I find it very inspiring there- the nurses are lovely, they're constantly teaching me things and even arranged day visits for me, where I could go and visit an Intellectual Disability setting, a Special Needs centre for children, a palliative care centre, a primary school and many more amazing opportunities. Going into the community setting I knew it would be very different from the hospital environment, but I never realised how much the public health and community nurses do! They definitely have a wide scope of care, which I admire-you need a whole load of skills to be able to go out to someone's home and be confident that you can help them with (almost) anything they need!
I don't know if it's luck or my general outlook on it-but I've had nothing but lovely placements so far! I think that you meet obstacles anywhere you go, but a lot depends on your attitude- if you're positive about it and give it 110% you'll get on great anywhere you go :)

I hope you're all enjoying nursing school and placement-wherever you are!

Ever since I finished college for the summer, I have been taking some time to rest, reboot and rediscover some of my hobbies and interests that I-unfortunately-had to abandon while in college due to lack of time (and sometimes-energy). As most of you probably know nursing school can be quite tough at times, due to stress, obstacles and different issues that arise throughout your experience in college. For me, it took it's toll in the form of a non-existent social life and a general feeling of exhaustion after a year of working my butt off. In my first semester of college my schedule was packed to the brim and looked something like this:
Monday-Thursday: leave the house at 7.30 and drive an hour to college, where I would have class until 5pm and then go to the library for an hour or to, and finally get home at 8 or 9 after driving for an hour.
Friday: class until 1. grab lunch and drive straight to work where I would be until 10 pm
Saturday and Sunday: work from 7 am to any time in the afternoon (it varied from week to week).
The above is what my schedule looked like during the class portion of the semester. As you can see it was a busy time and had I looked after myself better I probably would've been able to do more. My diet wasn't the best (eating junk on the go), exercise was non-existent and sleep was poor. I loved my job and equally loved college as well, but doing both was increasingly difficult, when you add a 2 hour commute into the mix. Something had to give. After the Halloween break (a week of catching up on sleep and working on assignments non-stop), I was facing into a 5-week block clinical placement. As excited as I was about it, I also knew how demanding this time would be, and how much pressure it was going to put me under. I know that all nursing students go through the same stress and demands, so I'm in no way complaining, by the way. (I know how lucky I am).
During clinicals my schedule looked something like this:
Monday-Thursday. get up at 5 am, leave the house at 5.50, get there at (or before) 7 to get a good parking space and change into uniform etc., start work at 7.45 and stay there until 5 or 8 in the evening. I would usually have one day off during the week, which was nice because it gave me an opportunity to run errands and do all those little jobs that we can only do mon-fri (ring insurance companies, go to the post office, bank..you get the jist).*During this time, the only thing that made this whole routine bearable was the actual nursing work itself, which cemented my determination to become a nurse. I enjoyed every minute of placement, and learned an incredible amount, so the early starts were more than worth it. In a way, I think it was the universe's way of testing my desire to become a nurse. I think I passed :).
And Friday, Saturday and Sunday my routine was the same as before, so again it was quite busy. And because I was working in healthcare at the weekends as well, sometimes it felt like I was working 7 days a week. Which, if I didn't love my job as much as I did, would be incredibly tough.
So by the time semester 2 came along, I knew what to expect, and what changes I had to make in my life to make it easier. I gave up the junk (slowly but surely haha), started walking more and going to bed earlier and eliminating distractions. It was a long process, but by the end of the year I felt like I grew and gained confidence in my abilities. I learned how to cope with huge amounts of stress (school-,work- and personal life-related, sometimes all at once!). I learned how to shut out the negative voices and people who were draining me. I learned my strengths and weaknesses and made some big decisions which affected my life in a positive way.
My point through this is that in order to go through this journey I had to sacrifice certain things. I could no longer spend 24/7 with my family, I couldn't run to my friends' house when they were upset about the little things. I also couldn't read as many books, watch as many movies and tv shows as I would like to. You learn to pick and choose your battles.
So it's probably no surprise that during the summer, when I've had more time, I've been indulging in all my favourite hobbies and activities, and feeling amazing about it. I've been exercising literally every day ( which is a huge achievement for me, because I used to hate working out. Now I freaking LOVE IT!), eating healthy (which helped me lose over a stone in weight-yay!), and sleeping miles better. I've been reading lots of books, catching up on my TV shows (my Sky+ box was full with series link'ed shows) and watching lots and lots of YouTube videos, as well as reading blogs. I've been spending lots of time with my family. In fact, I'm heading away to visit my grandparents in 10 days for 2 weeks-can't wait! I've been looking after my mental and emotional health too. My stress levels are at about 0 right now and I must say it feels amazing.
I wanted to write this post as a form of therapy in a way. I wanted to write down my thoughts about this amazing journey I'm on in a candid way. I'm hugely grateful to be on my way to becoming a nurse and all the blessings I've been given. I'm now officially 1/4 of the way there. That's an achievement in itself.
If you're reading this and you're in nursing school: what was your 1st year/semester/week/day like? What advice would you give yourself/someone in that situation? Do you think it's possible to do it all and be all things to everyone? And if you're a parent or working a demanding job, what tips/thoughts do you have to share on the subject?

Thank you for reading my ramblings and I hope you're having an amazing day.

xG

Ever since I made the decision to get healthier and fitter and embraced this fitness journey, I've realised the importance of exercise in my overall wellbeing. Whereas before I would have avoided working out at all costs, now I enjoy it and can't go a day without it. I discovered walking a few months ago and nothing is as enjoyable for me now as lacing up my running shoes and getting out and about. I particularly love hiking and fortunately I live in an area where we're blessed with hills and mountains and my favourite place to go hiking is a local waterfall no more than a 20 minute drive away. Because I like to work out on my own (that includes walking/hiking too), I need music to set a positive mood to my workout, but also push me to go further, faster and become stronger and better overall. I enjoy seeing other people's playlists and get inspiration/ideas from them, so why not share my own?

Hiya!
I filmed a video today about the application process for nursing school here in Ireland and my story, as well as some tips to help you get through the long (and sometimes stressful process). Last year (and the year before) when I was going through the application process I would've loved to watch a video on someone else's experience, just to give me peace of mind and ensure that I was doing everything right. Now, having gone through it and ended up at my first choice college I decided to share my experience in the hopes that it will help someone else and reassure them that everything is going to be OK.
I mentioned a few of the following links in the video, and posted some of these in the description box, but just in case you don't come across them, I'm going to link everything here as follows:

www.cao.ie   This is the website where you can get loads of information about the application process, FAQ's, as well as info and links to the different courses available. Like I said in the video, please apply early and save yourself the hassle of having to worry down the line, when you could be concentrating on other things :). Plus, you'll be saving yourself money as well.

www.publicjobs.ie This is the website where you register for the mature student assessment and where you can also access previous exam papers and materials that will help you prepare for the assessment. You will be reminded to do this after you've applied through the CAO, but make sure to remind yourself to register on time.

www.susi.ie This will link you to the authority that deals with  all student grants. Just like everything else, apply early for this as well. You will put yourself at an advantage by being organised when it comes to the application process and the grants.

www.studentfinance.ie  Super handy website. Tells you about all the financial supports available, as well as budgeting tips. Check it out if you also want to know about the different tuition fees that you might have to pay.

www.nursingboard.ie Have a look at this website to familiarise yourself with the nursing board and all the different things they do, as well as information on scope of practice and the different requirements you have to fulfil before you can register with them.

www.inmo.ie An organisation that supports nurses and midwives (as well as students) by providing information, education and advice. Once you're in college you can register with them, but in the meantime you can check it out if you want some of your questions answered.


These are just some of the websites that can help you in this long (and sometimes torturous) process. If you want to know more about this or any other topic please don't hesitate to contact me either on this blog, my e-mail, twitter or instagram.
In the meantime, check out the video (apologies for it being so long!)

Xo,
Gintare

Today I decided to film a vlog about how to study for certain classes. It might be a bit rambly... I just wanted to bring all the information that was in my head across to you in this video. I'm not an expert by any means, but because I've had to adjust my own study habits and methods, I thought it might help someone in a similar situation.
So check it out :)

Xo,
Gintare

Hiya!
Hope you are all having a lovely weekend! Here is a video that I recorded last weekend about placement this time around. It's kind of rambly but if you like vlogs (and nursing school vlogs in particular) you might like this one :) Anyway, I welcome comments, questions and constructive criticism so if there's anything you'd like to say/ask/suggest I would love to hear from you!
Thanks for reading and watching,
Gintare xo

While I'm normally an over-packer (an understatement!), I've learned to condense my essentials into a smaller bag for clinical. I love to carry around lots of random stuff for class (you can see for yourself here and here ), that doesn't really work for clinical placement. Most ward areas only have small spaces designated for belongings, so a small bag works better. I've decided to share with you what I carry in my bag. Hopefully you find this interesting and it might inspire you to downsize too!
So here we go:

I'm one of those people that love to be organised and I'm a firm believer that organisation is the key to success in anything I do. In order to remember appointments, assignments, exams etc., I have to write these things down to remember little details. I've always been that way and for years I was searching for the perfect diary/agenda/calendar. When I stumbled across Filofax I was very impressed. I love that I can customise it and change things up if I feel like it. The huge community of Filofax lovers on YouTube, Instagram and blogs is inspiring-there's some really creative people out there! One of the blogs I love is Philofaxy. It's like a treasure trove of different ideas and ways to make your Filofax your own. While browsing away, I decided to post about my own Filofax and how I make it work for me.
I have the personal size Finsbury in Pink, which is a leather organiser and it's the perfect size for me. While it's not as big and spacious as the A5, it fits into every day bag I have (except my clinical bag, but that's another story!). It's buttery soft to touch and the quality is amazing. As far as inserts go, I have the basic inserts, which you will see below.


Here is a random week, which is covered in pink post-it's because my timetable changes sometimes, so I like the fact that I can peel these off and change my day in a few minutes :)

This is the end of the above list, with the finish line clearly marked out hahaha! And at the very end I have written "RGN" (which is also part of the title of this blog!), because that is my ultimate goal.



Here are some of the other dividers that I customised...
This is a pretty picture of a workstation that I really liked. I took this from a magazine, but it was so long ago that I can't even remember which magazine this was.
As part of my New Year's resolutions for 2014 I vowed to be better with my money. I decided to learn how to budget and spend my money wisely. Hence the Ziploc envelope full of coupons. At the front you can see my Tesco clubcard coupons, which are brilliant, and there are lots more. I really like this pouch/envelope, because it holds A LOT of coupons and I can also see it because it's (obviously) clear plastic.
I also have a business card holder, which I don't use for that purpose. Instead, I keep Sellotape dots and sticky tabs in different sections. I find that it helps me keep these little bits more organised and in one place so I can easily find them when I need to.
And finally, I have the very end of my Filofax- the zip pocket, which currently has nothing in it, but usually I put little documents, forms and (sometimes) stickers into.

So this sums up my Filofax and Part 1 of how I keep organised. I hope you've enjoyed this post. Thanks for reading :)

Xo,
Gintare

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

Hiya!
So last night I decided to film a few videos... The first one of the 2 is a "What's in my school/college bag?" video. I've watched so many of these videos over the years! I really enjoy watching these types of videos and seeing as I am now in nursing school, it felt appropriate to film my own. I carry a backpack to college and usually it's packed with a load of stuff, including books, notes, and personal items that make my life a bit easier. So without rambling on for too long, I'm going to post the link to the video here for the world to see.
Oh and please excuse the crazy thumbnail! I promise- I do have a face hahaha!


P.S. the second video I filmed was about my Filofax. I'm going to upload that in the next couple of days and there will be a blogpost to follow.

So today marks the start of the second week of semester 2 in nursing school and let me tell you...it's not as easy as I thought it would be! Semester 1 was difficult and I'm still awaiting my exam results. I'm not expecting them to be great because I was kind of distracted last semester with other commitments and work so I didn't put in as much effort into school as I should have... This semester, however, I have turned over a new leaf haha!I've been spending more time reading and I've started researching the topics for 2 of my assignments. I'm trying to stay as organised as possible and not to lose track. I won't lie, it's not the easiest task. I'm trying to get in shape and improve my fitness levels as well, so I've started working out. So far I'm doing a 60 minute full body workout 6 days a week and my muscles are aching like never before!! I couldn't be happier, though, because that obviously means that it's working! The workouts are tough physically but they take a load off mentally! Exercise truly is the best way to relieve anxiety as I'm finding out lately :).
So in comparison to semester 1, this new semester is like a fresh start. It may not be easy, but I'm feeling stronger physically, mentally and just more ready to take on the harder modules.

Hugs,
Gintare

Hi everyone I just wanted to mention that I also made a Youtube channel for the same purpose as the blog, just a different format. It's going to be dedicated to all things nursing as well, so if you'd like to check that out you're welcome to do so by clicking on the video below. Please bear in mind though that I'm new at this so there's no fancy editing or special effects! Just a girl who's passionate about nursing blabbering away to her hearts content hahaha :). You can also follow me on Instagram at xgintarex and also on Twitter @ oxgintarexo .
Here is the intro video to my channel
Thanks for reading/watching. See you in my next post/video!

Hugs,
Gintare

Hiya everyone and welcome to my blog! You can probably guess by the title that this is going to be a nursing-focused blog and it's going to document my journey through nursing school and other topics related to nursing :) So first things first a little bit about me.. My name is Gintare and I am a nursing student. I just started my first year of nursing school last September and am enjoying every minute of it! I love everything about nursing and even though nursing school can be hard at times I feel I should document these ups and downs in the hopes that I can look back and remember all the good times :) And maybe it will help someone else in my position! I went back to college as a mature student at 24 and I feel that that's helped me be more focused in the process and to be more determined to be the best nurse I can be. Because there isn't really anything else I'd rather be doing (believe me, I've tried and tested other careers that just didn't suit me for one reason or another)!
So my nursing journey really started about 3 years ago when (after years of wanting to do it and thinking I couldn't because I wasn't good enough) I decided to work towards going back to college and getting my nursing degree. Here in Ireland we have to do a 4 year Bachelors of Science in Nursing degree as a standard, with variations of what type of nursing you'd like to go into. I've always known that I wanted to be a general nurse because I just found it more appealing and it just made sense to me. At my college there are 2 types of nursing degree on offer: the general and mental health nursing. Both disciplines train together, with the exception of certain modules that have to be different for obvious reasons. It really is a nice close knit group as there isn't too many of us. So as I was saying, my nursing journey started about 3 years ago when I finally made the decision to go back to college. I'd had enough of doing things that I wasn't fully happy with just because I felt I wasn't good enough or able to be who I truly wanted to be. After that lightbulb moment I started researching types of courses available and what pathways I could take to get to where I ultimately wanted to be. I think some people call it making a plan ;). Because it was too late that year to apply I had to wait it out until the following year. But I was very much focused on getting there even if it took me several years. The following year I did indeed apply (early I might add!) and waited to get an offer. I couldn't apply as a mature student back then so I relied solely on my Leaving Cert points, of which I had enough, but barely. So along came August and I got offered 1 place. On the other side of the country! I wasn't thrilled but thought to myself if that was what I needed to do then I should surely suck it up and make the best of it. However, after discovering that I couldn't go at all (for reasons out of my control) I decided to take a year out and really focus 100% and basically eat, sleep and breathe nursing. I applied to do a Healthcare Assistant course and when I got it I decided to go for it even though it meant moving to a different county. I ended up really loving the course and it cemented my desire to go into nursing and achieve my goals. I applied through the CAO again (even earlier!) and waited patiently to hear back from my top colleges. When I got my 2nd choice I was more than happy as it meant going to one of the best colleges in the country and doing a dual degree (Childrens and General integrated). BUT....in  August I was offered my No. 1 choice of General Nursing in a different college that was my top choice and that I wanted for the last 3 years. It was a no-brainer. I had to take it! And so I did. It meant moving back home and commuting to college every day (1 hour drive each way!), which was actually quite convenient for me. I started in September and never once questioned my decision to go into nursing. And so here I am now writing this blogpost, hoping to maybe inspire someone who isn't sure that they can do it or who's doubting their abilities to do it.
Thank you for reading this extremely looooooong introduction haha!

Hugs,
Gintare