Positive Placement Experience...mind and motivation

I must firstly apologise for the lack of update and responsiveness on my reflective blog for the past few months. I always remain open and honest...I enjoyed a lovely summer break and around that embedded myself within my practice placement, thus not having a focus on time or rather quality time to spend on my reflective blog.

I embarked on my practice placement into a medical diabetes ward, feeling apprehensive but motivated on my initial shift. After day one, I knew I would enjoy this placement and the main reason being; a supportive mentor. I had a mentor who was not only friendly, approachable, constructive and supportive; the mentor was an exceptional adult nurse. I was able to participate in many learning opportunities from day one and almost instantly felt a sense of belonging not only to the ward environment but most importantly to the team. This enabled me as student nurse to feel confident and self-aware when caring for patients and thinking much more multi-disciplinary in my approach when delivering holistic care.

Within a few weeks, I was growing...building up my skills and developing internally as well as externally as an individual. My mentor one day suggested I manage my own bay. Well, the shock and horror on my face...I gasped and instantly felt my heart-rate increase to 120! With a little bit of warmth, comfort and guidance from my mentor; letting me know she was there to support me every step of the way...I spent that whole shift managing my own bay. At first I was nervous but I soon realised I was getting on ok and knew I could ask as many questions as I needed. This was a positive experience in knowing that I could ask as many questions at any time, no question was tedious and all had worth. I noticed I developed not only in my patient-student nurse interaction and communication but I also felt more confident in my nursing skills. A good balance in developing and enough experiences to feed my thirst to learn even more.

As the weeks passed by, I could feel I was beginning to change...perhaps a change in a sense of growing, adapting, shifting and moving towards a greater sense of being, perhaps a developing and continually improving student nurse. This is something I felt proud of and each shift felt a sense of accomplishment in what I have covered that day. I had opportunities to explore specialist area teams, to support patients with feeding and personal care, communicate and continually assess patients health and well-being and really get to grips with the notion of documentation and care plans. The list is endless but I feel more empowered now to care for wounds and how to apply treatments, I was able to attempt to save a patient's life and performed cpr one shift. Most importantly, I was able to spend quality time with my patients. Time is an element that can sometimes escape a nurse or healthcare professional on any busy ward, however, I remained true to myself in making my own time in managing my bay and ensuring my time was spent assessing, caring and engaging with each of my own patients. I always attempted to be compassionate in all the tasks I completed, from large leg dressings down to making a good cup of tea for a patient! It is sometimes the small things that mean the most to a patient on the ward.

After arriving back to university after a positive placement experience, I feel energised and engaged to connect my mind to embark on a critical appraisal of research. I am currently exploring many aspects of research and continually find I am amazed in how the process of learning evolves no matter what field we are within. I spent time outside my hub placement both in the community and a week in a neurological research centre, where I tasted a sense of research nursing and how the research of today can make such a vast difference to the practices and methodologies of the future.

I am currently in the process of organising my elective international placement through ChildFund Laos, an amazing charity that works within Laos to help improve healthcare and education for the people of Laos. As I settle in for a day of reading research and day-dreaming of the Nonghet region mountains, I will share some images I have from my previous visit to Laos and as I reflect; they will provide me with even more motivation and inspiration to deliver care to people who have limited resources in life yet will always offer you everything they have and more...

The beautiful land of Laos

I am inspired to reach out to the rural villages of Laos and support as a student nurse

Embracing the culture and spirituality of Laos

Working collectively in partnership with locals to improve health and well-being

Leading by example...

I have always tried to lead by example and give back to society in every way I possibly can. Back in 2008, I signed up as a blood donor and began donating. The experience was perhaps not the most enchanting. Let me reflect upon how I feel about blood and needles...Even though I am training to be a student nurse, I do not necessarily like needles or the sight of blood. Sometimes, I have felt queasy and faint around these two...which is not good for a student nurse! So, when on my placement in my first year, I have immersed myself in opportunities of observing injections, giving injections, shadowing venepuncture procedures and anything that involves bodily fluids. I am attempting to overcome my anxiety and perhaps psychological fear. This is something I worry about greatly and I am facing my anxiety head on and working to overcome my fears and with time and practice hopefully become at ease around needles and blood. Not in every situation has this occurred, therefore I am working on my own area to develop...psychologically challenging my inner self!

Now, heading back to the giving blood experience, I do not like the feel or sensation of receiving a needle, however, I felt the process of donating and helping save lives was much more important. As I have a rarer blood type, I feel even more so committed to helping give back. As a student nurse, I will no doubt come across blood transfusions in my time of practice, therefore we need to be donating and help support the cause of saving lives. 

After reading an emotional article about one man's journey of battling cancer and trying to find a bone marrow donor match to save his life. This ignited lots of internal emotions, thoughts and feelings within myself and enabled me to reflect on why am I not on the list. I could be a potential match for an individual whose life is threatened and I can make the difference through enrolling on the bone marrow donor list. The application was slightly more detailed than I had anticipated and the eligibility to become a donor is quite stringent. However, through spending 10 minutes of my time completing the application, I instantly felt overwhelmed that I was doing the right thing. Now, becoming a bone marrow donor is not always an easy or quick decision to be made, if you are a potential match, the procedure you must go through could be painful and take up a lot of your time, however, I feel the fact that you have the opportunity to potentially save a persons life outweighs all the small discomforts to my life. A week later, I received a test kit which was simple to follow and I literally had to just spit into it, pop it back in the envelope and return in the post. A couple of weeks later I received confirmation that I was now an official donor on the UK stem cell register and I felt instantly proud. I now have my own donor card which sit comfortably in my purse and I feel proud to be within the nursing profession as a student nurse and actively promote the need to reach out to other potential individuals who could help save lives. I do wish I had registered years ago but now that I am donor, I am going to help promote becoming a donor and highlight the work that is done by the brilliant Anthony Nolan charity. 

Now, as I work away on my two assignments, one due tomorrow and another in four weeks time...I feel happy and proud to spread the word and express a thought to ponder upon...all other student nurses if you are eligible; why are you not on the list? I do understand it is personal preference and I respect every individual has a choice, however within a profession that strives to provide care and compassion, shouldn't we be leading by example and become involved in any project or initiative that can potentially save a life. 

So proud to now be a registered donor

Saying Hello...Holistically

Hello, my name is Laura Newman. I am currently in my second year on the Pre-Registration Masters Programme in Adult Nursing. I am really interested in developing my knowledge, understanding and skills to become a reflective student nurse. I admire and always adhere to the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Code of Conduct, appreciating the guidance for student nurses. I am really excited by the new implementation of the 6C's into nursing care and practice, fundamentally helping to show compassion and caring within the NHS. I have a passion to care for human beings, ensuring each individual receives patient-centred care that remains holistic throughout the journey of nursing. 

My background is focused within Creative Arts and focusing on the elements of Performing Arts, Dance and Choreography. After graduating from Liverpool John Moores University in 2008 with a First, I opted to work independently as a dance artist to create performance works. As a creative and resourceful individual, I have a passion for creative approaches and work to develop holistic practices in all aspects of working with individuals. After graduating with a PGCE from University of Central Lancashire in 2011, I spent time working within education teaching national curriculum and developing creative projects. Within the educational sector, I worked alongside organisations and council's to co-ordinate and produce creative performances and projects within the community. Many of my creative projects liaised with primary and secondary schools to assist children to develop the creative self and reflect upon their own imagination, health and well-being.  

I have previously spent 13 months travelling around the world, embracing cultures, cities and cuisines from diverse countries across each continent. I assisted in SE Asia with healthcare and educational projects and worked at a local orphanage in Cambodia. Through the valued experiences of meeting and communicating with new people from all over the world, I have developed in my own communication skills and have the confidence to embrace all new opportunities. My travels have given me the deepened valued sense of being, an intrinsic feeling of myself, getting to know who I truly am...as a female, creative practitioner and student nurse. 

Now I hope I have given you a sense of who I am as an individual and most importantly begin to sense you are getting to know the real me...Laura. I am going to be using this blog as a reflective tool for my own ongoing learning journey as a student nurse. I am going to remain professional, reflective and creative in all my experiences and opportunities. I hope you will remain with me on this journey, as I share and reflect upon my own ideas, feelings and experiences as a student nurse in 2014. 

"The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your study, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can."  Neil Gaiman

Cambodia, 2011 - Laura Newman