The registrar with a young medical student in tow wore an undecipherable expression on his face. “Are you looking after the patient in cubicle two,” he enquired. I acknowledged that I was. “Well I think you might have closed the curtain,” he snapped. I evidently looked confused. “Well she is dead,” he said bluntly. A […]
Category: student nurse
Emergency Department Initiation
My eagerly anticipated placement in the Emergency Department is about to begin. It is 7 o’clock in the morning, I am a bleary eyed and apprehensive as I make my entrance into the department for the first time. A central nurse/doctor station is surrounded by rows of curtained cubicles through which I can discern the […]
Venous Leg ulcers
It would be easy to conclude, as I come to an end of my community placement, that the majority of people over the age of 75 have at least one venous leg ulcer. Mr O’Leary was no exception – in fact his was particularly painful and had so far resisted all attempts to heal. Like […]
Management Speak
It is hard to ignore the politics in nursing. Every time a qualified community nurse leaves, they are replaced by an untrained Health Care Assistant. What is going on here? I do not want to do HCAs down, as many of them do a superb job, but if the job can be done as well […]
Starting my community placement
This morning I am starting my placement in the community; working with district nurses in local rural villages. I am really looking forward to it, and it makes me realize that I have actually been a bit disappointed with some of my previous placements. Like any good nursing student, I have reflected on this surge […]
A bloody nose?
My placement comes to an end. As ever, I have encountered many interesting people and situations and experienced a wide range of emotions from elation through to despair. I have learned a lot and realised how much more I need to learn. The kindness and patience of the majority of staff have made the difficult […]
Children’s Nurse
‘Ring for the paediatric nurse,’ bellows Christine trying to make herself heard over the top of the heartfelt screams of 5 year old Thomas. Thomas has had 5 teeth removed, and has just woken up in the recovery area spitting blood metaphorically and literally. We are amazed at his strength as an anaesthetist and 3 […]
Nurses attitudes to research
During a quiet period in the day surgery list I take the opportunity to continue my search for more recent evidence about postdural headaches. Charlotte, a recently qualified nurse, looks over my shoulder. ‘I suppose you have some reason for looking at that?’ she says accusingly. I quickly mutter something about needing it for a […]
Nurses attitudes to evidence based practice
Today I try to engage nurses with my research findings regarding bed rest after lumber puncture. I am aware that this might not be the most riveting of conversational openings, but I am still quite disappointed with the result. Some of nurses I speak to are not at all sure why they ask patients to […]
Student Casualty
I arrive in the day unit to see Dave limping down the corridor. ‘What happened,’ I ask. ‘I got knocked down by a car and spent the night in the emergency department,’ he grins. He denies that centurion was in any way connected and nonchalantly hobbles off down the corridor. […]