Community Nursing
All of my trainng was around the Oldham area and when you're in the community you get a real sense of living in the real world! You see rich, poor, some a bit of both. It's a different type of nursing completely. More relaxed, less doctors (there are good and bad points to this) and more sociable. You have an office where they are enough chairs for everybody's bottom and sometimes even feet!
Year 2
District Nursing
Lesson learnt: When it all boils down to it, we're all made up of the same biology. Some of us just place a little more value on it than others.
I quite enjoyed this part of my training. It felt a good deal more personal nursing people in their own homes where they felt comfortable and at ease. I was especially impressed with the help offered to those who chose to die at home.
One thing you come to learn as a student is just how many differnet types of nurses there are. Some are specialised in Cancer, some in catheter care, infection control, asthma, stoma, the list goes on. The specialists will love to share their knowledge with a student and they know their stuff. Not just the medical bits but how to emotionally engage with their patients on a level that is has been expertly gained through years of being an empathetic person. Never have i ever come across a complaint about a specialist nurse. Please feel free to comment if you have.....
Memorable experience:
Hiding smokers
I found it quite commical that nurses felt the need to not only hide themselves in their cars, but also drive to a discreet location just to feel safe enough to light up! It was a disciplinable offense to smoke in your uniform. Just a shame that they went to such an effort when the ligering smell was a bit of a giveaway!
