A WEEK!?

Sorry guys I was distracted.....

That last post I sent while I was still in Canada. At that point I was playing with my nephew and pondering my next placement.

Still no news on the placement front by the way. I'm doing agency shifts to fill the gap.

So this is what I have been doing for the last few days.... She has no name but she is definitly a she (Will take suggestions in the comments). She is not a faceless Amish doll... I'm just pondering the embroidery over paint face debate. The t-shirt is half finished, which is why she's only wearing a pair of brown trousers so far. Also she needs to be finished before the party of my un-nameable youth group (yes she's going to be wearing the uniform) (Although take 2 guesses and I think you'll be on to me soon enough). The party is tomorrow evening. I need to get my skates on!

I miss Canada. Actually I miss the entire North American continent. (I'll miss it more when the double stuf oreos run out)



I miss my nephew.

A Good Mentor

These people do actually exist. Although they are extremely thin on the ground. So qualities for a good mentor?

• Accepting - stop trying to change the student's personality already
• Open - please don't brush the student off, we are well aware that we are only in your life for a matter of weeks but your attitude will stay with us forever
• Honest - tell us if we are crap, we NEED to know
• Timely - this goes with honest, tell us NOW so it can be corrected
• Good at your job - goes without saying that crap nurse = crap student (or similar, crap teacher = crap outcome)
• Kind - we're not looking for flowers and chocolates but a pat on the back would be nice

See it's not that hard. Granted it's not always the mentor that turns out to be the one that supports you the most. Other random staff nurses, the boss, CSWs... they all kick ass.

Bad mentors are everywhere. You really have to ask yourself how have these people managed to forget what it was like to be a student in the first place? Even as a new staff nurse? Surely they can remember their first days on the wards... Apparently.
Must be like childbirth. Eventually the memory of the pain you suffered fades. If someday that happens to me promise that someone with offer up a metaphorical slap?

Busman's Holiday

Nothing like going somewhere and doing your day job.
We've already established that taking me hospital visiting is just an invite for me to read your file, comment on your meds and make your bed before we leave.
Yea well...... several thousand miles / 8 hour flight and I get told "Hey you know how to stick people with needles right?"
*smacks forehead with heel of hand* (nothing good can come of this) "Yes."
"Well you can help us vaccinate the goats!" (yep it was said with glee)
*once again smacks forehead*
What a busman's holiday this has turned out to be and there will be another round before I go!
People don't usually headbutt the person with the needle. Goats also have much thicker skin and fur which would explain the HUGE solid metal needles for a simple subcut injection.
So yes I can now add 'vaccinated goats' to my CV.

Struck Off for Being Religious?

OK we have a nurse who is religious. That's just fine the writer of this piece is a nurse who is gay. You can be what ever you want to be. I don't plan on getting struck of for my sexuality any time soon. That alone shouldn't be a problem, equality and diversity and all that.
Course it's not that simple. She has offered to pray for her patient (The Beeb's report cos it might be more impartial). The patient questioned her actions (which she has a right to do) and of course it has been taken further.
I'm in 2 minds over this because on one hand we have a caring nurse and spirituality is part of the activities of living. On the other we have a clear breach of the Code of conduct.
They've got her over a barrel, so to speak, on 2 points.
"You must demonstrate a personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity" - We care for so many different people that really you shouldn't even make assumptions about them.
"You must not use your professional status to promote causes that are not related to health" - Now here she was promoting something unrelated to health.
That's 2 strikes.... and for anyone trying to string up the sister that had to escalate the situation -
"You must listen to the people in your care and respond to their concerns and preferences"

The Code is what we live our lives by. You break it, you pay the consequences. I understand why the PCT have had to take action. Maybe I realise better than some how pushing my beliefs on anyone else could hurt.

Oddly enough I love the anonymity of the professional façade. I love that I can put away the bits of my life that aren't necessary for me to do my job. But that's the part so many people have a problem with.

EDIT: Updated 08/02/2009.
The PCT have lifted the suspension and allowed her back to work. I don't think this will be the end of it and we'll see the out come from the MNC hearing in the months to come.

Other Places

Or messing with other peoples analytics.
Yep if you seen an unusual visitor it might be me. So I'm no longer in the UK with all its snow. I'm in Canada with all its snow instead. I didn't lie about the airport wifi I did try to connect but as per usual Vista stuffed it up.
I've not got all that much to say. I'll do a news post later, honest.

Flying Visit

Hi Guys
I'm in a hotel in Manchester.
It's a 70s time warp.
I'm stuck with my parents, who seriously don't get blogging / anything else in my life (ah independence how I miss you right now).
How much like a 15 year old girl with a LiveJournal / myspace account do I sound right now?
I'm leaving the country tomorrow. HUZZA!
Internet access here is £1 for 10 mins (total rip off) and the computer's slow.
I'll blog tomorrow properly from the airport (cos I'll get my laptop on the wifi there).
Love
WardBunny

P.S. no news on new placement :( (thought I'd keep going with the sounding like a 15 year old)

Stand Back I Saw This on Casualty!

Imagine the scene....
You're walking through the local shopping centre when a middle aged man in true theatrical fashion clutches at his chest and falls to the ground. His skin is pale and clammy. His lips are turning blue. All fingers are pointing to something delightful involving his heart. His wife is screaming and bystanders are throwing their 2 cents into the ring when someone comes forward...

At this point I'd be thinking thank goodness someone in that crowd as done CPR at some point. Er no... this helpful person is going to be helping this poor ill man on the basis of knowledge acquired from medical dramas.
Sorry I've done more CPR courses than I care to count and I would still be hesitant (slightly) in rushing in to help. But apparently 1 in 5 would have a go even if they are not trained. 77% aren't.
"First aid is easy if you know what to do" Well thanks St Johns Ambulance. They think you should at least try even if you haven't a scooby. Now if this was another country I could mention that bystander could get sued for not knowing what they're doing. Heck it's happening here too. It's a false confidence that could actually put someone's life at greater risk.

"Stand back I was this on Holby City / Casualty / ER / M*A*S*H / House / Crossing Jordan / Gray's Anatomy / other medical drama!" Ain't really gonna cut the mustard. Keep your precordial thumps to yourself. Assuming you know what that is...

A First As Student Nurse Blogs Go

If you take a look at the student nurses listed in the sidebar (and I suggest you do). Then all of these lovely people are smart, well adjusted, and get good grades. I on the other hand... fail stuff, mess it up and generally cause havoc where ever I go. Makes for interesting blog posts at least.
So this should come as no surprise....
I've stuffed up my final placement. My fault not theirs. Should really have seen it coming to be honest. So I'm not there yet. Sadly.
I'm getting 6 weeks somewhere else to see if I can pull it back (and maybe put a cap on that problem I have with authority). It'll work out fine. The whole thing wasn't right from the beginning so somewhere new has to be better.
I'll tell you guys when I find out where I going. I put in a vote for acute / critical / coronary care / type places. Don't know if I'll get that but it won't be going back to where I was.

A List Of DO NOTs For Nurses

Do Not....

Go to work after only and hour and a half's sleep
Hit on the doctor
Stick the 'finger' up at your boss
Think cheek towards co-workers is a form of communication
Turn up late then disappear to a clinic appointment with a patient
Accuse the consultant of being sexist because he comments on 'women drivers'
Make jokes about impacted bowels
Agree with anything you don't understand
Hit on the doctor (oops said that already... well it needs to be said)
Try to work without some form of caffeine in your system

WTF?

OK well we have a 3 year old with a smoking habit and his mother dragged up in front of court. The kid was filmed by his mother's friend because she was worried about him. Apparently the film clip shows him lighting a butt with a lighter and inhaling. Now come on if that was a kid showing off by coping then her would have been coughing, or better still wouldn't have gotten a lighter to work. I know I was 5 when my dad taught me about matches and lighters. He's a smoker and if lighters and matches were going to litter the house then I better be able to do it without setting fire to the place.
That kid had skill that no other 3 year old would (or should) have. The kid had done it before. Ergo the kid had a habit.

Then we have a nurse who was struck off the register for killing her husband with an axe. Actually the WTF stems from the fact that she is now wanting to be put back on the register. I understand the background of domestic abuse and that he had done something like fathering a child with his niece or her niece or something. But really would you want a nurse who has a past conviction like that? We are never supposed to judge our patients but I know for a fact that they would judge us and her name is all over the BBC website's stories. I assume that the NMC will stand by their decision. It's all up to the high courts to make a decision. The NMC's on shaky enough ground with the public and it members without dragging this through the press too.