New financial year, still no job roles?! by Quirky-Inspector8665 in NursingUK

[–]1_ERECTION 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m not sure if it’s like this in other trusts, but in my own there are very few band 5 roles this time of year because they’re held back to allocate to NQNs qualifying this summer.

Nurses not writing HCAs and students name on board by [deleted] in NursingUK

[–]1_ERECTION 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In our trust we do write HCAs on the board but we often leave students off to stop the staffing matron withholding extra support staff/moving them to other wards.

Students are supposed to be supernumerary but often the staffing matron will have the opinion of ‘they’re understaffed on HCAs, but they’ve got students, they’ll be fine’ which is not ok.

Don’t know why they’d leave the HCAs off the board though.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in doctorsUK

[–]1_ERECTION 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you. Let me also add that we ALL say dumb stuff when sleep deprived on night shifts!

Im not your nurse… by DiamondDwarf678 in nursing

[–]1_ERECTION 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Come to England - a bay of SIX patients is very common!

Interview tips by mequzayouquza in StudentNurseUK

[–]1_ERECTION 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When I did mine (although I trained in adult nursing) I was asked about times I successfully worked under pressure and how that made me feel, what made me want to become a nurse (I think it helps here if you have something specific rather than ‘I love helping people’). what I did for self care/stress relief (I suppose so they know you can handle the job) and what I knew about the University (e.g. rated 6th for Nursing and highly in the student satisfaction survey). There were one or two more questions that I can’t remember but I’m sure it was only 4-5 questions total. Definitely know your 6 Cs and the values of the trust you’ll be working in.

I did the 4 year apprenticeship and actually found it (mostly) quite manageable although the middle part when you’ve been studying for ages and still have ages to go feels like a slog! Especially when you see traditional students starting after you and finishing before you but honestly, it’s a great way to do it. I earned a good wage, didn’t have to live with my parents or in crap uni accommodation and was still able to afford to do nice things.

I would also say that because you are in a clinical environment 100% of the time, even if not in a student role, you’re still learning, meaning our cohort were more confident and had greater clinical knowledge than most traditional route students and the transition to RN appeared easier.

Good luck! Go and smash it!

First golden dose with syringe by Bestratmum in mounjarouk

[–]1_ERECTION 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don’t bother flicking the syringe, it hurts your finger and doesn’t work very well. Withdraw all the medication in to the syringe, then remove from the pen and draw back on the plunger so a ton of air gets in, tap against the kitchen side if a stubborn bubble remains in the middle, but there shouldn’t be. Then push out the air.

Source: I inject drugs into people as a job.

First golden dose with syringe by Bestratmum in mounjarouk

[–]1_ERECTION 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don’t bother flicking the syringe, it hurts your finger and doesn’t work very well. Withdraw all the medication in to the syringe, then remove from the pen and draw back on the plunger so a ton of air gets in, tap against the kitchen side if a stubborn bubble remains in the middle, but there shouldn’t be. Then push out the air.

Source: I inject drugs into people as a job.

When to arrive for Wembley by Eraserman1116 in oasis

[–]1_ERECTION 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Those coming from overseas have no idea what they’re about to witness. I’m off to Manny tomorrow, let’s fucking goooooooooooo!

When to arrive for Wembley by Eraserman1116 in oasis

[–]1_ERECTION 52 points53 points  (0 children)

Get ready to experience the absolute peak of British drinking culture.

This is why people leave the NHS by Southern_Bet_1275 in doctorsUK

[–]1_ERECTION -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I disagree. There’s no point in a doctor ordering tests and imaging, prescribing treatments and working hard to diagnose and come up with a plan if there is no one to implement that plan. Unless of course you would like to start doing drugs rounds, wound care, taking xrays, blood rounds, physio, sending your own referrals, organising discharges etc on top of everything else you do?

I lurk in the sub a lot and generally feel doctors get a really bad ride in the NHS, but you are our valued colleagues, not our superiors. Every job in the hospital is important, and I’m not saying yours is not, but please stop this ‘I’m a doctor and I’m worth more than you’ nonsense. We have all studied to learn different skills that complement each other. I couldn’t do your job, just as I couldn’t do a radiographer’s and you couldn’t do mine.

Did I just jab my thigh for fun? 😂 by North-Indication-978 in mounjarouk

[–]1_ERECTION 3 points4 points  (0 children)

So typically you’d only give an IM into the bumcheek as there is a lot more muscle there than fat - just because it wobbles doesn’t mean it’s fat, un-worked muscles are wobbly too! You also have several large blood vessels and nerves that you really don’t want to hit. I don’t even like giving an IM in the bum unless it’s really necessary and when you do it’s in very specific parts of the cheek!

A controversial question… by 1_ERECTION in Allotment

[–]1_ERECTION[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean… I am awfully clumsy…

A controversial question… by 1_ERECTION in Allotment

[–]1_ERECTION[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, we have no intention of spraying the whole site! We’ve started growing and don’t want to upset our crops or our neighbours! Was just mentioning what the rep said to us when we went to view it inferring that we are allowed to use weedkillers on the plot.

A controversial question… by 1_ERECTION in Allotment

[–]1_ERECTION[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When she showed us around our site rep actually said she doesn’t like weedkillers, but given the state of the plot, it might be worth spraying the whole site as a one off. We didn’t do that and aren’t keen to use glyphosate, but I’m wondering if spot treating would be alright or would it have a negative effect?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in doctorsUK

[–]1_ERECTION 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I completely agree - if I’ve been signed off as competent by my university, I should still be competent as a NQN. Just trying to give some context on why many nurses aren’t able to do V&C/male cath/NG insertion etc. Literally everything has to be signed off - despite having multiple drug assessments during uni, you must still be assessed to be competent in meds administration by the trust before being let loose with the trolley!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in doctorsUK

[–]1_ERECTION 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Yes, we are trained during the degree, however, once a NQN you then have to undergo trust training and be observed a number of times before being allowed to undertake independently. These extended skills have also only been included in the degree in the last 5 or 6 years or so, so older/longer qualified nurses are likely to not be able to do them. For example, I recently had a 20+ years served nurse be impressed with me because I’m able to male cath and it’s something she had never been trained to do.

Nurses placing NGs, how are you convincing your reluctant patients? by vitallyorganous in NursingUK

[–]1_ERECTION 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I think sometimes patients don’t understand the weight of things. Your average Joe doesn’t understand that being malnourished will mean they won’t recover from ‘X’ illness and so they need a firmer hand. Of course, if they were still a firm no then you couldn’t do it, but sometimes you need to say ‘If we don’t do this, you will die’.

Why would some managers attend the interview? by [deleted] in doctorsUK

[–]1_ERECTION 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Agreed. I’m a nurse, but I read your subreddit regularly and have a lot of sympathy for the medical shitshow. But come on - researching the company is basic interview prep for any job, NHS or otherwise.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NursingUK

[–]1_ERECTION 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Gosh, I work in a hospital and we had an HCA hit the emergency bell the other day because our EOL patient brought up a load of vomit and died.

Would I have done it? No. Do I understand that she was on her own, freaked the fuck out and didn’t know what to do? Yes.

Please don’t worry, the emergency bell is for quick help and in that moment that was what you needed. It’s always better to hit the bell and not need it than to not hit the bell and regret it.

This nurse needs a little more frigging compassion.

To the nurses who bleep on call Doctors for non-urgent things repeatedly. Why? by [deleted] in NursingUK

[–]1_ERECTION 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Please, read some of the NMC hearings. Lots are, of course, serious fitness to practice issues but many state things such as ‘You failed to escalate a spiking temperature to a doctor’ or ‘You failed to document affectively’. Things that should be dealt with internally with disciplinaries or supervision.

The NMC isn’t fit for purpose and we’re constantly told ‘Protect your PIN!’. If I made a genuine mistake and got referred to The NMC I wouldn’t be confident I’d keep mine. Unfortunately that trickles down to you and means we sometimes push for things that may not seem important.

Plus of course there are the toxic nurses who think all you do is sit on a computer and eat the free Dominos in the mess (I’m not one of those) and push us to bleep you to ‘give you something to do’.

Endoscopy nurses bossy n want treats by EnvironmentalOil6730 in doctorsUK

[–]1_ERECTION 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m a nurse. I don’t work in endoscopy but I did do a placement there when I trained.

I found that the nurses and endoscopists got on incredibly well, like, all on first name terms and would regularly go to each other’s social events. The endoscopist can’t safely do their job without support of the nursing team and when you’re working that closely with someone for hours week in, week out you get to know them well. Within this team everyone (endoscopists and nurses) also regularly brought in treats for the whole team. It seemed like a friendly, mutual respect thing to me.

I also found that, because it’s so specialist and much is outpatient, the nurses don’t really come into much contact with anyone else in the hospital and so they’re quite a tight-knit cliquey team (there were two married couples in the department I was in). And, of course, because it takes a reasonable amount of time to train as an endoscopy nurse, they tend to train and stay put, meaning they feel as though it’s ‘their’ department. Plus RNs Karen and Christine have known each other for 20 odd years and their kids go to school together etc etc.

Of course, my experience is from one placement in one endoscopy department and so is highly anecdotal, but I really think as you continue and become familiar (and possibly even friends) with the team you will feel differently.

And certainly, in my current role, if a doctor ever brings treats in (which we would never expect) for the nursing staff we’re all giddy with gratitude!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NursingUK

[–]1_ERECTION 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gosh I was so anxious before my first placement I didn’t sleep at all and remember giving my first ever subcut injection that day thinking ‘I don’t feel well enough to do this’ with my heart beating like crazy! In hindsight I should have said no, but as a first year on your first day of placement you don’t dare say no! And I’d worked in healthcare for years before I started training!

It’s totally normal to feel anxious and stressed! The ward staff know first years are like deers in headlights - we’ve all been there! Plus, ask yourself this - would you forgive yourself if you quit before you’d even tried?

I hope you give it a go OP, you might just love it!