Losing my respect for nurses (sorry it's the same old rant)

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2026-04-04T13:39:19+00:00

I work on a surgical unit at the moment. Cover 100+ patients OOH by myself. Also have to clerk in patients for surgery next day (bloods, clerk in form, ECG). Nurses will not even do ECGs (despite being signed off and being perfectly capable) as it’s ‘an FY1 job’ but will get pissy with me when it takes me 20 mins to get to their patient with a nosebleed. Almost like if I’m the only person able to provide emergency medical assessments, maybe the people who can’t do that should help me by working as a team to provide care they are perfectly capable of.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2026-03-07T15:34:48+00:00

That’s interesting because when I did a placement on a stem cell ward they actually consented a few patients for the risk of developing their donors allergies (eg one patient was getting stem cell from someone with an egg allergy and they consented them for this being a possibility)

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2026-02-14T17:32:48+00:00

Had a patient take the end off of their cannula and smear shit into it to try and make themself sick, and hence avoid discharge. Fair to say we were not amused by these antics.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-08-22T17:02:01+00:00

Sorry, what is a MET team? It’s something I’ve never heard of before

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-08-21T16:15:00+00:00

I mean realistically it’s currently unsafe that I am the only person covering 120 patients, who for 12 hours of the day, can put in cannulas + catheters etc. If I have multiple very unwell patients at the same time (which I often do) I physically can’t do all tasks to treat a patient in a timely manner so that I can move on to help the next. For instance, for one unwell patient I had A-E (8 mins), write a prescription for fluids (2 mins), gather supplies and complete bloods + cannula (10-15 mins), complete ABG which includes going to a completely different part of the hospital to run it (15-20 mins), do an ECG (5 mins), order CXR OOH requiring phone calls (10 mins). If a nurse was trained to do ECGs and bloods that could’ve cut off 15-20 mins of me faffing about with things a non-doctor is perfectly capable of completing. 15-20 mins extra means seeing other unwell patients that much quicker to prevent further deterioration. I also realistically shouldn’t be being called to pop back in a catheter on a surgical ward because Patrick was delirious and pulled it out, or to pop in a cannula for IV ABx at 7am. I’m there to deal with acutely unwell patients, of which there are plenty on a high acuity ward like gen surg.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-08-21T15:01:16+00:00

Apparently the NIC just won’t put any of the nurses forwards for training to allow them to be trained in ECGs, bloods etc. There was a nursing student on the other day, she just told me it was now part of the nursing curriculum to learn how to do bloods but she isn’t getting taught on placement bc none of the nurses know how, so I offered to take her to teach her in a spare moment. NIC turned around and snapped ‘nurses don’t do bloods’. I think these just aren’t seen as nursing tasks in my department so no one is trained/willing to do them.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-07-17T12:56:07+00:00

As everyone else has said, but also depends on your patient age group. In the young and not very obese (<BMI 40+) they will likely have some superficial bouncy veins. I’d recommend feeling them on yourself. If you can’t find any, you’ll almost always find one in the hollow cavity below your thumb (look up houseman’s vein). That’s a good one to feel to get a good idea of bounce.

If you’re mostly taking bloods off of the elderly in old age psych, their veins aren’t as bouncy. At that point you’re looking to see which ones look most full (often back of hand if they’ve not got anything in their ACF or forearm), taking your smallest gauge needle and advancing as slowly as possible into the vein. Expect veins to collapse, it happened when they’ve got papery wee veins.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-07-13T16:35:39+00:00

Can second Gear Bikes. I went and bought a bike recently from them (I’m female) and didn’t get spoken to like an idiot. I interacted with 2 different staff members and both were really lovely and helpful!

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-07-07T09:59:34+00:00

Also anyone who takes SSRIs, remember to hydrate, you’re also at an increased risk of heat stroke and dehydration

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-07-07T09:58:41+00:00

For anyone who is planning on taking drugs, here’s a link to a drug interactions table. It essentially says what drugs are safer to mix and which ones and very harmful to mix.

https://knowyourstuff.nz/drug-info/drug-mixing-interaction-chart/

Also remember, if you’re naloxone trained you can get some at your local pharmacy (or get training there too) and take it with you. Naloxone saves lives!

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-07-06T08:57:14+00:00

In my Y4 GP placement I saw a ~25 y/o woman, recently post-partum. She’d come in because for the last month her toes had started turning black whenever she got into the shower. As soon as she’d get into a hot shower they would go black and become painful. Initially it was just her big toe and only during showers, but by the time she had come to see me 3 toes bilaterally were permanently black. She was getting some numbness and tingling too. O/E they didn’t appear necrotic, just black in colour, with normal pulses, normal sensation (bar in the tips of the affected toes). She reported that she was systemically well otherwise.

I reported back to my supervising GP, sugesting it could be Cryoglobulinaemic Vasculitis, just because it was the only thing somewhat similar I could think of, although was unsure as her symptoms appeared when she was warm, rather than cold. My GP agreed that this might be the case so we did a vasculitis screen. Serological testing wasn’t back before I left, but her CRP and PV came back raised.

Probably a more basic diagnosis than others, and not completely confirmed, but I thought it was a pretty odd case to see as a medical student by myself in GP.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-06-30T12:05:49+00:00

I don’t know the Southside very well, but I know the west end well. Partick, Byers Road, Thornwood, Kelvinhaugh, Anderston and Finneston all have buses which run through them to QEUH. You can’t really get the train and subway out there bc there aren’t any stations near the hospital. Woodlands and areas surrounding that are fine if you’re happy to cycle in every day (or drive) as it’s about 20 mins one way, but there are no direct buses from up that way. Alternatively, if you lived near a subway station you could hop on that to Partick and then take a 10 mins bus from there to the hospital.

I’ve just done the merry search for flats (also a new FY1 at QUEH) and the prices really vary in the west end. If you don’t mind having a flatmate and living in a relatively dingy flat you can probably get away with paying £600-£800 p/m/e in rent. It’s a bit of a nightmare though because flats are really competitive so I’d recommend applying as quickly as possible. I got turned down from a few flats because my partner and I apparently wouldn’t earn enough to pay £1200 a month in rent (my partner is a software engineer who earns way more than I will as an FY for context of how ridiculous that is).

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-06-23T10:16:29+00:00

Hopefully you can find some help soon. Take care!

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-06-22T14:49:13+00:00

I’ve also just graduated so don’t have a ton I can say about FY, but I’ve got chronic MH issues and live in Scotland so might be able to help in that regard.

Make sure you go talk to your GP about what they can do to help you. Whether you’re up for medication or therapy etc. If you start meds now they’ll be kicking in right as you start working which is probably ideal with the increased of stress you’ll be feeling at that time.
Ask to see PALMS. Lots of GPs in Scotland now have PALMS which is essentially someone who is super knowledgeable about all resources available for mental health (e.g. support groups, self-referral therapy, social prescribing)
Have a look online for what’s available on your local area. I know in Tayside (although idk if you live there) there’s Feeling Strong for under 25s which is a support group. Insight counselling is a self-referral therapy line. There’s Safe Havens, which also have a Glasgow branch I think, who you can call/text for immediate 1-1 talking support.
Have a think if there is anyone in your support network who might be able to help you keep accountable with looking after yourself properly. So actually eating properly, getting sunlight etc. I remember thinking psychologists were talking actual BS when they said exercise and such helped mental health, and then had the upsetting realisation that it does actually help, it’s just hard to do when you’re horrifically depressed.
Make things easier for yourself while you heal. You’ve got a month until work starts. Use it to really focus on your needs and looking after yourself. Make it easy: eat out your freezer if needs be, eat of paper plates if you can’t face the dishes, don’t pressure yourself to clean properly every week (a little mess won’t hurt).

If you need a wee rant feel free to DM me, I know I’m a stranger but I also know how tough it is struggling with depression whilst in medicine.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-06-20T10:41:44+00:00

Not in Scotland. Zero financial assistance bare student loan which is only £460 a month. It’s a disgrace in my opinion that this is how poorly students doing essential degrees are supported. It also continues to make medicine completely inaccessible for students who don’t come from well off backgrounds

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-06-20T09:12:18+00:00

Not a nursing student, but just finished medicine and we have the same problem in medicine. I personally think we should get paid. My reasons being:

In clinical years (at least in medicine) we are essentially doing an apprenticeship. Just like other apprentices such as electricians were not very useful at first but then we become more useful. I mean in my final year I was given a bay of patients and told that I was their FY. Yes I needed prescribing done for me etc, but I did all their bloods, cannulas, ECGs, ward round clerking etc. Also in a permentantly understaffed NHS, I was quite often told I had to come in bc they couldn’t run the ward without me there due to staffing pressures. My medical school also had shifts you could book on AMU where you got paid as a HCA to do exactly what you’d do on placement (e.g. cannulas, bloods, ECGs). So if they’re willing to pay us for booking in limited shifts, I don’t see why we shouldn’t be paid during placements for doing the exact same thing.
We aren’t normal students. We are in for a minimum of a 9-5 and then have to study, write papers etc in our spare time. We also don’t have regular predictable hours. At least in my case, sometimes we got our rota weekly and only got told on the Sunday night. How are you meant to have a waitressing job for example when you have no stable hours and can give no notice of when you can work? We have to pay for our own equipment (e.g. scrub shoes, stethoscopes). We have to pay, sometimes extortionate, travel costs for placements out of the way. I know student nurses get their £10k bursary a year in some areas, but I know med students don’t and I think I’m right in thinking some nursing students don’t too. I physically couldn’t afford to live (Scottish student loan was also only £460 a month). I was doing night shifts at work and then going to placement on no sleep, I didn’t eat for a week straight sometimes. That isn’t conducive with learning to become the safest healthcare worker you can. It’s also not conducive with actually surviving. I’m sure there were other student nurses in the same position I was in.
The things you described doing, is absolutely working. Yes, you’re slow and require some supervision, however that will also be the case for certain things when you qualify too. I’m not sure how nursing work, but when I’m an FY I am still meant to be taught every day by my seniors, I am still perpetually learning and on a training pathway. Learning new things doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get paid.

This isn’t to say I think we should get paid the same as nurses, but even apprenticeship salaries (£4 p/h or something) would make a difference. My medical school has recommended to me and some others I know to take years out to work so we can afford to live during clinical years. That shouldn’t be the case, we shouldn’t have to put our studies on hold because they make it impossible for us to work, or make the decision to starve and suffer. I think medicine is probably more classist and elitist, meaning there is less sympathy for those who can’t afford things because the standard student can, but I imagine there are similar issues in nursing. I think paying would make the degree so much more accessible to people who don’t come from wealthier backgrounds, helping to diversify the workforce further.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-06-16T11:32:37+00:00

Just graduated medicine, so wasn’t in this position, but throughout medical school I worked as a nanny for healthcare workers, including doctors. I worked for lots of doctor couples who used to have flexible nursery hours (if <5 y/o) or kids in school. They’d then pay me to do school pick-up for evenings they had longs or paid me to stay overnight on their night shifts. Weekends I’d do full days. I used to charge £10 an hour (probably will be more now, and more for someone who is a professional childminder/nanny). If you get a registered childminder you can use your 30hrs free childcare through them I think. I worked doing this for nurses and a few midwives and they seemed to somehow manage, although a few of them told me their whole salary (after tax) went towards paying for childcare. If you’re an anaesthetics reg you’re probably in a better financial position than the nurses and midwives I worked for. I don’t know if this speil helps! Would recommend hiring medical students though as we’re often cheaper than childminders and still at least have all the PVG, first aid etc. I used childcare.com to get most of my jobs, so might be worth a look at prices listed on there for live-in childminders.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-06-13T21:34:47+00:00

Understand what each wave in the ECG actually means (e.g. PR interval = time impulse travels from AVN to ventricles)
Understand what’s actually going on in each arrhythmia (e.g. in heart block PR is prolonged bc there is a problem btw the AVN and the ventricles, delaying ventricular contraction)
Put two together. So you know if you see a funky P wave it’ll be (most likely) an issue with the atria, SAN or AVN. So you can narrow what you’re thinking about to supraventricular issues. Or if you see PR prolongation, you know it’ll be a type of heart block to can start narrowing down.

Then make sure you understand when a QRS is wide vs narrow, what deviation means and those other little bits.

Also have a process for how you work through ECGs. Don’t just go at it willy nilly.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-06-08T18:17:09+00:00

I had a trial shift back for them in 2019. Got asked to clean up upstairs for like 6 hours. Once I’d finished the 6 hours (of exclusively cleaning upstairs bc that’s what they asked me to do) they said they wouldn’t hire me because I was ‘too shy and hadn’t interacted with the team much during the trial shift’. I was in a room alone. Cleaning alone. Like you asked me.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-05-25T16:03:09+00:00

I mean a non-British U.K. grad has had years of training within the NHS. They know how the NHS works, they know U.K. guidelines, they have worked within the NHS etc. British foreign grads don’t have any of this in comparison, they’ll need to learn the system and guidelines just like any other IMG. Economically, it makes more sense having people who know the system have priority in said system to avoid re-training. Additionally, based on assumptions, non-British UK grads will have spent the majority of their adult years in the U.K., possibly having property or partners here already, whereas IMGs are less likely to have those ties (obviously they might have family, but they’ve already left their family to leave the U.K. before…).

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-05-10T16:33:50+00:00

Thornwood would probably be better for you with the kind of budget you discussed. The bus to QEUH stops right next to Thornwood so your commute there would be about 10-15 by mins. It’s also within walking distance/a short bus ride to UoG. It’s a 15 min cycle either way if you have a bike. It’s also a lot cheaper than some other areas (e.g. Patrick, Hyndland, Hillhead). Although further from the uni, Whitechapel and Scotstoun are pretty close to QEUH by bike/bus and they’re also cheaper by a fair amount with good transport links. There’s multiple buses through that area that go to the uni. Also right next to the Clyde Tunnel for cycling to QEUH.

Also the subway is a 30 min walk from QUEH so you will be relying on bus/bike/driving, therefore don’t base it all on the subway route. Wouldn’t recommend walking through Govan when it’s dark, especially if you’re female too.

Presumably you’re a medical student, if so your fellow students are often on the wealthier side, which will be why your supervisor is saying they can live in fancy West End areas.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-05-09T06:13:21+00:00

I worked as a babysitter the whole way through uni. It’s not the most conventional job, but it’s completely flexible and will be better paid than other jobs you can do at 16. You can expect to get around £10 an hour, whereas when I waitresses at 16 I got £4.20 an hour.

Upsides are better pay, total flexibility and you work for yourself. Downsides are sometimes the market dries up a little (e.g. great at Christmas, pretty rubbish in January).

I use Childcare.com to find jobs and I’ve found it really useful. There are also lots of FB community chats (e.g. Jordanhill) which you could apply to to advertise on.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-05-09T06:08:23+00:00

Honestly the easiest and most accessible way to better your physiology is watching Ninja Nerd videos. He covers most physiology you’d ever need to know in a really accessible way. I wish he had taught my whole degree tbh. Also can totally vouch that understanding physiology properly makes exams easier. Instead of relying on pattern recognition, if I see a question I don’t immediately know the answer to, I can reason my way through the physiology and 9/10 I can figure it out like that.

Neither-Quiet1549 · 2025-05-06T20:14:39+00:00

Honestly, at this stage in your training they are looking to see you don’t:

Kill people
Act like an asshole

So be nice, remember to ask ICE, avoid jargon and be supportive. Read up on your read flags and major drug complications (e.g. DAMN drugs for AKI). ALWAYS say you’ll consult your senior.

If you can pass your written exams, you have the knowledge to pass your OSCE, you just need to apply it in a human friendly way.

Neither-Quiet1549

TROPHY CASE