So what has been happening since the last update
Job
So I left uni with a job on a private unit with the local NHS hospital. This unit had been closed since January 2020 and wasn’t open, at least as a private unit, by the time I was due to start. Due to this, I was set to start on a surgical ward that I wasn’t very happy about, nearer the time I was asked if I would like to start on the discharge lounge which was currently occupying the unit. This I jumped at, it’s not a very clinical role, if at all, but was much better than the surgical ward. I started there on 14th November, by 14th December things weren’t looking good and I was asked to pick a ward I would be happy to work on. I picked 3 wards all of which came back as having no space, so I ended up on the surgical ward!
I lasted 3 1/2 months before leaving. It was so busy, was basically surgical plus everything else, and I felt like I was being treated as an experienced nurse rather than an NQN. The staff were lovely but as the ward was so busy there wasn’t time to offer the support I needed. I started looking for a new job around Feb 2021 and secured myself one soon after. I ended up getting a role in a nursing home on nights, 3 nights a week, and much much more money than I was making within the NHS. In fact, I wouldn’t be able to go back as a band 5 as I would drop too much money.
This role had or has its issues. The staff I work with are lovely but some of the residences can be challenging, mainly down to dementia but I am coping very well with these people. There is one resident that is causing staff to leave or agency staff to not return. He is very rude, bad-tempered, argumentative, aggressive, etc, etc. He has recently had assessments with the dementia crisis team & MHA team to possibly section him. I don’t feel he needs that but the home isn’t the right fit for him. Finally, the manager has seen it too and he will now need to go somewhere more appropriate. He basically wants help, but doesn’t want help, calls the staff names, throws things, etc. He was once a very powerful man but now needs help and can’t accept that.
I have been there since April and since July I have felt very at home there, more relaxed and confident in my abilities. I had my first death the other day and it wasn’t as daunting as I thought it would be. I have been offered lots of training, which I wasn’t before.
Poeple say leaving the NHS is a bad move but so far I don’t think so, I am learning skills I wouldn’t in a hospital and if I ever do go back, I’d learn the skills needed then.
University
So I came out of university with a 2:1. I was very impressed with that, I feel that if I’d tried harder in 2nd year I would maybe have gotten a high 2:1 but I’m happy with a 2:1 none the less, it’s what I need for post-grad study.
Last September I started a B.S degree with the University of the People. This is an online US university that caters to students worldwide, who wouldn’t normally be able to afford college/uni or don’t have the qualifications. Each course is $100 and you can get scholarships if needed. There are many however that already have degrees who are changing careers or doing it out of interest. I am doing Health Science previously name Community Public Health. The previous title put me off a few years ago as I felt it wouldn’t cater for me & the UK health system rather the US health system. Also, it is very science based so Health Science is a better fit. There is however an internship at the end and I’m unsure if I’ll be able to do these but I have time to find out.
From October 2021, if I get student finance approved, I will also be started a BSc Sports Science degree with The Open Uni. This I will talk more about if I do start it.
For postgrad, I want to do either clinical trials, public health, or health research, sometime after 2024. I have started to look at degrees and norow done my options.
