Like I mentioned before, like 10 thousand times, placement can be hard and it is extremely important that you have the people and resources available to get through these important phases of the course.
1. Find your main person or people
This person or people are the ones you go to whenever you need them. They can be students too, qualified professionals or just someone who really listens but, ideally, someone who also works in healthcare and I will soon tell you why. You go to them to tell them about something exciting that happened on placement, you go to them when a patient passes away and you also go to them when you’re struggling or make a mistake. Feeling that you are heard and seen by these people will mean everything when you need it, even when you qualify. The thing is, there are so many things that non-healthcare professionals will never understand or relate to. They will never understand how hard it is working in an under-staffed clinical area, the fear we have of making mistakes that could cost someone’s life, or the happiness we feel when we see we’re on the same shift as our work/ placement besties because we know we’ll have a great time.
If you don’t actually have anyone, it’s okay! Please don’t ever feel like you’re on your own, because you’re not and will never be. There are plenty of resources available for you such as your practice team, freedom to speak up guardian, chaplaincy services and a lot more, so make sure you know what kind of help your clinical area/ university provides. No matter what, just remember that you are doing amazing and that you should be as proud of yourself as much as I do. You can do this and don’t ever hesitate to ask for help when you need it! You’ve got this!!
2. Feed your heart and soul
Nursing is all about giving. Giving your time, patience, empathy, compassion, health, sleep and the list go on and on. Yes, it sounds good and I love the fact that we are able to this for others, but… how much can we give? “No car runs on an empty tank” so how should you? Compassion and decision fatigue are quite real and you should take them seriously. Surround yourself by people that make you happy and look after you. Don’t give up on your favourite hobbies and pick up new ones. Romanticise everything you do. Your own life is as valuable as the patients you care so much about is so don’t ever apologise for putting yourself first. Prioritise your physical, emotional and mental well-being.
In case no one has ever told you this, you too deserve a healthy, happy and fulfilling life. This is the kind of nurse that lightens up the ward, makes everyone smile and who patients love.
3. Be kind to yourself
There will be times when you’re going to question yourself for multiple reasons, but some of the most common ones include:
1. You made a mistake.
Every nurse I have ever talked to has made a mistake at least once in their career. With the amount of multitasking, overstimulating noises, time pressure, etc., it is nearly impossible not to. What you have to remember is that we all make mistakes and whether you learn from it or not is what really matters.
Get a piece of paper or even your mobile phone and reflect on it. This is fundamental as only you can try to understand what went wrong, why it went wrong, what you could’ve done differently and what are you going to do from now on to prevent that same mistake from happening again- there are multiple templates available online to help you with the reflection.
Something else that I would encourage you to do, only if you’re comfortable, is sharing your experience with other people, particularly students more junior than you. This way, you can help prevent them from making the same mistake as you did which is an amazing attribute of a great leader.
2. Someone treated you unfairly
Surprise surprise, people in healthcare can be mean, rude and disrespectful. I can’t stress enough how you shouldn’t really be upset or even shed a tear in these instances. At the end of the day, regardless of their profession or background, people will do whatever they want. The way they treat people is just a direct reflection of the kind of person they are and unfortunately you cannot control it. However, what you can control is how you respond to the situation. You might think “maybe they’re just having a bad day or there is something going on in their personal life.” And that, although it comes from a good place in your heart, is exactly how they might take advantage of you. What if YOU were having a bad day or had something going on in your personal life?. Don’t ever stop speaking up for yourself. Don’t let anyone treat you less than you deserve. Be the bigger person and report them, anonymously if you want, if you think is appropriate. You will always have support around you, even if not in your own clinical area.
3. “I don’t know anything”
Yes, you do. It is natural feeling this way specially when you start a new placement and I can’t think about a better time than now to share one of my favourite phrases ever: “Allow yourself to be a beginner. No one starts off by being excellent” 💘
This speaks volumes. This reminds me of how much I am in a rush to learn and be great at everything I do and how ridiculous it is comparing my knowledge and skills to senior nurses with 20+ years of experience. If you can relate, hear me out.
Learning itself is a whole journey. It is gradual but infinite. There will always be something to learn about so it is important that you select what you want to know based on relevance. What we are not going to do is coming across something that we have no or little idea about and ignore it. You’re either going to ask someone or you’re going to write it down somewhere and when you have the chance, you’re going to educate yourself about it. That’s how you become a great and knowledgeable nurse.
I felt a mix of emotions writing this post but I really hope you found it helpful. Please please please take care of yourself.
Your life is way too precious <3