Nurse Otterpaws Presents: Life and Death - Working on the Front Line

Hello and Welcome to Episode 3 of Life and Death. I wasn't intending to write about this, but given the weekend it just had to be done.  This week's episode features one of the more bizarre shifts I have ever done since qualifying.  It had everything from entertainment, to gossip and even included an emergency.  Grab a coffee, sit back and enjoy. The Entertainment Mid way through my shift, I received a patient with a foreign body stuck up their rectum.  Obviously, how do you keep a straight face with that?  You just can't can you?  Especially when taking observations and the patient moves, you occasionally hear a buzzing and vibrating sound from where the on switch of the bullet has been.  If only I could have had a remote control to the toy and the shenanigans that could have taken place. So, how did it get there?  Well you see it all the time on these TV shows where someone has "fallen" on to whatever is stuck up their arse - whether it's a sex toy, toilet b

Hello and Welcome to Episode 2 of Life and Death.  This week's episode features one of the more heartbreaking cases I was involved in as a student nurse.  A rough experience not going to lie, but all our experiences - whether we're students, mentors, qualified or specialist professionals contribute to the clinician we ultimately become. This case certainly helped my development and I hope to pass some of this on to current students, qualified staff or people of all ages considering a future in healthcare. What Happened? To start the story, I'll briefly mention that I was just at the halfway point of my training and at the stage where I was being given 2 or 3 patients to look after just to get a feel for what kind of responsibilities, tasks and patient care would need to be provided. *Important! If you are a second year student or above reading this, I actively encourage you to take on the responsibility of a couple of patients when you are on placement.  A nurse will always

Hello and welcome to episode 1 of Life and Death.  That feeling of relief you get when you have worked so hard on placements and assignments, to be given your pin and that realisation that all the hard work you have done has finally paid off.  The sudden moment when you start your first day in the community, on a ward, theatres or an outpatient setting with no more portfolios or clinical competencies to get signed off. Feels amazing doesn't it...?  Or is it nerve wracking when you arrive on your first day and realise you're on your own with 8 - 12 patients to look after (depending on your place of work). Fear not, for this episode will showcase what life was like for me when I had my first shift thrown into the deep end and hopefully will provide a bit of reassurance and something you can take away for your own journey. So, How Did I Feel? Understandably nervous.  I think anyone who claims they're not nervous about their first shift as newly qualified is either full of shit

Hello There... Thank you for tuning in to Life and Death: Working on the Front Line.   Disclaimer:   * To preserve confidentiality, under no circumstances will my identity, or the identities of my work place or staff / patients will be disclosed when writing this blog.* Why am I Making This Blog? Like many teenagers and young adults, I never knew myself what I wanted to do or where I wanted to be when I grew up.  What I first studied at university all those years ago is no relevance to my current career within the health industry.  Therefore one of the reasons why I decided to make this is to try to inspire others who are unsure of where they want to be, individuals who are thinking of a change of career into the medical profession to take that step.  Healthcare is definitely challenging, but also insanely rewarding at the same time. In addition, healthcare is a field that can be physically and mentally demanding.  I know from experience, bottling things inside just eats away at you an