Personal Blogs

I have not updated this for some time but second year is proving to be a lot more intense than first year!  I was very pleased and proud of myself for completing first year with a distinction and this gave me such a boost for starting my second year studies.  When people ask how it is going I have been using the analogy of the frog in the pot!  There are more tutorials, more intense module work and a step up in the expected level of assignments we are producing and we are also now back on placement.  I am nearing the end of my first placement and there has definitely been a step up in what I am expected to do as a second year student which is right enough to ensure I am developing independence but sometimes when I am doing something, such as speaking with a doctor as I am concerned about a patient, I get imposter syndrome even though I quite often do this as part of my job in community nursing.  I am not going to lie I have often questioned why I am doing this, as pointed out above the work is so much more intense and I know this will likely be worse going into third year but with each assignment I pass my motivation is renewed and I realise I can do this.  I want to keep going, achieve my dream of finally becoming a registered nurse, not just for myself but for my children who will see that you can achieve anything you set your mind to at any age!  I want to be an inspiration to others who thought nursing was out of their reach and be a role model and advocate for people in my care.

So K102 has drawn to a close and I am now waiting for my EMA result.  I haven’t thought about it much since submission but now results day is looming and the nerves are now starting! Mainly due to the fear of having to resit when I have so many other things going on with placements and module material, assignments and assessment interviews coming up I really don’t want any added stress.  I know I worked really hard on the EMA and I need to have confidence that I have done enough to pass. 

As a student nurse though I have found it is a series of questioning yourself.  Have I answered correctly? Have I performed well enough on placement? Have I retained all the information my supervisor/assessor has been giving me? And then the realisation hits me at different times that all of the decisions my supervisor/assessor makes in a shift I will be making in the not so distant future and then I question whether I am capable or not!

For now, first year is flying in, I have immensely enjoyed my studies so far and am proud of what I have achieved to date, with support from my work colleagues, placement mentors, practice/academic tutor, family and the occasional gin I am getting there!