Hi,
was just wondering if there was anyone applying to SHU for september 07?
Would love to hear from you
Rach

why dont u try looking on facebook.com there are lots of student on there

Yes, I also would love to meet lots of student nurses.

As a nurse of 12 years, I'm interested as to why anyone would choose this career at the moment.

The current climate means that oppertunities for promotion and career development are very limited, add to the fact that as a proffession nurses are severely under valued and underpaid, I would think it very unattractive.

If I could go back in time, I would certainly not be choosing to become a nurse. I would choose a career with pay that reflects the level of education, experience and responsibility that I have (sadly I am tied by mortgage and responsibility and can not afford a carreer change at present).

Also, bullying is rife amongst nurses. Are you prepared for this? Added to this the complete lack of respect that today's complaint culture has bred in the public for health workers. Imagine working hard (non stop, without a break sometimes) to save someones life for a full twelve hour shift, only to have their relatives complain because you've cut the patients vest off.

It's not an easy carreer choice. Also bear in mind, that when you graduate, you'll probably be earning more money at first than some of your friends who chose other courses. Give it five years and they'll all be earning twice as much as you, and you'll be knackered from all the unsocial hours and extra shifts that you've got to work to try to make your money up.

Anyone considering this, I really advise you to look long and hard at the realities of a career in nursing today.

I recently studied as a student nurse at the university of sheffield. I did enjoy it but the workload is huge. As well as doing assignments and preparing for exams, there's the placement aspect of it too.

As for bullying I came into contact with it a few times, from nurses and support workers.

I loved spending time with the patients but was told off a number of times for spending too much time with the patients and not enough time doing the paperwork part of the job. I thought that being with patients was the whole point of the job! ( i was not in a position to be left alone doing paperwork anyway, as i was not qualified).

However i was so touched when an elderly patient chose me to tell his anxieties and problems to, and how he had been made to feel ashamed, embarrased and humilliated by a support worker. :mad:

Only problem I have now is finding a new career that is about caring and spending time with people who are vulnerable.

Good luck anyway. Hopefully your experiences will be different to mine. :thumbsup:

What about Midwifery?


my g/f wanst to study this..will take her 5 years 2 years college 3 years uni...

any advise

A friend of mine is a midwife. She says when she trained to be a midwife she thought it would be all babies and happy mums.

Now she regrets it big time, because she has to work mainly nights or has very early starts. The babies are ok, but its the parents that are the problem. She wishes she would have gone into peadiatric nursing, but theres big competition for that.

I suppose it wouldnt be as bad being a practice midwife.

Wish her good luck anyway. :thumbsup:

Well, mostlly negative feedback, surely there are good things to nursing.
its been my dream from bieng a child and im now 33 and cannot find anything that comes close to this, fair enough your friends maybe on more money but have they got the ability to become a good nurse, they are not enough off them about. As for bullying I can tell you now I wont get bullied, if you stand up to these people they soon back down.
Im not going into it for promotion ect im doin it because i know I will become a good nurse and want to make a difference to someones life. You cant do this in many proffesions.
Rach

I have been in nursing now for 30 years - woman and girl - and the job has changed so much in those years. Your idea of being able to spend a lot of time talking to your patients is admirable but totally unrealistic. The paperwork invoved is a vital part of their care to ensure good communication and, sadly, in these days of litigation, to protect you from accusations of neglect and lack of care which is commonplace. There are also audit forms to complete on every patient which are regularly required to prove the level of care required for all patients on the ward at a given time. This is the managements attempt to try to reduce the workforce and so put patients lives at risk.
The training given to nurses is currently totally inadequate and does nothing to prepare them for the qualified nurses role - so much so that they are required to complete a period of preceptorship after qualifying. I feel very sorry for newly qualified staff as they are often totally unprepared for the huge responsibilities that they are expected to take.
I would recommend a period of time working on the wards as a support worker before committing yourself to three years of training which may turn out not to be what yoiu hoped for. Good luck anyway in whatever you decide to do.