TESTIMONIALS
"It was the day before our catheter skills testing... I remember it like it was yesterday. I had been very busy the whole week and was planning on reviewing that night after placement. One of the nurses on the unit was preparing to catheterize her patient and my preceptor noticed. She gladly said that she could get one of her students to do it as she looked right at me. I immediately starting sweating. I walked into the room with my preceptor and another student who wanted to watch. I learned that the patient was experiencing cognitive impairment and also had a personal support worker. Great, I have a whole audience, I thought to myself. As I began setting up my sterile field, my hands were shaking with anxiety that I ripped my glove. I looked at my preceptor and she said it was okay. So, I continued. As I was getting ready to insert the catheter, the PSW says 'be careful, he might grab your arm'. Of course, this just added to my stress. I tried to remain calm and not let my nerve show. As I began inserting the catheter, the patient let out a loud yell which really startled me but I kept going. I constantly reassured him that I was almost done and apologizing for the discomfort. Once the catheter was in, I stood for almost 5 whole minute waiting for his bladder to drain. My back starting hurting and it was at that moment I realize I had forgotten to raise the bed. By the time his bladder was fully emptied, he has fallen fast asleep. I felt a huge sense of relief as my preceptor told me I did a pretty good job and I noticed the patient appeared comfortable as opposed to his agitation before I had begun. Although this experience was very stressful, going through it in a calm manner and coming out successful (even though I made a couple of mistakes) really helped to boost my confidence as a nursing student"
Nada
Nursing Student
"I was assigned Client X who came in with pain related to abdominal distension. He was on vacation, visiting his daughter from East Asia. She was also his translator, since he didn't speak English. My goal for the shift was to get his pain under control, while we all waited for the physician's report. It was nearly the end of my shift and there was no sign of the report arriving. His family was getting restless and I was struggling to address their questions with answers I did not have. Patient X didn't understand why he was still here since his pain was alleviated, and he didn't have travel insurance to be able to afford staying in the hospital for another day. I brought the situation up to the charge nurse's attention, to accelerate the process. Together we called his medical team and received his diagnostic test results back. Although his abdominal area was clear, his CT scan picked up large cancer-like masses spread throughout both his lungs. Based on the size and location of the masses the team explained to us that the client most likely had a few months to live. I was heartbroken...As per hospital protocol, only the physician can reveal the test result to the client. How was I supposed to walk into the client's room now and pretend like I had no idea what was going on and ask him to wait for the doctor? I felt very overwhelmed so I asked for support from my clinical instructor who navigated through the family's questions, allowing me to observe her technique. It was a great learning moment for me as I watched her be therapeutic, mindful, and clear. She acknowledged their concerns in a neutral manner without being dismissive. We students later debriefed as a team to reflect."
Lorraine
Nursing Student
"For one of my community placement settings I worked in a baby drop in centre. I initially struggled to approach the families and connect with them. I had no prior experience with parents and infants so I felt awkward in this setting. I spent the first couple days watching how my preceptor approached parents and found that it was easier to approach the infant and play with them first. The infants were easily amused and seeing them laugh or smile helped me feel comfortable too. Parents appreciated this gesture and were more likely to open up to me soon after. Within this case my preceptor was my role model and I learned how to effectively approach families through her actions."
Alex
Nursing Student
"Personally, my second year experience was the best and worse part of nursing school. Most of the time, I enjoyed it because of the new skills and knowledge that I developed, new friends that I made, and experiences that I was able to gain. However, the most challenging part of it was trying to balance everything. I wish I had someone or something to help me figure out the most effective way to go about things. Instead, I was all alone with no resources. I felt lost in the midst of countless exams, practical tests, personal obligations, and so on. Because of this, I developed unhealthy coping mechanisms. The added stress also affected my performance in my clinical placement. I wish I did things differently back then, I wish I took a more proactive approach to control the stress that I had to handle, and I wish I thought more about myself. So whoever's reading this, please take the time to go through the whole website and take advantage of all the resources. Trust me, you will need it."
Cazandra
Nursing Student
"In the third year of the nursing program, my placement was the child and family care centre. Since I had no previous practice experience in community settings and there were no other nurses working in the site, I had no idea about what to do as a nursing student in there. Even so, I wanted to be helpful and tried my best to work well with the staff. So I assisted the stuff in maintaining the playrooms and sanitizing the toys, which was actually physically exhausting. I received the staff's acknowledgement for my work. However, my preceptor seemed unsatisfied with what I did. I felt that sometimes she tried to embarrass me and I was always frustrated when encountering her. Until the middle of my placement, I got the chance to talk openly with my preceptor. I realized that my preceptor was expecting me to practice as a nursing student instead of an assistant for the staff's daily tasks. Through effective communication with my preceptor, I identified my role as a nursing student in the centre and finally found a way to apply the standards/competencies of community health nursing into the practice setting. From my practice experience, I have learned about the importance of effective communication that removes misunderstanding and facilitates my learning. Also, I believe that positive thinking instead of avoidance can make me stronger when encountering difficulties and /or challenges."
Juan
Nursing Student