My first Clinical Experience

My name is Olubukola Sharon Ayo.

As a 3rd year Nursing student, I've managed to survive 2 and half out of 5 years.

It's been well, interesting.

The every morning alarm..
The daily hustle and bustle..
The never ending stretch of exams..
The struggle of clinical postings...

It's a pity none of this will be ending soon.
It's been quite a journey indeed.

I'll share with you my first clinical experience.
I was a box of nerves!
Anxiety, fear, excitement filled me
I was seeing so many medical conditions I had never seen before
The characteristic smell of the hospital was nauseating
For a moment, I wanted to run out
I was too used to mannequins
Real life experience was way different and scary.
It was overwhelming.

As a novice, I did more of observation of procedures, theoretical practice, and a lot of assisting.
I'll tell you what helped me then..
I asked a lot of questions. I learnt to set targets. I learnt to work with a learning objective for each day. It went a long way.
My confidence level sprew higher each passing day.
With Nurse Coaches, my skills got better, still getting better...

So.. you are that Nurse out there.. You are about to go on your first placement.
Go in with an open mind.
Get involved. Take those vital signs. Assist to dress that wound. Do what you can.
Observe, ask questions, and learn.
Very importantly, the place of a Mentor cannot be overemphasized. Hijack that Nurse you admire. Get yourself therapeutic mentorship.