Going out on placement was more than just putting theory into practice for MNurs Nursing (Adult and Child) student Manaar Beere. The variety of placements offered her an opportunity to explore all that a career in nursing has to offer.
My nursing placements
Throughout my placements I've had some amazing experiences, from seeing a child being born via caesarean through to witnessing heart surgery. The patient’s heart was stopped while it was operated on and a week later, they were walking about on my ward!
I absolutely loved my first placement on an acute adult cardiac ward in a hospital, looking after patients with heart problems. I worked a mixture of days and nights throughout my placement and was involved in the daily tasks of handover, drug rounds (giving injections and drawing up IVs whilst being observed), performing ECGs, and so much more.
On my next placement I was based in the community on the Isle of Wight with the Health Visiting Team, working with families with children aged 0-5. I visited families’ homes to weigh the child and check their development. I supported with breastfeeding and weaning and helped mum with her postpartum recovery and mental health. Once I gained more confidence with health visiting, I even led some of the clinics that we held for families.
Prepared for the future
I've benefitted immensely from these placements. I developed both my medical and my people skills by putting theory into practice and experiencing real life working environments.
Throughout these placements I have been able to explore other specialties of nursing by arranging time in other wards. Through experiencing different areas of nursing, I have found areas I love and now want to pursue a career in.
Most importantly, my placements reinforced why I want to do nursing. Having the privilege to be part of a patient’s journey and seeing the real impact nurses can have on our lives and our communities.
