Ruth Nicholson

A typical day shift starts at 7am. We discuss patient care and any issues, before starting patient observations. We get patients ready for theatre. Throughout the day we get new patients coming to the ward, going through the admission process alongside the doctors. The medication round can involve administering IV medication. We liaise with the doctors on the ward, raising any concerns.

It’s great to be part of a patient’s journey. We’ll see patients from admission, pre-and post-theatre, up until discharge. I also enjoy working as part of a team. The doctors and advanced nurse practitioners work well with the nursing staff to provide effective patient care.

Keeping families up-to-date about their loved one’s progress was difficult during the pandemic. We weren’t allowed any visitors on the ward. Part of this involves making sure that each patient is able to speak to their families regularly.

I learnt a lot from tutors sharing their experiences, and encouraging us to share ours. Discussing real experiences was a really important part of my learning journey. A stand-out module was the ‘Change in Practice’ module, where you have to choose a service area where you would like to improve.

Placements are the best place to practice the skills you learn. After each shift try to reflect on two things that have gone well and one thing that you’d like to improve – two stars and a wish. This is particularly helpful if you’ve had a challenging shift as it prompts you to focus on the positives.

Seek out any opportunity to broaden your experience. I’m really interested in palliative care, so I’d seek out opportunities to work with specialist palliative care nurses. If you don’t know something, or aren’t sure, ask. You’re a student nurse and you’re there to learn.

To find out more about studying this programme, please view full course information for MSc Nursing (Adult).