End of year 1

Well, that's the first year over with!

I can't believe I've completed the first year of the course already.

During my placement I was able to make the most of the opportunities there by letting my mentor know who I was interested in meeting (such as social workers etc.) to follow cases we were working on. My mentor was good enough to provide me with contact numbers so that I could arrange to visit members of the multidisciplinary team, which has really given me a flavour of how care is provided. I went out on visits to:

A child and family social worker
A nursery nurse
two difference nurse prescribers
A mental health worker
A children's community nurse (the equivalent of a district nurse)
A women's refuge health visitor
A school nurse
two district nurses
A midwife
CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health) nurses
SCBU (special care baby unit)

I would advise anyone on a community placement to bring a diary wiuth them to keep track of everone one they are going to spend time with.

Before I went on each visit I wrote a list of what I would like to find out about. I took a witness statement and then after the visit I wrote a reflective diary entry where I was able to explore how the care I witnessed fit into the picture, this also provided me with evidence to meet my placement competencies.

I must have done something right on the placement as I got a good pass mark and my mentor wrote some lovely comments in my placement book.

Anyway I've finished the first year. I got a mark of 70% for my final essay giving me an average assignment scores of 60% across the year. This means I will be doing the advanced diploma. Which means I will have two extra units to study in my final year, I'm disappointed as I can't choose to opt out of this and I think the extra work will make my work/family life balance even worse. I must admit I've found this year very hard in places particularly when I'm required to do 12 hr shifts and complete essays and placement evidence on my days off, rather than being free to spend spare time with my family.

But it'll be worth it in the end.....