Karen30

I'm sure they did, the only problem is we don't have enough staff to cover the nights shifts, which means we may be required to work nights and days within the same week.

Our shift times are currently: Early: 0700-1500 Late: 1330- 2130 Night: 2100-0730 Long Day: 0700-2130 There are proposals for new shift changes at our trust which will be as follows: Early: 0715-1515 Late: 1215-2015 Night: 2000-0730 Long Day: 0715-2015

Hi So sorry to hear you have failed your exams. It happened to me also. There is help out there, if you are with a union, either RCN or unison approach them for advice, they were really helpful and appealed on my behalf. Speak with your tutors as well, there may be chance you can go back a group or so. There are ways and means, just don't give up because the nursing school say you have failed. Good Luck Karen

I reply to this thread in two capacities, both as a nurse and someone whose family member has diabetes. My views and opinions are however the same regardless. I have been taught never to swab prior to giving a diabetic insulin, for several reasons. 1. Your average diabetic does not swab prior to insulin at home. 2. The alcohol in swabs eventually makes skin tough, dry and hard and thus can make it very painful for a diabetic to inject themsleves with insulin, let alone another person doing it for them. Providing you, the patient or whoever may be giving the insulin washes their hands then the risks are minimal.

Please.....does it really matter where a nurse originates from? Surely the important thing is can the nurse do her job in a safe and competent way. Does it really offend you so much for nurses to speak in the language of their home countries around the nursing station? Surely allow them this small piece of home when they are so far away from it. As someone points out is it the fact you don't know what there saying that annoys you? If this is the case does it not occur to you that those nurses who may still be learning various "slang" or other english words may be annoyed when you start talking in slang. Is it so hard for people to get on with other cultures and races these days, I thought nurses were supposed to be caring and compassionate people who treat others despite disabilities, race, culture etc. As I said at the start of this post, so long as the nurse is safe and competent and both patients and staff are happy with the nurses competence then I really cannot see the propblem with what language they speak in round the nursing station or when they are with friends. As for Filipino nurses sitting round the nursing station or the middle of the ward having a social chit chat.....I have yet to meet a lazy filipino nurse, the ones I work with are some of the hardest working nurses I have ever worked with.

Yep there is a real world. There is also bad practice. There is also very good practice. There are ways and means about going about reporting bad practice and quite frankly being very vocal about it, as far as I am aware is not one of them, nor is it very productive to either staff or students. Staff like students still continue to learn after qualification, and one of the best ways of keeping up to date with best practice is to talk and listen to students and in theory they are being taught by lecturers who should be bang up to date. Okay what the students are taught is sometimes not practical, but it is still best practice. So what to do if you see bad practice? Talk to the person who has demonstrated "bad practice", ask why they have done it that way, if you still don't agree or maybe have another idea of how something could be done, suggest another way. Speak to the ward manager if you have concerns. If then you feel that there is still an issue then is the time to take it to placement link facilitators, university etc. All this however does not need to be done VERY VOCALLY. Basically as I said before there are ways and means for reporting bad practice, being very vocal does not usually achieve anything except getting everyones backs up and a lot of discontent.

EEkkk... I don't know about being too anal..... I like having a uniform, I feel proud when in uniform that I am a nurse. I too had a silver buckle and this had meaning not only that I was a qualified nurse, but the fact my parents bought it me as a qualifiying present......I know a lot of nurses whose buckles were given to them as presents on qualifying. However, I do wear tunic and trousers these days which are much more comfortable and practical for work. As for how much infection a buckle may harbour...consider things you use today such as fob watches, pens, scissors, stethoscopes...etc......as well as the aformentioned arms and hands.

This obviously doesn't work ..frequently I am asked by visitors for vases, cups of tea, mop buckets, the floor being wet...etc......maybe they think I am the domestic!!!

Firstly, don't be tempted not to put your medical history on application forms, you will be found out and then have no chance of a job as people will consider you untrustworthy. Be honest. You can explain either on your application form or in person, if you get an interview why you are seeing a psychiatrist. Some reassurance, I saw a psychiatrist a couple of years back, and then about a year later applied for a new job. I was honest and put my medical history on the application form, this didn't hinder my chances. I got an interview and was offered a job, the main thing is to sell yourself on your application form, make your prospective employer think you are the only person who is right for the job, if you do this then your previous medical history shouldn't be a major problem if one at all. Good Luck.

Firstly, don't be tempted not to put your medical history on application forms, you will be found out and then have no chance of a job as people will consider you untrustworthy. Be honest. You can explain either on your application form or in person, if you get an interview why you are seeing a psychiatrist. Some reassurance, I saw a psychiatrist a couple of years back, and then about a year later applied for a new job. I was honest and put my medical history on the application form, this didn't hinder my chances. I got an interview and was offered a job, the main thing is to sell yourself on your application form, make your prospective employer think you are the only person who is right for the job, if you do this then your previous medical history shouldn't be a major problem if one at all. Good Luck.

Yep, it's individuality. Personally I could not work all day shifts or all evening shifts, getting up 3 days on the run for an early shift just about does me in!!! so I enjoy the mixture of lates and earlies. As for wokring 40-50 hours, I couldn't do that either, 37.5 is enough for me. As said before that's just my personal choice though. I guess I'm lucky I don't rotate onto nights to often as we have staff who prefer permanent nights. I think sometimes it's a case of the grass is greener on the other side. Yes we moan, even like moaning, (I know I like to have a good old moan sometimes!), if we didn't moan we wouldn't be human, but we must like the job just a tiny little bit otherwise we wouldn't do it!!!!!

Well in that respect were lucky then!!!!!

Yep. Although we moan alot about working conditions here in the UK, compared to some people we are really quite well off. I know my sister here in the UK works in the public service sector and only gets 4 weeks annual leave. As nurses, I think it's a tradition we moan about the job and it's conditions, (I do it all the time!), and on occassions it is justified, but we aren't badly off in relation to working hours, annual leave, maternity leave etc.

Yes we do have some of the longest working hours in Europe, but having researched into nursing in Canada. our holidays are fantastic compared to there. Here we get about 35/36 days holidays, whereas in Canada, (and I assume the US), they only get about 15/20 days holidays a year. Quite a difference between 6-7 weeks here to 3-4 weeks in Canada eh???

Hi, Although I am from the UK, the advice I will give you still applies and is very simple. If you truly still want to be an RN, then don't give up. I was in a similar situation about 9 years ago when I was doing my training, I failed my exams twice, but I didn't give up, as all I have ever wanted to do is be a RN. Having been qualified for 8 years now, I am so glad I didn't give up. Pursue your dreams and have faith and confidence in yourself, you'll make it in the end.