In this article I just want to follow up on some of those points as well as expanding on some of the quotes made by Jonathan Secker.

In the original article, the implication seemed to be that students leave because of the pressures of external factors as well as the unique stresses that nursing students are exposed to. I also say that the whole picture may not be clear because I don’t have access to any information on the amount of students that leave the course and re-enter or perhaps defer for a year or so.

Jonathan Secker Recruitment and Communications lead for the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education at Anglia Ruskin University said that “firstly nursing is not your typical higher education course such as say a marketing degree where a student will spend 8 hours per week in University and have ample time to complete assignments, see friends and keep a healthy study/life balance. This is not the case for nursing, it is a full-time course, a full-time job when on placement and on top of this combining both practice with writing assignments is something that the most organised people would find hard to juggle”.

I have to agree with Jonathan, individually each of these aspects would be a hard thing for a student to maintain but combined makes it too much for some students. Jonathan also speaks of “the reality of placement” and that its not “what they expected”. This is very true and when I responded to one of the commenters I said that nursing students can often come straight from college and the profession of nursing exposes people to some truly horrific things. In my opinion, it’s really difficult to prepare students for the type of sites they will see out in practice other than immersion therapy. That is one of the reasons why I am thankful for my previous healthcare experience. I have had the opportunity to work in a hospital environment for a number of years and be exposed to some unique and distressing incidents. This has helped me make the decision to become a nurse.

Looking at some of the comments made on the original article I can see that a large number of them related to staff morale and the aforementioned financial issues.

There are also some truly inspirational stories, like that from Debra Gregory who is a second-year student at the University of Birmingham. She suffered some family bereavements, redundancy as well as having a daughter diagnosed with various health conditions. She says she feels “many students drop out because they are either naive, lazy or realises not for them. The frustration comes from people like me who have sacrificed on financial, personal and professional levels many aspects of their life–time with children …”

Debra’s frustration is also shared by some of the other commenters who feel that students who gain a place on a nursing course to only drop out later, deny others the potential for theses space.

There were also comments similar to those made by ‘Little One’ who said that “I wonder why I put myself through getting up at 5 AM to go and work like a dog for 14 hours a day, all little money and even less respect.”

Clearly there is a view amongst people that the impression of nursing isn’t realistic and the expectations on nurses is similarly unrealistic.

This issue is going to carry on long after this article is published. A couple of days ago I was interviewed by a journalist on the subject and a chance conversation with my mother revealed that she knows somebody who wrote their doctorate on the subject of why student nurses quit their course.

It is my hope that only the very best and appropriate people graduate and enter this noble profession. However, I also hope that those who don’t make it either find the appropriate support or are happy in whatever choices they decide to make.

At times like this, when I think things are getting tough and I’m tempted to become one of the many who leave their course I think An inspirational quote from Randy Pausch’s ‘Last Lecture’ (2007)

“the brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”

So we are finally here at the launch of ‘The Student Nursing Times Podcast’.

We have spent a long time planning, debating and recording and now we are ready to share it with all of you.

We very much hope you enjoy it and look forward to reading your comments.

Thank you

* RSS feed

* Post at www.StudentNursingTimes.net

  SNT Podcast: 1.0 | May 2012 - 'Dealing with bad news' (42:43) | Direct Download

Description

  Episode 1 – ‘Dealing with bad news’ – May 2012

Hosts

Adam Roxby – (Twitter: @AdamRoxby | Web: www.optical-minefield.co.uk)

Tracey Temple – (Twitter: @StudentNurseTT)

News Discussion

Between Adam Roxby and James Sarek

A chat about: ‘Survey: low staff levels threaten care’

Orignal article: (tinyurl.com/btzr9w8)

Student Voice Read by James Sarek ‘Im nearly a child nurse’ by ‘Fish and Steak.

Read more from our Child Nurse at: (http://diaryofachildnurse.blogspot.co.uk/)

Topical Section – ‘Dealing with bad news’

An interview with Angela Bradding by Adam Roxby conducted on 25/3/2012.

* Life Balance Counselling – Angela Braddng’s site (www.lifebalancecounselling.co.uk)

Song 1 ‘Deeper Waters’ by Dead Star

PROMO Tony Pucci and the ‘Songs for Jenny’ charity album www.songsforjenny.com

Clinical Focus ‘Talking about the heart’ A chat about the basics of the heart between student nurses Laura Williams and Laura Waterson.

Student Editors Blog ‘How can we prepare ourselves for patients deaths?’ Published in Student Nursing Times | 12th March 2012 Read by the author.

* Available at: (http://www.nursingtimes.net/student-nursing-times/how-can-we-prepare-ourselves-for-patient-deaths/5042578.blog)

Listener Feedback Hosted by Adam Roxby

Song 2 ‘Hear us Now (Poptastic Mix)’ by Scottaltham 2009, Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) * Available at: (http://ccmixter.org/files/scottaltham/20747)

Other music: Theme tune ‘Everything I Touch (Is Gold)’ by Alex 2011, Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) * Available at: (http://ccmixter.org/files/AlexBeroza/32798)

Student Voice Indent ‘Hear us Now (Poptastic Mix)’ by Scottaltham 2009, Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) * Available at: (http://ccmixter.org/files/scottaltham/20747)

Topical Section Indent ‘See You Later’ by Pitx 2008, Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) * Available at: (http://ccmixter.org/files/Pitx/17154)

Clinical Focus Indent ‘Ice and Chilli’ by _ghost 2009, Licensed under Creative Commons Noncommercial Sampling Plus * Available at: (http://ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/22043)

Student Editor Blog Indent ‘you! (na-na-na-na)’ by DoKashiteru 2011, Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) * Available at: (http://ccmixter.org/files/DoKashiteru/31124)

Contact Details To contact the show for any reason, here’s how.

* Search ‘The Student Nursing Times Podcast’ on Facebook and Google+ * Tweet to @SNTPodcast * Find the corresponding post at www.studentnursingtimes.net * Audio comments to adam.roxby on Skype

Hello everyone.

I just thought I’d take the time to update you a little bit further about some of the developments going on over here at Optical-Minefield.

Firstly, the ‘Student Nursing Times Podcast’ is nearing completion and I thought I would introduce you briefly to some of the key  members of the crew.

Secondly, I mentioned that I have an article about stage fright which follows up from my article published over at ‘Student Nursing Times‘. There will be more of these type of follow-up articles coming in the future so just to reiterate that it’s really great that people support me at the Student Nursing Times but for everything Adam Roxby you also need to come and see me here.

Lastly, I’m introducing a poll which I will be updating each month over at my front page where I ask questions of my users. The first one is about the recent horse deaths at the Grand National. If you have an opinion then head on over and let me know what you think.

Speak to you next time.

Music: “Our Slanted Voices” by DoKashiteru (http://ccmixter.org/files/DoKashiteru/16396)

As I said in the article, student nurses are required to give presentations as part of the continued assessment process. Ostensibly this is to train students to be able to present information clearly and concisely. This could be for an interview, patient handover or even to present research findings. My second assessed presentation was on 12th March and where was my first was an individual presentation this time around I was in a group of 4. Even though I was only talking to an audience of 14 people I had still managed to convince myself it was going to be a disaster. As it happened, everything went fine and I’m pleased to report that I passed the module but that obviously won’t be the last time I have to stand in front of an audience and deliver a coherent presentation. In fact, that time is coming sooner than I thought.

On 1 May I will be helping to co-host the Student Nursing Times award with Nursing Times editor, Jenni Middleton. The prospect of standing in front of hundreds of students, nurses and lecturers gives me the same sensation as standing in front of a firing squad. This is a ‘misfiring’ of the fight or flight response. There are certain situations where feeling terror and an uncontrollable urge to run is a justified sensation. If you see a car speeding towards you, and near instantaneous compulsion to escape would be very beneficial. Getting that same sensation when talking to a room of your peers is less helpful.

A quick search online will reveal thousands of tips and tricks to overcoming nerves but as I was told, the only way to conquer your fear is to expose yourself to it. When I was just starting to do my campaigning work I knew I would be giving a lot of talks and would have to increase my confidence. It was while I was looking for solutions I came across an organisation called ‘Toastmasters’. The Toastmasters were founded in America and they have clubs all over the world. They hold meetings designed to give people the opportunity to give talks to those in attendance. The talks can be on something you know about or on a completely random subject. The purpose is to give you a friendly atmosphere, supportive feedback and to expose you to the feelings of anxiety that you will experience when giving an assessed presentation at Uni. Seek them out and find the time to visit them. I can vouch from personal experience that it does help. I look back at some of the major speaking events that I have been part of and can see that I was certainly felt a lot worse in those early days than I do now but I’m far from comfortable.

However you deal with problems such as stage fright performance anxiety, it may help to realise that we all to some degree feel the same way. As a distinguish Toastmaster told me; “we all have the butterflies in our stomach but we try to make them fly in formation.”

At the 2012 ‘Friends of the Earth‘ Regional Gathering I was particularly busy. Not only was I recording a video for my blog but I was also taking part in a quick training exercise.

During the course of the day I recorded and edited this video with fellow campaigners Dennis Walker and Tim Gee about some of the ways in which you should conduct a media interview.

As you can see it is very much tongue in cheek but I think it does contain some useful information. I hope you enjoy it

I hope you enjoy it.

Hello everyone

On 4 February this year I attended the ‘Friends of the Earth‘ Regional Gathering in London. This annual event is where campaigners from all over the region and go to find out more about the campaigns and network.

Here is a quick video from the day. Hope you enjoy it.

www.optical-minefield.co.uk
Music: “Our Slanted Voices” by DoKashiteru (http://ccmixter.org/files/DoKashiteru/16396)

Contact us:
Twitter: @SNTPodcast
Facebook & Google + Search: Student Nursing Times Podcast
Skype audio comments to: adam.roxby

Or just use the comments system below.

The debut episode will be released exclusively at Student Nursing Times on 1 May, this year.

We have the content, we have the music but there is just one thing that is missing; your involvement.

If you want your comments read out in the first ever show then all you have to do is leave a comment below. Alternatively you can find us everywhere by searching for Student Nursing Times Podcast.

If you want be a bit cleverer then you can also record your comment and send it our way. We accept most formats so if you want your voice literally heard on the first episode then just send your boys comments to Adam@optical-minefield.co.uk.

We couldn’t have got to this stage without the hard work an support of so many students and the staff at the Nursing Times and we know with your continued support and involvement we will make a podcast that not only entertains you but also provide some genuine knowledge and insight.

I’ll be speaking to you all really soon, but until have a listen to our short promo.

First thing to say is that not every detail has been revealed but I can say that we are making a show around 30 mins in length to come out on a monthly basis. The debut will be in the summer and when we get all the relevant social media sites up and running we’ll go into more detail.

The format is roughly a magazine show, with news, opinions, clinical knowledge, music and listener feedback. I’m also pleased thats it not just going to be my voice. We have some great people involved whom  you will get to know and love and I’m really excited about introducing them to you.

Production wise, we have had a number of meetings and worked on the structure of the show. We are now in the process of using the private forums here at my site to discuss and decide what should be in each show and we are just at the stage where we are going out to make the content.

I will be interviewing a contributor tomorrow for the main section, but more on that in the coming articles and Tweets.

So there is still more to be done and it’s an interesting challenge coordinating the efforts of so many students and nurses but it’s shaping up to be something really special and exciting.

I can’t wait to let you all be a part of it.

Perhaps the final nail in the coffin came when the company hadn’t secured stock for the final instalment in the hugely popular ‘Mass Effect’ trilogy. Those that know me personally and those who caught one my earliest YouTube videos will know that before by animation college and before my nursing work I was a lowly sales assistant at one of the biggest store in the region.

Despite whatever the problems the company has as an organisation and the critics who have come out against its business model I have to say that my formative years and some of the most enjoyable times in enjoyment have been spent inside a ‘Game’ store. If ‘Game’ is to become just another one of the U.K.’s high street retailers to disappear and to fade into memory then I want to offer some memories of my own.

I learnt a lot about teamwork and friendship while working for ‘Game’. I remember the enjoyment I got from playing ‘Halo’ upstairs in the storeroom after the shop was shut with a takeaway meal. Every time I see the manager of that store (which doesn’t happen often enough) he reminds me of that anecdote.

While I love the health service and while I am completely sure that I’ve made the right choice I do miss those 9-to-5 hours and those times when we cleaned up the store. I would always subject my colleagues to my latest of skew a musical find while doing the hoovering, cashing up or restocking the shelves.

So maybe ‘Game’ will come back from the brink or maybe the supermarkets and online platforms like ‘Steam’ have done irreparable damage. For what it’s worth, I enjoyed the time I spent working for ‘Game’ and the friends I made and for that I just wanted to say thank you.