Apprentice Nursing Associate Review

Handover, personal care to patients, checking observations and blood sugar monitoring. Assisting patients who aren’t fully independent with things such as going toilet, feeding, repositioning, oral care. Monitoring fluid/food intake. Accompanying patients who need x-rays, out of ward services during their stay.

Learnt how to do ECG and MRSA swab. Learnt how to use hoists and other mobility assistance. Learnt how to wash and change patients who are bed bound. Developed my knowledge on medicine and the common medicines used at my ward. Using difference methods of communication to patients.

I enjoy university as i am learning a lot, and it makes me encourage myself to do more independent learning and apply my knowledge at work. It makes a big difference who i am working with on shift as not everybody is open to teaching.

I feel there is a lot of miscommunication with the university and workplace in terms of how my work peers view this course. Due to this, i feel like i am not learning on shift as i expected to. I have to figure things out on my own, or if i’m working with a nice Nurse i’ll be taught things or shown things. Usually Nurses and nursing assistants are reluctant to teach and expect me to know things automatically and frown upon my being here if i don’t know things they expect me to know.

I feel like i do get support only when i raise any concerns. I feel like i’m being listened to and emphasised with. However, with that being said i feel like not much is actually done to make my experience any better. It’s all a matter of listening but nothing changes.

I feel like i am getting support from university as it is thorough. I feel like the experience would be better if they liaise with my employer with concerns that we have.

It makes me understand what is happening at work especially when coming into contact with patients. Every patient is different and i learn more after finding out about their condition and understand better after ive learnt at university about a specific topic

I recently attended a Apprentice promotional event where i promoted the apprentice to internal staff who was interested. There are other events at my work place such as fundraising charities for the hospital.

Yes

Because despite the bullying and harassment from staff, i feel like i have been learning a lot. Working in a care setting is so rewarding and it’s nice to make a difference in a persons life through the care i would give.

Have thick skin. If someone isn’t willing to teach you, find another person. If you don’t know something or are curious always volunteer yourself to shadow or to practice the skills. Be an example to others who work there on how professional you are supposed to be. Show existing staff how you can apply the NMC code. There’s always something to do.