What our students say
Sophie Wismer, 20, first year adult nursing student - on her experience of clinical placements
“Practice placements are tiring but you learn invaluable hands-on experience and get back what you put in. You will
have six different placements throughout the course - in the
hospital and in the community, meeting and working with
some very friendly and interesting people. Since starting
the course, I've greatly improved my communication
skills and my confidence has grown.”
Diary: Tuesday 29 April, community placement
“Got up about 7am and caught the bus to Tolworth Hospital where I sat in on the morning meeting between the community nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, and was allocated jobs for the day.
“Community placements involve checking temperatures, measuring blood pressure and respiration rates, helping doctors with physical examinations, giving drugs and injections, administering blood transfusions and drips. There are also chances to use hi-tech medical equipment and you may be treating patients in their homes rather than in hospital.
“I headed out for my first visit with my mentor. My mentor asked me to administer a sub-cutaneous anti-coagulant to the patient. I obtained the patient’s consent, administered the injection and documented it in the patient’s notes. I had lunch with another student nurse before going over to a ward with my mentor for a cannulation study session. We practiced the skill on a model arm, which was fun, and were given a certificate for our portfolios!
“My mentor asked me to do some research on falls which I did using resources in the student study files on the hospital’s intranet.
“I'm really enjoying community nursing. It's nice to be able to visit patients in their own homes and care for them while they are in familiar surroundings. It also enables you to carry out a more comprehensive and holistic assessment, as you are able to see how they are coping in their home environment. People seem to rehabilitate faster at home, and you are able to provide more personal nursing care without the distractions you would normally have in the acute setting.
“I finished at 5pm and got the bus home for a driving lesson.”
Adult nursing
- Rose McGuire, graduate
- Claire Smitheram, graduate
- Sophie Wismer, first year student
- Cassia Lim, third year student (video)
Children's nursing
- Jodian Barrett, third year student
- Jodian Barrett, third year student (video)
- Beverley Haffenden, second year student (video)
