Student Nursing Q&A With Alexandria

If you’re thinking of starting a career in Nursing, Student Nurse, Alexandria, gives her insights as she answers some common questions you may have as a prospective Nurse.

Topics covered in this article

0.07 Introduction

0.55 "Is There Any Specialty Which Takes Your Interest?"

1.44 "How Difficult Is A&P?”

2.36 "What Is One Thing You Would Change In How You Are Taught Nursing In First Year?"

3.13 "Student Lifestyle Difference Compared To Your Other Degrees."

3.49 "Drop The Skincare Routine."

3.59 "As You Live At Home, Is It Difficult Commuting Every Day To Uni?"

4.41 "Can You Talk About Your Placement, Like A Typical Day In Placement."

5.04 "Why Did You Choose Nursing?"

5.18 "How Did You Find It At The Beginning When You Started Children's Nursing?"

6.00 "What College Did You Go To And What Did You Study?”

6.38 "How Is Studying At University During The Pandemic?"

7.12 "Did You Have Time To Socialise With Your Friends Outside Your Studies In The First Year?"

0.07 Introduction

As mentioned in my video about maximizing productivity, I mentioned that I had a Q and A up on my Instagram story, which a lot of you responded to, which I was really happy about.

This is going to be just me answering those questions as a student nurse, to kind of give people more insight into what I do and to questions that people have had for me about nursing and other things like that.

Without further ado, let me just get straight into it.

The first question is:

0.55 "Is There Any Specialty Which Takes Your Interest?"

For a while it has always been neonates and working in a neonatal unit.

That's where I did my work experience, which I've spoken a lot about before.

And that's kind of one of the reasons why I wanted to go into nursing because I was so interested in neonates and like just love working with new-borns.

But I'm not entirely sure.

I think that might've have changed now because, obviously, through placement, I worked with kids of all ages, so I'm not 100% sure.

I like working with kind of all ages, to be honest, and I don't have enough placement experience to really see what niche I like the most, or even if I want to work in a hospital.

So, I guess, I think my specific interest will probably develop more as I get into like third year, I would say.

1.44 "How Difficult Is A&P?”

Anatomy and physiology.

"Is it really intense?"

I think it depends on the person.

I think if you are someone that has a biology background or even if that's just do one of your GCSE, if you did A-level, if you have good science knowledge, or even if you just prepare very well for starting nursing school and kind of brushing up on your anatomy knowledge, then you won't find it that bad.

Personally, I think it just takes practice to kind of keep it in your head.

I wouldn't necessarily say it's intense, I would say it's a lot of knowledge.

I think that's all I could really say.

It's a lot of knowledge, but it is easy to get through if you work hard at it.

I would definitely say there are other modules, especially pharmacology, that'll be more difficult, but no, I wouldn't say it's that intense.

It just takes a lot of practice to kind of get it in your head.

2.36 "What Is One Thing You Would Change In How You Are Taught Nursing In First Year?"

I'm not really sure that I would change anything.

Obviously, if Corona never happened, I would've had more placement experience, which would've been ideal and that would've been the plan anyway, but I don't think I would really change anything.

I think maybe just if I had time off to revise and study because I think it's very full-on.

There's always one thing after the other so sometimes you don't really get the time to just sit down and actually take in what you're learning.

So maybe having more free time to actually do that would've been more ideal.

3.13 "Student Lifestyle Difference Compared To Your Other Degrees."

I don't think it's that different.

I think the only thing is, as nursing students we get shorter holidays and we're doing like half placement, half like lectures and stuff like that.

It is quite hectic in that sense.

Like, if you're someone who likes nightlife and likes going out all the time, you probably wouldn't be able to do that as much as your friends on other courses, but it doesn't hinder you from doing that.

Like, you can still do it, you just have to learn how to manage your time better because you're going to be busier than the average Uni student.

But it's not that bad, it's just learning how to manage your time.

You just have to learn how to balance it.

3.49 "Drop The Skincare Routine."

I will do that at some point probably but thank you.

I'm taking that as a compliment that you want to know my skin routine.

3.59 "As You Live At Home, Is It Difficult Commuting Every Day To Uni?"

I wouldn't say it's difficult because I've always commuted.

Like, I commuted to sixth form.

For the past three years of my life I've been commuting into Central London every day.

For me, it's kind of like second nature, but it is stressful because, obviously, I have to wake up a lot earlier than my friends who live in student accommodation, which is annoying.

And, obviously, you have delays and trains that are cancelled and just busy.

It's always very busy and gross.

So it's not ideal, it's not the best way to start your morning because it can be quite stressful, but it saves me a lot of money.

Even though it's expensive, it's way cheaper than living in accommodation, so I don't mind it.

4.41 "Can You Talk About Your Placement, Like A Typical Day In Placement."

I already have a video on that.

Like, a day in my life on placement video that you can check out on my channel.

It's actually one of my first videos.

I'm going to be doing more of those kind of vloggy type videos when I actually go back onto placement because, obviously, I've had months of not being in the hospital, so I haven't had any of that content to share, but that will be coming soon.

5.04 "Why Did You Choose Nursing?"

In my other video with Nurses.co.uk shows why I chose to do children's nursing.

I explain in detail all about that.

If you want to know that in detail, then go and watch that video.

5.18 "How Did You Find It At The Beginning When You Started Children's Nursing?"

I think I was a little bit nervous, obviously, because going into a whole new institution with a whole new load of people, I didn't really know what to expect.

Everyone was so nice.

Like, all the staff, like the teachers, the lecturer’s and students as well, like everyone that I've made friends with and had to work with is so lovely.

It never felt like a hardship.

I think I was quite lucky.

I think that's what you get with all nursing cohorts.

Like, everyone is just naturally so nice.

It was a big change from what I was used to doing at sixth form.

But no, I didn't really have a problem or anything.

6.00 "What College Did You Go To And What Did You Study?”

I've mentioned my educational background before, so I went to Harris Westminster Sixth From, which is a selective sixth form in Central London.

That's why I'm used to commuting.

I went there for two years and I did A-level politics.

I did A-level biology, but I dropped it in year 12 for reasons that I've mentioned in other videos.

And I did Pre-U Spanish and Pre-U English literature, which has basically like a more complicated version of A-levels.

And I also did an EPQ.

6.38 "How Is Studying At University During The Pandemic?"

Uni is, obviously, very different at the moment.

I'm on my summer break at the moment, but it's hard doing kind of lectures and teaching yourself online.

But I think all of us have slowly gotten used to it.

Even though it's not ideal at all, it's going to be the new norm now.

It's just got to be something we're going to have to deal with.

I'm going to have a clinical session in September and then I'm going to go back into placement, so I can't wait to do that.

To actually be on the job, and refresh my memory, and kind of learn more skills, and kind of practice my old skills.

I am really looking forward to doing that.

7.12 "Did You Have Time To Socialise With Your Friends Outside Your Studies In The First Year?"

Yeah, so I did manage to make friends that aren't on my course.

I met quite a lot of people through the ACS Afro-Caribbean Society, in my Uni.

I met a lot of people that did a lot of different courses.

Yeah, it is easy.

You meet people at events, you meet people all over the place.

I think you probably meet the most people during fresher’s week.

It doesn't necessarily have to be in like a club or in some sort of like nightlife event, like you can really meet people anywhere and everywhere on campus.

I had time to kind of like chat to and like hang out with people that aren't on my course, but, obviously, it is hard when you're doing different courses to kind of find the time to come together.

You're obviously, all doing completely different things, but it is doable.

That is the end of all of the questions.

If anyone has any more questions, don't hesitate to ask me or just refer to any of my other videos if you haven't watched them.

Especially, the other video I did with Nurses.co.uk because that explains more about my educational background, which a lot of people were curious about.

But yeah, that is the end of the video.

I hope you enjoyed.

If you did, don't forget to like comment and subscribe, and I will see you in the next video.

Bye.

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