Pretty good day today

I went on a home visit to a young women who was referred to a services by a court order, she is under beep beep and has been on home detention for 1.5 months. Then I went to a college and sat in on a session with two 15 year old boys who are getting into alot of trouble with cannabis use. The counsellor I was with was really good, and she let me have input in the sessions, which I really enjoyed. I felt like I asked the boys two really good questions and gave them something to think about in the following week, until their next session.

I heard something that really upset me and shocked me today, an 8 year old is being referred to the youth counsellors at beep beep, they have a history of solvent and cannabis abuse. They are in the care of beep beep beep (means they will be in a foster home). It just breaks your heart to hear things like that, the youth counsellors usually only have 12 - 18 year olds, so when something like this comes along it must be really hard on them emotional, as well as all the other issues that would come along.

By the way

I would love to hear from any nursing students out there, and if you have any comments or quesitons about nursng or being a student in New Zealand

Sarrah

Quiet Day

Today was pretty quiet, so I only worked from 8:15am till 1:45pm. I cant really call what I have been doing as working really anyway more like observation. However I have learnt alot, and have really enjoyed these last couple of weeks away from tech. This semester has been pretty hard for me. I find it really hard to concentrate in class. This is due to a few people in our classes that constantly ask questions or have to comment on everything the lecturer talks about, otherwise they are telling everyone their life story for the 100th time. I know that I am not the only person that feels like this and from the sounds of talk around the place, a few people are about to lose their cool.

Today I sat in on a session about a man who is alcohol dependent both physically and psychologically. He is going to put himself under the alcoholism and drug act (1966) voluntarily. This is so he can go to a 6 month residential facility down in beep beep (south island). It was quiet emotional, I have found in the last couple of weeks that I am very sensitive and find myself going red with tears welling up when I hear stories about people and children in the area I live. I don't know if I want this emotional reaction to stop because I think that while this happening , it means that I am not becoming desensitized to these things. (By the way, I don't completely lose it or anything and nobody notices that I might be upset, it is not very noticeable)

One week to go

There is one week left of my placement to go, I had a pretty good week, and I really am going to miss everyone, when it is time to go back to tech. I have learnt heaps about addiction and the roles that the nurses, counsellors and social workers play. It must be such a hard job, but they seem to work together really well and support each other.

Not really much else to say, really want to do some more work on my portfolio so will make this a short post.

I need to find a job

Big S my partner is the only one working in our family, I only study and so far this has been working but since price rises and petrol increases we are really finding it hard to get by. S is doing jazz and O has just started rugby for 3 and 4 year olds (its just a bit of fun on a sat morning for kids to have a bit of a run around) However these things costs money, not millions but it all adds up. I have been driving twice the distance 5 times a week for clinical placement and I still have another week and half to go. So I think I need to look at working, I have been thinking about sleepovers, where you sleep in peoples houses overnight, you only wake up if they need you. I thought it would be good because I wont be missing out on stuff with the kids as they will be asleep, I will be getting some sleep and making money. Anyway Ill have a look around to see if there are any vacancies in some of the agencies.

Today was good at A Services, my lecturer came and saw me, to talk about my portfolio, that is a bit clearer now. I went to a group for teenage boys who have offended and are on a programme for 14 weeks, and I sat in on a session with a 15 year who is wanting to give up cannabis. Looking forward to tomorrow, hope it is not going to be too cold a day.

Hi Again....

I have been trying to put a picture up but my computer is being a pain, so hopefully I should get one up soon.

I also figured that when I post it is not giving my time in New Zealand. So just for some boring info, the time is Sun 7:54 pm here.

I am back at a services tomorrow for my second week, it is good there the staff are really helpful and friendly. It's just that many people do not come for their appointments, so there has been a lot of spare time, which can get pretty boring.

I have to do this stupid assignment as well, it called a mental health portfolio, the first part is your prior knowledge, second is your objectives for the placement and the third is aspects of care. You have to choose four and use at least two people, we are suppose to interview them, which is basically impossible. When if they do come to their appointment, which is usually about an hour, their not really going to want to wait around while a student asks them questions. It just doesn't seem to be as easy as what the lecturers made it out be. Anyhow I am doing communication, pharmacology, assessment and models of care medical vs non medical. I am suppose to write about each one comparing it to the particular client I interview, confusing???? I know. I have one person to use, he is coming back this week for an appointment so I will ask him permission to use his notes and ask him a few questions. Why didn't I ask him on the first appointment? Because by the time I ran it past the counsellor I was assigned to that day, the man had already left the building and it would not have been very appropriate to run after him and ask, even though I really wanted to so I could get on with my assignment.

Anyway I will stop rabbiting on and hope tomorrow goes well and I get to sit on a few sessions. I am with the youth counsellor tomorrow, he seems really nice.

Goodnight

First ever blog

Hi,

I am a 2nd year nursing student in New Zealand. A couple of months ago I was bored and typed in nursing student diary into google and have since read quite a few blogs. So I thought I would try it out for myself, I also thought it would be neat to have something to go back to throughout my training and when I graduate.

A few things I have noticed between New Zealand and USA:
- NZ is a three year degree, while I think USA is 4 years???
- USA seems to have much more clinical experience, which seems to be much more better then
what we do in New Zealand.
- USA seems to be much more medical based then what we have in New Zealand.

(This is only going from what I have read in other peoples blogs)

Just to give an examples of what a NZ degree is like year one papers were:

Semester one:
Nursing knowledge 1
Anatomy and physiology 1
Health and Kawawhakaruruhau (Sociology paper)

Semester two:
Nursing knowledge 2
Anatomy and physiology 2
Context of health (Psychology and human development paper)

Year two semester one, which I am currently doing now
Adolescence and young adults (Surgical/ mental health paper)
Pharmacology and physical assesment( to me this needs to be two completely different papers not joint together like they are)
History and philosophy of nursing.

So far my clincial experience has been:
-Two weeks in a rest home
-Two weeks in AAU (Acute Assesment Unit) at hospital
-And currently I am at A Services for three weeks.
So not much clincial experience really.

The spell check is not working so I apologise for any mistakes in spelling