No Way To Make This Interesting
In high school, I was lucky enough to have some really passionate teachers. They really knew their material because it seemed like they were interested in the material and subject, and found a way to embellish and bring the material to life despite the constraints of the provincial curriculum.
The monotony of a classroom…
But some portions, and some subjects, simply couldn’t be made interesting. There’s no way to dress up the historical dates we had to memorize for Social Studies. There’s no way to make logarithmic proofs entertaining. And there was no easy way to learn the elements of the periodic table. These things just had to be done in a repetitive, boring way.
In that same vein of dullness, there’s no way I can dress up this update about ticking off the nursing career related goals I set out for myself.
I completed my NMC Revalidation. On time. Filled out the forms. Submitted my paperwork. Paid my fees. The End.
However, due to the requirements of my Revalidation, I had to complete a couple other nursing career goals, one of which was completing 6 CPD courses this year.
Part of the NMC Revalidation was a requirement for a certain number of CPD hours. By ensuring that I complete 6 CPD courses a year would ensure that I would meet this requirement without having to scramble to sign up to courses at the last minute.
Continuing on this vein, one of the CPD courses was called “Acute Illness Management” (AIMs) and another “Immediate Life Support” (ILS) which are often required courses in acute care settings. I had complete ILS previously, but it hadn’t given me much confidence. The instructor had been extremely condescending when I asked about how to fill out the paperwork when a code was underway.
I had tried explaining to the instructor on the initial course that this was my first acute care setting in the UK and I had only worked in Primary Care settings, so there was no need for me to learn the ins and outs of running a code. She just had rolled her eyes at me and told me that it was my responsibility to learn.
To which I had responded, “Yes, that’s why I’m on this course and asking now before I get into a situation so I can feel confident.”
She rolled her eyes again and continued on with the course.
Needless to say, I did not complete that course feeling confident. I did spend a considerable amount of time trying to re-learn the head to toe assessments I had learned in Uni so that at least I could report to somebody who had more experience and/or confidence, my findings and perhaps they could do something with them.
My second ILS course was much better: the course instructors were more than aware that the nurses they were training were definitely NOT in an acute care setting, they were in community and rehabilitation hospitals and lacked the support of a crash team, along with doctors and paramedics in general. If we asked a question, no one was made to feel stupid, and they were OK going off on tangents to help give us a better understanding of the procedures we were being taught.
It was the first time, in all my years since earning my nursing degree, that all my experiences have helped me to swim when I was feeling like I was sinking. That with each new place that I’ve worked I’ve learned that has stuck with me and proven to be really useful and important in providing great overall care to my patients.
Equally, with each new validation that I am not as shitty of a nurse that I think I am sometimes, follows an opening of doors to opportunity and possibility: the more I work as a nurse the more I wish to continue developing my career, back into an acute setting. Each time I have to remind myself that I can’t do it all, so what is it that I really want?
The details of the answer are forever changing, but the most common theme is stability. I am longing for stability and I will do what I need to do for that stability.
