hopeful
Well, here I am back in Bude, for most of the week - catching up with things, and enjoying the peace, as well!
Before I start I want to say, again, that you have been brilliant! The last 9 months, and especially this last week, has made me realise what great friends I have - how much love and support I have received. It has truly helped me to get through these days ... Thank you.
The course went well - when I stopped shaking and feeling sick!
3 days of classroom stuff, they were really full-on days. Yet, as I already said, we all were able to laugh together ... the age range was from 18 - 50 ... 2 guys (one of which was called James!) ... and from a wide range of backgrounds. A lot of the time I felt that things were a bit muddled (comes from doing a 4 year course last time!) We were shown things, talked about things - and then told "it would make sense when we were on the wards"!
The next 2 days were ward work + classroom stuff - 7.15 - 5 ... in other words, very long days.
On day 1 I was in a Gastro ward - a Medical ward - and spent the time making beds, learning how to give bed baths (and even to shave) and it was a male ward. The cleaning, and the amount of gloves you wear were confusing, but I think I coped by thinking - put on gloves ... remove, wash hands ... new gloves!!!
The second day was a Surgical ward, female patients ... those who were on Vascular, Thorasic and Plastic treatment. I also ended up wheeling a bed from one end of the hospital to the other ... and without making the patient sea-sick!
A week off this week - and wait to hear if I passed!
Then (providing all is OK) a day of Induction next Monday, then Tuesday (bizarrely) my Hepatitis jab ... plus blood test to see if I'm a carrier for anything! We've all done 11 hours on the wards - so we should have held our breath!!!!
It's bizarre, but if all goes well I have 3 supervised shifts to do, then 5 unsupervised - then I'm a qualified Auxilliary Nurse! Then it's "Bank" work - and hope I get shifts ... a good number, plus places I like!