round the mulberry bush

I finished placement yesterday. The staff and clients gave me such a lovely send off. The staff said lots of nice stuff and got me some nice cards. The clients bought me a necklace and bought/made cards for me. They trickered me by asking me to go and do the register in the community lounge. When I got in there I noticed that all of the clients, nurses and doctors were in there. I clicked that I had been duped. Twas a very nice duping though. One of the clients made a speech and I got a round of applause. Most touching…I had a lump in my throat. I will miss those guys and I would work there in a heart beat if there was anything going when I qualify.

On a shit note, Rumple got made redundant yesterday I think he is kind of relieved that it is all over. He has known that he was up for redundancy for a month now and so it has been playing on his mind . But now he knows where he stands he can move forward. He has got a couple of jobs lined up, doing bits and bobs for people. I am glad cos I think that if he had nothing to do then he would get really down. Poor old Rumple. It’s really important to him to be providing for his family, and anything less makes him feel like he’s failing I think. I don’t think he is, I think he does a top banana job. We’ll wait and see what happens though, no point stressing over it cos it won’t change anything.

So back to Uni next week…year 3. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone, but not to the HUGE workload that we have awaiting us!!

After my disaster with forgetting to go to placement, things have been really good. I am really enjoying being back there. Shame I have to leave in 2 weeks cos I have just got to know the new lot of clients. I’m quite looking forward to going back to Uni for my final year though. Just can’t believe that it’s come round so quickly! Have finally decided on what I’m doing my dissertation on after alots of different ideas and changing my mind loads.

The piggies are back at school. Middle piggy started junior school on the Friday, and big and little piggy started on Monday. They have all settled in really nicely, which is a huge relief. I thought the most traumatic would be watching my smallest boy start school, but he was fine. I think because he has been at nursery for 2 years made for an easy transition. He just gave us a kiss and waved us off as he got stuck into the toys. Watching big piggy gp off to senior school nearly made me cry though. He was a bit worried and nervous, despite saying that he wasn’t and it was hard watching him go off into that big school, where he looks so little now.I think that the fact that I was bullied at big school made me nervous for him. He is nothing like I was as a child though. He isn’t a nervous boy and he has bags of self esteem and confidence. He has made new friends and he is enjoying it. He got the tip mark in his class for a maths test aswell which made me very proud

Middle piggy seems to have pulled away a bit from the kid that he has been hanging around with for the past couple of years. This kid is really bossy, and also the most popular boy in the class. He says that he is getting on okay at school but I will check with his teacher when I go and see her next month.

So things are going well at the moment, which is good cos I started to feel a bit down towards the end of the hols. We just need to wait and see what happens with Rumples job now, but it is out of our hands completely so no point getting too stressed about it.

Yesterday on facebook I noticed that lots of my student nurse colleagues were talking about shifts this week on placements. I didn’t really take a great deal of notice. It wasn’t until about half eleven last night that it dawned on me that I too, should have been back on placement. What a whopper. I checked my trusty student guide and sure enough, I should have started back yesterday, not next week like I thought.

So whilst I was generally pottering round, reading my James Herbert (which incidentally was really good) and watching trashy tv…I should have been putting in a shift at the hospital. Oops.

I texted my mentor this morning and told her of my mistake. I couldn’t have gone in today due to the fact that I had no childcare sorted out. She replied “twit…don’t worry about it”. So i don’t think she’s too arsed. I have also emailed the module leader. She might eat my head when she sees me, cos she is a bit scary.

I am usually organised to the degree of total anal retention, so this is bad for me! Infact the whole placement has gone a bit pearshaped what with changing my start times, swine flu, interviews for the trust etc etc. Ah well, such is life i suppose! I have got most of my achievement grid signed off already so I’m not too worried.

Back to placement on Tuesday. I am meant to be back Monday but my mentor has kindly let me have an extra day off cos the piggies are going to school..they are all starting new schools, so it will be  a big day.

The summer hols have been a bit of a wash out to be honest. The combination of the shit weather, nil funds, swine flu and ruptured appendix have meant that we haven’t done a great deal of fun stuff. We’ve done some, but I can’t wait until we have some money and can take the boys away in the holidays.If Rumple does get made redundant next month then we are going to use a little bit of the money to book a caravan holiday for next year. I think we deserve it.

I have a bit of academic stuff to do whilst on placement. Once I am back into the swing of things, i will feel more motivated I’m sure. Also now my laptop is working again, i can take it in and get some stuff done if it’s quiet.

Then its back to uni for my third and final year. I really can’t believe how quickly it’s all gone. I’m not sure what modules we are going back to. I know that one of them is research, which I hate hate hate. I am looking forward to finding out where my next placement is cos that’s the last one that they chose for me. The one after that is my elective management placement. I hope I get PICU or A&E liaison or forensics…or perhaps CAMHS.

I think I will miss being a student when I qualify. it’s nice being able to go to different placements and then back to uni when you’re just beginning to have had enough of being out in practice. Will somebody please remind me of that when i am up to my eyes in dissertation, exams and research plop.