The Covid-19 situation may have made learning a little different for our Freshies, where the fewer Lab sessions may have caused some sense of unpreparedness. In an effort to relieve some stress, we have five Year 2 seniors sharing about their Year 1 Community Health Posting! We have also answered some of the questions submitted by you and compiled a few tips and advice by other seniors, so be sure to read till the end!
Alicia
Where were you posted?
Jurong Community Hospital.
How did you feel before going for your first hospital attachment?
I was honestly worried because during simulations in school, we were only practising our skills on mannequins or on my friends. I was slightly apprehensive because I couldn’t foresee what would happen during the clinicals and what I could do.
Did you feel overwhelmed because it is your first attachment? If so, what did you do to lessen your stress?
Being overwhelmed would be something that is inevitable as it will be your first time going for attachment. Don’t be too scared because that would really make you hesitant to push yourself out there to gain experience. I made sure to save procedural checklists, common medications and nursing management notes on my phone so that I was kinda more prepared whenever I go for my shift. It really helped me because I was able to use my pockets of free time to read up and prepare myself if there was an opportunity to perform a procedure. (Don’t be on your phone 24/7 though - it’s even better if you can shadow a nurse so that you can learn how to chart, perform procedures and even get some tips from them!!)
How did you feel after attachment ended?
Honestly, the 2 weeks will pass by super quickly and you’ll only really get used to the routine when the attachment is coming to an end. I was a bit bummed out when it ended because I was getting comfortable with the routine there, such as knowing what time the patient’s food will be coming, what time procedures are done daily, the timings for medication rounds etc. However, it was truly an eye-opening experience nonetheless!
What is one memorable experience you had during the posting?
On the last day, we were waiting to get pizza for the farewell party with our CI. Suddenly one lady had tapped me on the shoulder and I recognised it to be my patient’s daughter. She had come up to me to thank me for helping to take care of her mother during her stay at the community hospital! Honestly, that was a very rewarding and heartwarming statement to receive on my last day of attachment.
What are some things you wish you knew before starting your posting?
I think it would have been better if I understood the EPAs and procedures that we are able to perform so that I could objectively plan what I wanted to do each shift. As a Y1 student, you would lack to see the full scope of things because you’re just at the beginning and have yet to be able to understand the full job scope of a nurse. I wished that I had a solid medication list with me so that when I followed my nurses around, I would be able to understand and also answer their mini-tests on medications HAHAHA.
What are some advice/tips you would like to share with the Y1s?
Go in with an open mind, accept all feedback and always clarify whenever you have questions. It’s better to ask more questions and to check back with your CI on why different hospitals may have different protocols and then be able to apply whatever you learn when you come back to school! I hope that you guys will enjoy yourselves and just take in as much as you can :”) Also, remember to have a nursing scissors with you, it really does come in handy!
Shikha
Where were you posted?
I was posted to the Integrated Building at Changi General Hospital.
How did you feel before going for your first hospital attachment?
I was excited and scared at the same time because it was like theories coming to life so I was a bit scared, hoping all would go well.
Did you feel overwhelmed because it is your first attachment? If so, what did you do to lessen your stress?
I did feel overwhelmed on the first day but our CI was very caring and understanding, and so were the nurses there. They understood that we were still very new to the clinical setting, so they were patient with us and tried to teach us as much as they could. Subsequently, I learned to manage things at my own pace to get used to the clinical setting and familiarise myself. So I set goals and expectations that were realistic. If I was not sure of anything, I would ask the nurses. Also, there were nursing students from Poly who were having their attachments as well, so I interacted and learned from them as well.
How did you feel after attachment ended?
I was sad because I was just getting used to the way things work in a ward but the journey ended right there. I missed the patients that I had met throughout the attachment. Although it was a short 2 weeks, there was some rapport built between me and the patients so I looked forward to meeting them every day. Not being able to see them again felt a bit empty for a short while. I also missed my ward friends. I remember we were a bit awkward with each other at first, but at the end of two weeks, we had become closer.
What is one memorable experience you had during the posting?
A memorable experience was when I helped a patient with their Rehab therapy. The whole experience was touching, seeing the patient overcoming challenges to complete the exercise.
What are some things you wish you knew before starting your posting?
One thing I wish I knew was that at Y1S1, we still do not have the full picture of the syllabus and I was feeling like I did not know much to help around in the ward. But this is expected as we do not have much experience yet. So I wish I had understood this so that I could have had an easier time instead of being stressed about feeling that I was not good enough.
What are some advice/tips you would like to share with the Y1s?
Ask for opportunities to learn instead of waiting for opportunities to arise. If you see that there is a chance for you to practice a certain skill, ask the nurse to assist you or give you the chance to do it instead of staying quiet and waiting for the nurse to ask if you want to try it. Also, during the first few days, take time to familiarise yourself with the items in the ward. This will help you to be able to help out more in the wards.
Vernita
Where were you posted?
Ang Mo Kio Thye Hwa Kuan Hospital
How did you feel before going for your first hospital attachment?
I had mixed feelings before the attachment. As we were posted to hospitals in relation to where we stay, most of my ward mates were students from other classes and I was worried that I would not get along with them. I was also scared that I was unable to apply our practical knowledge to real-life situations.
Did you feel overwhelmed because it is your first attachment? If so, what did you do to lessen your stress?
I was a little overwhelmed. This was because we were exposed to community hospital nursing for a day during the semester (at Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital) to show us what it was like and what we can expect for our first posting. Building rapport with my cubicle partner and with my ward mates in general also helped overcome some of the initial stress of working in a hospital for the first time. But if you are still feeling stressed out, reading through and watching videos of skill sets that we had learned would help with that!
How did you feel after attachment ended?
I felt sad because the 2 weeks flew by and as I love doing hands-on skills, I did not want the attachment to end. I grew attached to some of the patients in my cubicle and leaving them at the end of attachment made me feel sad.
What is one memorable experience you had during the posting?
Most of the patients were thankful for our help as year 1 students, even though we were only helping them with simple ADLs like showering, toileting and serving their meals. We also got to spend some time chatting with them and they were appreciative of that. This made me feel happy as I was able to help them despite the limited skill sets that I had at that time.
What are some things you wish you knew before starting your posting?
That we would get emotionally attached to our patients. At some point after building some sort of rapport with them, you might find yourself feeling sad or emotional when they get discharged or when something happens to them, and that is totally normal! If these emotions start to affect your daily life, please reach out to friends, family or your CI for help.
What are some advice/tips you would like to share with the Y1s?
It is important to note that helping and looking out for one another is essential, and that it is not a competition when it comes to checking off clinical skills as there are plenty of other opportunities to do so in the future. Go in with an open mind and readiness to learn and hands-on. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you are unsure as keeping quiet would not help you learn effectively. If you are not confident in performing any procedure or skill set, check back with your CI for confirmation. Bring a multicoloured pen and a notebook (that fits in your pocket) as this will come in handy, especially if your community hospital is doing written charting. Also, don’t forget your nursing watch. Last but not least, enjoy yourself!
Rachel
Where were you posted?
I was posted to Yishun Community Hospital!
How did you feel before going for your first hospital attachment?
I had mixed feelings. On one hand, I was really excited to be able to put into practice what we had learnt in school so far. It would also determine whether or not nursing is my calling, so I really looked forward to this first attachment! On the other hand, I was also extremely nervous as I was afraid that I would cause more harm to the patients instead of helping them. I didn’t feel very confident about my skills and was worried that I would mess up the procedures.
Did you feel overwhelmed because it is your first attachment? If so, what did you do to lessen your stress?
Definitely! For me, I felt that it was quite a lot to take in as I was assigned to a ward with both rehabilitation and palliative patients. Thus, there were quite a few patients whose conditions weren’t the best, and it was therefore quite overwhelming for me. I think what helped me was looking and talking to the patients for who they are as a person, and not to just look at their medical condition. My CI was also very nice and patient with all of us, which made the initial learning curve less intimidating.
How did you feel after attachment ended?
Similar to everyone, I felt quite sad at the end of the attachment as I had genuinely enjoyed interacting and providing care for the patients in my ward. I was also quite close to some of the patients (one family member even invited my friend and I to her house – please do not accept such invitations haha) so I was quite sad about leaving them.
What is one memorable experience you had during the posting?
In the ward I was in, there was an elderly patient who had 4 pressure ulcers, one of which was an unstageable pressure ulcer at his sacral region. As one of my objectives was to perform wound dressing, I was quite keen on performing wound dressing for this patient. During one of the shifts, our Clinical Instructor (CI) wanted to demonstrate how to dress his wounds and called a few of us in to observe. When our CI started to remove the old dressing, I immediately regretted not wearing a mask. It was my first time seeing such a wound. It was much worse than I had expected, and the odour from the wound was quite bad. After a few minutes of looking at the wound, I started having cold sweats and I felt myself getting lightheaded. I also felt like I was on the verge of fainting and was quite nauseated (haha, quite dramatic), so I quickly excused myself and went to the toilet to calm myself down. But long story short, I conquered my fear and managed to dress this patient’s wounds at the end of the week (:
What are some things you wish you knew before starting your posting?
I wish I knew how tiring clinicals were! I think the early hours (during AM shift) and also walking and standing a lot during the shifts made it quite physically tiring for me as it was my first time walking so much without having much time to rest/sit down. There were also some days which I slept a bit later even though I had an AM shift the next day which I thoroughly regretted! However as the days went by, I slowly got used to the rhythm of things and also became more used to the physical demands of the job! All that aside, I think the fulfilment and satisfaction I got during the posting outweighed how tired I felt (: But please do sleep early and have a good rest before your shift so that you are alert and can perform better!
What are some advice/tips you would like to share with the Y1s?
While the first few days in the ward may inevitably be quite awkward as you may not know what you should be doing, I think it really helps to be proactive and ask questions. Whenever you don’t understand something, try to ask any of the nurses. They’re all usually very nice and willing to teach! But remember to ask at appropriate timings (not during medication rounds). During the shift handover, do listen to the report and write down all necessary information (even the ones you don’t understand) pertaining to the patients you’re taking for that shift. There may be some terms, acronyms and medications that you may not understand, but just write them down and ask the nurses later! This will help you to understand the conditions of your patients and anticipate the care that needs to be provided for them. Also, don’t be discouraged when you perform inadequately. Remember, practice makes perfect! Last but not least, go with an open mind! Get rid of any preconceived thoughts about community hospitals or nursing homes that you may have and get ready to learn a lot during these 2 weeks!
Angie
Where were you posted?
I was posted to PeaceHaven Nursing Home!
How did you feel before going for your first hospital attachment?
I actually felt quite neutral, I wasn’t very hyped and neither was I very nervous. Honestly, I felt more worried that I would take too long to do things or do in a wrong sequence.
Did you feel overwhelmed because it is your first attachment? If so, what did you do to lessen your stress?
I would say not really, maybe because the pace was slower at my posting. But of course, the first two days were more strange because it was a new environment and we had to learn and follow through their routines, which were slightly different from my expectations. Also, my ward mates were fun to work with, so overall it was pretty enjoyable and I learned quite a lot. The residents in the wards were mostly mild-mannered except on a few occasions but it was mostly manageable.
How did you feel after attachment ended?
I guess feeling bittersweet is something we will feel after almost all, if not every, attachment, especially if you bonded with patients (or even family members) and formed connections with them. I felt the saddest when a group of patients (4-5 aunties hahaha) suddenly asked when I will come back and all during med rounds with the ward nurse, then I had to literally say "never" because we won’t be posted back there again. That kind of emotional attachment was actually not something I expected to feel after 2 weeks.
What is one memorable experience you had during the posting?
I think that would be my experience with a patient with gangrene on his leg. The ethical dilemma was terribly real… On one hand, his daily dressing must be done to keep it clean and prevent infection. But on the other hand, this patient had difficulties speaking, so he would be groaning loudly and tearing up during the entire procedure (which lasts about 15 mins). I just tried to clean as fast as possible with the SN but we couldn’t exactly zoom through it either because there were also open wounds everywhere on the gangrene. The worst was a rather large one exposing a section of his tibia. When we remove the dressing, it would bleed too, so I really just felt horrible every time I participated in changing his dressing.
What are some things you wish you knew before starting your posting?
I had expected to face typical chronic and less serious physical conditions (mainly because it was a home and residents there were of older age). But there were actually quite a few residents who needed daily maintenance for their wounds, pressure ulcers, tracheostomy care etc., which I wasn’t mentally prepared for prior to posting. Also, I wished I knew that my nursing shoes were kind of auntie because I got flamed so many times for them LOL. But then again, just rock your shoes hahaha unless it’s not an approved shoe/material!
What are some advice/tips you would like to share with the Y1s?
Definitely go with an open mind even if you heard from others or have your own expectations of the place. If you don’t understand anything, please make sure you ask the nurses at appropriate times. This is especially so if you are participating in procedures. Please don’t assume things because mistakes not only cause frustrations but can cause additional pain for the patient. For my posting, it was mostly routine management so there wasn’t much handing over done. If your attachment has then it would be good to listen! Proper attire, hairstyle etc. are basic expectations so just make sure you look neat and appropriate. All in all, I feel that you should just be ready to learn and don’t expect yourself to be instantly good at everything. Remember most of the nurses have been there for years so obviously we won’t be able to perform as well as them. Try to have fun also! After all, it's your first posting haha don’t be too scared!!
Q&A
Question: Will we get to do any procedures? Or totally just stand there and watch (not allowed to do much)?
Answer: Usually, the nurses will be willing to let us participate in procedures, provided that the procedures are within our learned skills and are approved by the hospital. We have never encountered having zero things to do in the ward, as that would also defeat the point of clinicals. So not to worry, there will be opportunities! Even if the pace may seem a little slower during the PM shift, you can still find things to do, such as interacting with your patients to understand more about their conditions, assessing their pain score using COLDSPA or even practising manual BP measurement with your friends (with permission from the staff/your CI). Another thing to note is that you should always find opportunities if you want to perform any procedures instead of waiting for them to be given to you!
Question: Hi! I'm quite nervous for clinicals because we had very little lab sessions this year. What should I do to prepare myself? I'm very scared that I screw things up :(( And are the staff nurses usually fierce to us (like because we are there watching and sort of "hindering" them from their work)?
Answer: You can go to LumiNUS → ALCNS e-Resources to watch the available videos for relevant nursing skills to refresh your memory! If you have the equipment at home, such as the wound dressing set, you can always practice with them. Feeling scared is definitely normal too, just make sure that you do not do something that you are unsure of! Always check with your staff nurse. Also, the nurses are there to help and guide us :) To prevent “hindering” them from their work, you can refrain from doing anything unnecessary and ask questions at appropriate times! Also, do answer the call bells whenever you hear them ring as it will really help out the staff!
Question: What do y’all do to prepare for clinicals? (In terms of theory and revision) What do y’all bring to clinicals? What motivates you during your clinicals especially when you feel weighed down by your insecurities and self-doubt? How do you bond with your patients?
Answer: For revision, you can practice your skills at home or watch the Nursing Skills videos available on LumiNUS. General things you can bring are nursing scissors, nursing watch, multicoloured pen, small notepad and nametag. Please don’t forget your nametag!! Some like to bring a cardholder to put their cards and money as well.
When you feel down, you can reach out to your ward mates first as they would be the most available/closest to you. If you really feel overwhelmed, please talk to your CI as they would know best how to help you!
Bonding with patients really depends on many factors. For example, how comfortable they are with talking to students, or if they are in the situation to do so (such as not being in severe pain) etc. An important thing to note is that if a patient trusts you enough to share their life with you, ensure you abide by PDPA! It also helps to speak to them in their dialect and mother tongue. Even if you can’t speak their dialect or mother tongue, make an effort to learn from them/your friends!
Question: Anyone has done their posting at JCH before? Anything special we need to take note of/any tips for those going clinicals at Jurong Community Hospital?
Answer: Jurong East has a lot of food so don’t be scared that you’ll be eating the same thing everyday HAHAHA. I think just be prepared to throw yourself out of your comfort zone and just show that you are ready and willing to learn. As the nurses observe and can tell that you’re more prepared and confident, they’ll call you and teach you more!
Question: Will we have a locker to keep our stuffs at JCH?
Answer: Yeap there will be lockers as far as I remember for my ward, but there are limited lockers and it’s slightly smaller so please don’t bring your duffel bags or like big big barang.
Final Tips & Advice
Before clinicals, recap on all your skills. If you have no time to recap the theory e.g. anatomy, at least revise the practical skills. Don't let your lack of confidence in your skills hinder you from taking the initiative to ask to do procedures on patients or shy away when the hospital nurses give you opportunities. During the clinicals, your objectives are important! Know what you want to learn and actively seek it out. Clinicals are the best time to make mistakes and learn, better now than after graduation, don't be paiseh to ask. After each day, do consolidate what you’ve learnt. You may be tired after the shift but just recap one thing you have learned that day (e.g medication, how to admit patient, NGT tube feeding). At the end of clinicals, transcribe what you have written in your small notebook onto a document (e.g medications, discharge procedures, how to pass report etc.)
Things to bring include a multicoloured pen, nursing scissors and a notebook that you can put in your pocket. Teamwork and learning from peers/ward mates are also important. The nurses in the ward are mostly friendly and would try to guide you, as well as your CI. These are the people you would be seeing for the next 2 weeks. You can have a simple meal together (but please abide by Covid rules), to get to know one another before clinicals start. Teaching is one of the best ways to learn and retain information. Don't be afraid to share your knowledge (not flex lol). It’s nice to know that your shift mates got your back and that everyone is willing to help one another :) Overall, have fun, don't be overwhelmed, and don't be afraid to make mistakes!
- Gloria, Y2
If you love patient interaction, cherish your Year 1 postings (especially community hospital) because you'll only get busier from there! Always be open to learn and to help out because willingness will make the nurses more open to showing you new things, as compared to you being reluctant to help out with “menial tasks”.
- Anon
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. We are still students, nurses in the ward will help you. If you do meet some nurses who are not as kind, but don’t be afraid to feedback to your CIs. Stick to nicer nurses, you’ll learn a lot.
- Anon, Y4
Go with an open mind and learn as much as possible. There may be some staff who are great in their job, while others who seem to do things differently. Pick up the right things, take note of the wrong ones and don't repeat them in your practice as a student/staff nurse. It's totally normal if you are nervous, but try to make friends with the others. If possible, try to take the first step to ask questions or do things, it really helps to boost your self-confidence.
- Anon
We hope that this post was helpful in relieving some of the stress and anxiety for those going for their first hospital attachment. We wish you all the best!
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