Importance of Attitude

While progressing through the course I have noticed that personal attitude greatly influences how enjoyable nursing associate training is (or isn’t), what you will take from base areas, placements, and university; and the support and encouragement you will receive from colleagues and support groups.

Show Up: Attend university lectures, be on time for base area and placements (a little early if possible). Emergencies, unforeseen circumstances, illness are part of life – be sure to let your clinical area know as soon as possible and follow all reporting requirements for your employer and university.

Get Involved: Even if it’s day one of a new placement, I have found that getting involved, making myself useful, and offering to help out where possible will almost always lead to a better experience, more help and learning opportunities from staff, and good feedback from the team. Remember, you will be working in clinical areas that are often short-staffed and very busy. There are learning opportunities to be had from every experience – even negatives ones.

Ask Questions: You are there to learn and most colleagues are very happy to share their knowledge and teach their skills. If someone is carrying out a task or procedure you haven’t seen before you can always ask to observe. If you need supervised practice to improve your confidence then ask if this can be done. Always gain permission from colleagues and importantly from patient’s in advance and don’t take it personally if the answer is no on some occasions – there might be a valid reason for it.

Don’t Be Afraid To Make Mistakes: Try as hard as we might, as trainees we will inevitably make mistakes. Although it can be difficult to admit to being wrong it’s all part of the learning process and makes for useful reflections and learning opportunities.

Share Your Knowledge, Skills And Experiences: With your colleagues, fellow trainees, student nurses. Your experiences are unique to yourself and many of them will not be experienced by others that you are training or working with. I have learned a lot from friends at university and your friends can learn from you too.

University Colleagues: Talking of friends, you will need them at university. A good support group is essential. Find the people who you connect with and who approach the course in a similar way to your own. Adopt others into your group as time goes on – these people are finding others who suit their approach, if they start sitting next to you in uni – adopt them!

We Are All Unique Individuals: Although we tend to coalesce into our own small groups – remember that every has their own personalities, views on the world, approaches to learning and work and come with their own problems, home life, belief systems, values and behaviours. If we all let each other be themselves we create a richer support group where everyone is comfortable in their own skin.

Friends For Life: On that note – university is a great way to make new friends, and some of them are going to be keepers (I have some I will be friends with for the rest of my life – even if careers, distance, and time separate us).

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