It's a Love-Hate thing...

...Nursing.

I started my 3rd placement today, on the currently non-existent ward 9 at Dr Grays. I say non-existent as it is closed for refurbishment.
So really, I'm stuck on ward 7. But let's not get drawn into technicalities.
The point is, my first impressions are neither "wow, I'm so glad I'm there for 10 weeks," nor "God, I'm gonna kill myself if I have to spend another day there."
In fact, I'm glued somewhere in between the two concepts.

Ok, to be honest, it's not so bad. The staff are really nice [so far] and seem to be alright with having a limpit in student-nurse-form following them about the place. But then I suppose they're used to it. The patients are lovely and 'patient' too (no pun intended there, honestly).
And the Sister of ward 9 is incredibly nice; so nice she's given me 6 days off - in a row - for Rockness shinanigans. Four days off for the actual event, and two for recovery time.
I could have hugged her at that moment.
Plus she's big on filling in the paperwork, which is very helpful when you have a portfolio to complete. Saying that, her daughter is about to start her nursing training, so I guess she understands the pressures of paperwork upon the average student nurse too.

However, for a first day everything felt a bit... slow.
They say be careful what you wish for, so I'm not gonna outwardly wish for an action-packed, rushed-off-your-feet day. Although it would break the monotony of the afternoon.
The mornings are fine, as in any care job; they fly by in the blink of an eye as you fire through showering people, dishing out porridge, toast and teas and take a few obs. Before you know it it's break time, which speeds by too and it's typically sods law that it does.
Admittedly, it feels like it's been a very quick day, and suddenly I feel pretty tired. I think it's more lethargy 'cos of the stuffy heat we're enduring at the mo.
Shouldn't complain - Caitlind and me got 3 beach days out of it. Today could've been a fourth, but no.
I guess the sun burn does need time to heal...
Anyhoo, I digress.

I know the saying goes that you should give a new situation a chance to settle in before you go judging it. I generally hate the first day of new placements anyway, and usually the rest of that week... and maybe the next one too... before I finally get into the swing of things.
Perhaps I'll feel better once I finally get a definite mentor and I'm not just randomly latching onto folk, like some sort of lost puppy. Or barnacle.
Never mind, at least I have hours so I know when my days off are. And I'm sure I'll get into it eventually, when I find the confidence to really settle into the place. Until then, it's a bit of a love-hate scenario. Still, I have faith that, like all other nursing-based practices I've endured so far, it will fly by and be over before I know it.

After all, it's only for 10 weeks =S