Leaving Work

I left work the other day and started my new agency job. My last couple days at work were pretty chill.

We all brought in a lot of munchies and Sharon who used to be a professional chef made a lovely cheesecake.

It was a Sunday and all the work was done so I decided to prank my co-workers by printing out a zillion pictures of unicorns to post in their pigeon holes.

I rode the ross return (a mobility aid) like a scooter for a victory lap.

And we all had a nice meal out and went for drinks afterwards.

And I got some lovely chocolates and a gift voucher from my co-workers so that was a nice surprise.  It’s sad to leave my co-workers and my nice hospital but hopefully in three months I will able to do agency shifts there, in the mean time I’ve been travelling every weekend to work in Ipswich which so far I’ve found very nice and friendly although they work quite differently. I’ve also been doing a few shifts in nursing homes which has been very relaxing in comparison to ward shifts. Just under two weeks until Kimberly comes back to the UK for a short stay and I’ll have some time off.

Endings and Beginnings

Kim and I are settling nicely into Yarmouth. It’s so nice being near the beach and out of the busy city. And there’s so many shops about I think I’m actually closer to everything than I was when I lived in Norwich city.

Kimberly’s been unpacking and Barclay’s enjoying a new den.

And I’m all finished at UEA now which to be honest I’m really glad about. I didn’t enjoy being a student, I much prefer working and I start my new job soon. I went to the sewing room to get all measured up for my new uniform today – what a treat, sewing rooms are from the days of nurses in hats and capes and are few and far between. At my last job you just got asked what size you were, got given a size that was as near to as possible and you had to get on with it! I got chivvied along by a seamstress to behind a curtain where she judged which dress fitted me and my “bosoms” (her word, not mine!) best, she turned it up for me, offered to fit me a popper to the top and even got me a nice belt – lush! In the mean time I’m off work until the weekend (gotta fit that last bank shift in as I’m destitute!) and then it’s induction week.

Not long now…

So Your Relative Is In Hospital…

I’ve spent the last few weeks working extra as it’s Easter holidays from uni, Over the last 3 years I’ve been in and out of various hospitals and healthcare settings for work and for my degree and I’ve been thinking lately about visitors, namely relatives visiting. I was thinking back to when I visited my Granddad in hospital and my Great Auntie Ruby and how I wasn’t really sure what to bring them in as a gift or if they needed stuff from home…

If only I had known! But now I do so I made you a list so you can be a good visitor.

• Slippers. Think about a hospital… think about the floors… think about all those things that get on the floor… yeah. Do you want to tread barefoot across that? Didn’t think so. And our cleaners are good, but you’d have to get that floor cleaned every half hour for me to go barefoot. Bring your relatives in their slippers, preferably slippers with backs to them so they don’t fall over.

• Razors. For the guys and the gals. You know what sucks? NHS razors. Seriously they are awful. What also sucks is getting admitted the one day you didn’t shave your legs. You know it makes sense. In fact just toiletries in general are great.

• An activity. I’ve seen puzzles, books, crosswords, magazines, colouring, paint by numbers, newspapers, knitting, portable radios, MP3s, tablets. You guys, hospital is boring for patients. Really really boring. And the TV is so expensive.

• Their own clothes/PJs. There is nothing that makes you feel like a sick person like wearing the one size fits all (ps, it doesn’t) NHS pyjamas. It is so nice for patients to wear their own things when possible, it’s comfier and more individual.  Even just a dressing gown can do the trick.

• Perfume/aftershave. You know what brightens people up when they’re ill? Smelling awesome.  Unless they have a respiratory condition… in which case don’t do that.

• Their own pillows. Patients love having a pillow in their own comfy pillow case that isn’t wrapped in wipe-able plastic. Seriously they do, the plastic ones rustle.

• Tasty things. Squash, their own coffee, tasty munchies to tempt them. We can even put their stuff in the fridge, it’s fine, bring them in.

• Photos, drawings, cards. We can find places to put these and they brighten up the place. Photos are especially handy for confused patients I think.

But saying all that…here’s some stuff not to bring:

• Towels and wash cloths. Q. Who want’s a damp towel drying off by their bed all day? A. No one. We have towels. Seriously, loads.

•  Flowers. A lot of wards don’t allow them and also there’s not a lot of room on people’s tables usually. Fake flowers however, great idea.

• Valuable stuff. Expensive jewellery, large amounts of cash etc. Once I found over £500 of cash in a patient’s bag. It’d been on the floor whilst they slept, went off the ward for scans and all sorts! In fact just take that stuff home please. Also sharp things like pocket knives… if you wouldn’t take it on a plane don’t bring it in.

Spread the word – here endeth todays lesson.

Working Working Always Working

I am on the last 3 weeks of my module 5 placement and as my University has changed their policy from allowing 8 sick days over 3 years to 0 sick days there have been extra shifts to do, as I also have to work at my paid employment as an HCA I have been extremely busy and tired although my lovely mentor I have for this placement has been keeping my spirits up.

I feel as though I haven’t had five minutes to myself and as Kimberly also works a lot it’s been difficult to match up schedules. But I did get to go and see Testament of Youth this week at the cinema which was such a good film and a true story. The trailer is here.

I went to Cinema City in Norwich which is in lovely listed building that’s been tastefully modernised, the tickets were cheaper, the food more interesting, the seats were plushy and comfortable and not only that but I met an old school friend working there part time whilst he works on his own films. I really do recommend going to Cinema City, the website is here, you can take wine into the cinema and I didn’t see one screaming child the entire time… I didn’t see any children actually. There was a nice looking restaurant there too which I’d like to try out in the future. Anyway must dash, off to work… again!

Catch Up

Well chums, I’ve been having a pleasant week (last week that was, this one’s just began). Got another assignment back, my essay, which I’ve passed so I’m really pleased about that, also passed my placement with a high mark so phew – just the portfolio to tweak.

Spring has finally sprung and I enjoyed a doggy viewing, Henry and his lovely lady have just got a new addition to the family (what a cutie!!) so me and my friend, also called Hayley, went round for a doggy viewing/pizza eating/kerplunk and cleudo playing night which was very fun.

Have been working 24 hours a week along side my studies this module as the timetable allows me to fit this in and had a really great shift Saturday and then Sunday the boyfriend and I took a trip to a car boot that I had never been to before we went grocery shopping. Well it was packed!! It was a little bit like a strange museum of the 80s and 90s, well worth a look round. The only things I bought though was a springy butterfly to go in the garden for the cat to play with, and food…. also for the cat. He is a spoilt little boy.

Then after that I went to M&S for a new top and met my lovely chum Kiran for coffee and a chat. The boyfriend ordered me a book (all those who know him will gasp as he is not a reader!) as a surprise but when it got delivered I realised it was to make fun of me! But I shall most definitely be reading it and the joke will be on you all when you see my kick ass shelter building, fire starting and zombie maiming… ok maybe not the last one.

Busy Bee

Well, I have been busy these past few weeks. I’m still on placement which is going well (mostly!) that’s 30 hours a week. I’m also doing class or independent learning each week, that’s 7.5 hours a week. I’m working at my HCA job, that’s 12 hours a week. Travel to placement and back on the bus twice a week is 6 hours a week. So that’s 55 hours a week busy. Then on top of that I’ve got 3 big assignments:

 – a 3,000 word communication essay

– a portfolio of my first module’s work

– assessment of practice booklet, review and 3,000 word written evidence

Phew – I need a holiday!

Skullduggery

Question – how do you finish your poster assignment for school when you don’t have Microsoft PowerPoint and you have booked yourself into a couple shifts at work?

Answer – use the library computers at work before your shift!

Question – how did that work out?

Answer – not so good, the damn computer crashed just before it was time for me to start my shift and I had to stay an hour after work!!!

On the bizarre side of life I left the library and noticed in amongst the computers and medical books there was a skull?!

Sir Thomas Browne’s skull to be exact, apparently a notable doctor from Norwich. It was removed from his grave when his coffin was accidentally damaged by workmen, the skull was removed, sold to a surgeon (err?) who in turn left the skull to the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital on his death (as you do) and there it has stayed.

Til You Drop

I had a little mini shop yesterday before getting my hair cut. First to the Disney store…

I’m fed up of the boyfriend stealing my tinker-bell and pink ice cream beaker cups so I decided to buy some his and hers beaker cups so we could be matchy-matchy

Then next to Accessorize to spend my vouchers I got from work…

I got a new handbag and a wallet

In other news, pussy cat has made a new enemy… ginger cat

My First Night Shift

I had my first night shift last night as an HCA… I wasn’t really sure how to prepare but I decided I’d stay up late (OK maybe it wasn’t that late, maybe it was 1am!) and then sleep late as I had no classes at university until 2pm only that part didn’t go quite to plan as I woke up at 7am when the boyfriend got up to go to work so so far, not so good. I did get an hours nap though.

The ward was clearly winding down for the day and the hospital got less and less busy and I got an hours break about 2am. Some people try to sleep in this but I decided this would be a very bad plan in case I went to sleep and then couldn’t get myself going again.

So instead I went down to the canteen, it was completely empty!

I felt tired about 5am, even the muddled patients had drifted off to sleep by then so there wasn’t lots to do but as it got closer to home time I got a second win and felt more alert. By the time I got on the bus to go home I didn’t really fancy sleeping (although I thought I’d better) and I saw the boyfriend in his car pass me on the bus as he left for work and I was just getting home! I had a very nice sleep when I got home interrupted only at 1pm by the postman bringing me some books I ordered from Amazon so I tore down the stairs and answered in my PJs. Poor man haha.

Leaving Work AKA Sugar Shenanigans

I left work today, sad times. 

 

 

My desk at work is all packed up and tidy and restocked for the next person to use it. It’s never normally this neat… ok it’s quite neat… I’m a bit obsessed with stationery.

 

 

I was lucky enough to have two leaving lunches and my lovely boss came to our department lunch at the Wig & Pen even though she’s on maternity leave at the moment and she brought her super gorgeous baby (who was so cuddly and well behaved that I just wanted to keep her). Totally gutted to leave my awesome boss. My second leaving lunch was with a bunch of girls from the office at the very unhealthy but tasty Zaks next door our work which was fun and really tasty. These are my cards – 

 

 

Then I had to turn in my florescent fire marshal arm band (woe is me) and clip board. Tidy up all the loose ends of on going work, hand in my laptop and IT equipment, desk key, door pass, delete all my emails and then… nothing! Rachel brought in birthday pick’n’mix so lots of sugar was consumed throughout the day which made us all a bit hyper. I got a gift voucher which will come in handy to buy a new handbag and/or purse – 

 

 

And I got loads of capri suns (I love capri suns and so does pussy cat)

 

 

And earrings, necessary snack yorkie and helpful medicine and pepper pig thermometer haha. 

 

 

I always think it’s so sad to leave the people you’ve worked with and gotten to know every day; even though I’m looking forward to my degree and there’s always Facebook it’s not quite the same. There was lots of goodbye hugs 😦