Nursing in UCC any1?

Jayeire

Just wondering if anyone here is thinking of doing nursing in UCC??

titan18

MY cousin did it and liked it a lot.She now works in the Bons.

A male friend of mine did it and hated it.He dropped out

Jayeire

I'm thinkin of doin it next yr, and I'm a guy....
I'm just not sure what to do..
I know if I do nursing that of course I'm going to be in the minority with the majority of the class being girls!

titan18

Jayeire wrote: »

I'm thinkin of doin it next yr, and I'm a guy....
I'm just not sure what to do..
I know if I do nursing that of course I'm going to be in the minority with the majority of the class being girls!

Well,my friend did it and he was one of 3 in the class and the other 2 were gay.My cousin also says that nurse students love to aprty and are very promiscuous.So,it doesnt sound that bad

Jayeire

Well I have been know to partake in da occassional par-tayy lol
hmmm ..
My sisters a qualified nurse, midwife and public health nurse and currently doing her masters in health and nursing management and she loves it
I guess I'll just have to think hard about it.

Jayeire

BUMP Anybody else?

Buttercup18

I'm just finished first year in lyit general nursing. Nursing is a really good course but there is alot of hours and hard work with it!!! But in fairness we do make up for it with the social side of things!! If you have any questions about the actual nursing course or placements feel free to ask away!!

daithi_student

Yes! another guy! Nursing in UCC is my 1st choice.

Jayeire

Hey Daithi, so are you still going ahead with nursing in UCC??

ELISHA82

Hi I've applied for the lyit for nursing this year as a mature student just wondering if any1 has any advice on how to best secure a place, I'm doing an access course for the lyit at the moment but this doesn't give me direct access to nursing but will help, I done a year long Pre-nursing course in 2001 and am going to do a first aid course in january, but I really want to get in is there anything else I could be doing or am I doing enought to get a good score, any advice would be great

ReacherCreature

Jayeire wrote: »

I'm thinkin of doin it next yr, and I'm a guy....
I'm just not sure what to do..
I know if I do nursing that of course I'm going to be in the minority with the majority of the class being girls!

Don't let a bunch of girls derail your college course!
I was in a class last year with a about 11 girls and I was one of two guys.(Twas French in UCC).
Despite the amount it was brilliant craic with them! Now I'm great friends with three of them and get on well with the others whenever I see them.

ELISHA82

Hi Buttercup

I've just got a place at the LYIT in gereral nursing for this september, I was just wondering can you give me any advice about the course and tell me what its like the work experience and all.

Thanks

Elisha x

Fad

ELISHA82 wrote: »

Hi Buttercup

I've just got a place at the LYIT in gereral nursing for this september, I was just wondering can you give me any advice about the course and tell me what its like the work experience and all.

Thanks

Elisha x

Doubt they'll be back, that was that user's sole post, and it was over a year ago.

ELISHA82

Thanks Fad

Thought it might be worth a try, are you a nursing student yourself?

Elisha x

snazzy

My best friend has this down as her first choice.

Buttercup18

Hi Elisa!! Am back!! Haven't been on this in ages! Yeah I can tell you everything you want to know I am now officially a third year:eek::eek: scary thought! The work load in first year is pretty hectic in your first semester you learn your basic nursing skills where you learn to start things like bedbathing, eye care, mouth care, wound care bedmaking lol things like that. You also have to do law, psychology, sociology, computers, introduction to nursing(nursing history), biology and learning to learn!! Then the second semester you have more advance nursing skills such as injections, catherisation, ng feeding, more law, psychology sociology biology, computers and instead introduction to nursing you do fundamentals of general nursing where you get to learn about florence nightingale lol. Also more learning to learn!!

Then placements you get your uniform at the start of october. I just checked my webct which is the nursing internal email of the college and yous are going out on your first placement on the 9th of November for five weeks!! For first year your placements will be usually in wards like medical, orthopaedic, gynae, or community. On placement for your first one you feel like a bit of a fish out of water but it doesnt take you long to get into the swing of each ward. Your hours are usually 8-5 for 3 days then a 12-9 one day but on some wards you have to do five days. You get so used to starting new wards that you dont get nervous after awhile! I've now worked in killybegs, gynae, coronary care, theatre, renal dialysis, oncology, st conals, the ambulance, occupational health, maternity and public health nursing! So you definetly get alot of mixed experience!

Feel free to ask away at questions am back on this now lol even if it takes me a day or two to answer!

ELISHA82

Hi Buttercup

Thanks a mill for your reply, its a bit scary and exciting hearing all what I'll be doing, kinda sh*tin mysel now, didn't know I could be in places like Killybegs and stuff but the boyfriend lives in Dungloe so maybe will get something sorted its just I have a young daughter but will work something out, I didn't expect to be starting my work experience so early neither I thought it was after xmas 4 some reason. how many placements do you do in each year?

I've done work experience before when I did a pre-nursing course in Nursing homes and places like that so I know that awkward feeing of being out of your comfort zone no doubt I'll be feeling a lot of that in the next 4 years, just so nervous and excited now. Told my bosses at my job today that I was leaving come september so no going back now! will need a good drink tonight to calm me down again! lol

So many question questions to ask ya! Is the work really really hard, have you ever felt like giving up, is it true wat they say that you have to give up spending time with your friends/family/boyfriend for 4 years? I hear so much negative stuff about the job whats all the good stuff about nursing? Do you have any advice of what to buy for 1st year, whats necessary and whats just nice to have?

Thanks you so much for your help, I really appreciate it.

Elisha x

Buttercup18

No problem I know what its like to be starting the whole thing its so scary, so I'm glad to help! But trust me it flys by!! Well if you explain your situation to Sandra the placements officer they generally will try and accomodate you by giving you placements near home in first year you might have one placement away or the two could be in the general. Yeah they generally throw you in the deep end pretty quickly!! I've attached this years flowchart so you'll know where you'll be for the year!! It really is a complete mix of ups and downs in this course and getting used to working in the general is definetly something that takes a bit of getting used to. Depending on the ward, the experience can be a brilliant one or a terrible one but you just have to bite your tougue and suck it up!! Haha I think you'll be taking quite a few drinks between now and then to settle your nerves lol.

The work is definetly tough I wont lie about that when your in college your being thrown so much information and assignment work it can be a little bit scary but just don't do what I usually do and leave it to the last minute. On placement you'll be suprised with how much responsibility your given from and early stage but just remember to say no if you are doing something out of your comfort zone. You'll be given injections, dressings, bedbathing, taking out stitches and stables and catherisations in first year. But remember to volunteer to do things as much as possible as some of your perceptors (two nurses in the ward assigned to be in charge of you) forget your there at times!! This will definetely be of help when you get to my stage where your expected to know how to do these things and so if you have them practised you'll be fine. I have thought about giving up plenty of times but its something everyone goes threw and you do get over it!

You do have to make sacrifices time wise with family and friends especially around the time were assignments are due or exams. A big negative is that the exams are on the first week of January so it means christmas/New Year studying :mad:.

There is positives you will meet and make the best friends you've ever had who are all going threw exactly the same thing as you. You also get to work with people when they are at their lowest point and for the most part they will be extremely thankful to you. Oh and of course the uniform lol.

You really just need refill pads, pens, a big folder because you will be getting alot of notes you know the binder type because the ones with pockets wouldn't be big enough. They advise you to get a baillere's nursing dictionary which you can get in easons. You'll also need to get a biology book but you won't need this for a few weeks and your biology teacher will tell you which one it is. She also tells you to get a lab coat for like 15 euro which you can buy in the students union. A memory stick is definetly needed but during freshers week if you look out the nursing union or siptu will be recruiting and they usually give ones with alot of memory for free!! Any other books they tell you to get really aren't needed as they can be borrowed from the library so there a bit of a waste of money!!

Feel free to ask away!! and relax!!

ELISHA82

Hi Snazzy



If your friend gets in tell her to message me, it'd be great to get to know someone before the course starts. Thanks!

Elisha

ELISHA82

Hey Buttercup

Thanks so much for all the help, your so good! :-) And the flow charts great, its good to know what I'l be doing and when, see the Revision Week in cluding C&R, whats C&R?. I'm a bit calmer now this week now I've had time to get used to the idea and I've told Everyone at work now that I'm leaving so thats a weight of my shoulders now I know theirs no going back! Plus Its great to have someone to talk to thats already going through it and knows what their talking about.

What are the hours when your in the college is it Mon-Fri, 9-5 kinda thing? I think I might be able to handle the college part, I'm usually good at organising things and getting the work done plus did an access course their this year so kinda gives me an idea of the workload, I hope anyway, its the placements that scares me the most, I hate that feeling of not knowing what to do and standing around like a spare part u no? I'm also petrified that I'l hurt someone or god forbid.. kill someone sum day! but I guess everyone has them kind of fears!

Are you a mature student or did you get in through your leaving cert?

Thanks again

Elisha x

Buttercup18

I think that should have been included in the mandatory training week and is CPR, that week you do manuel handling, cpr and cpi - crisis prevention and intervention which is how to depend yourself if you get attacked!!

The hours are monday to friday the earliest you start is 9 30 until 5 30 but on a friday you usually get away by 12 30 and some days you might not be in until 1 30 whereas on others you might be done by 1 30 it just depends entirely on your timetable.

When your on your placement and your standing around just go and talk to the patients as your not really expected to do/know anything in first year so they sort of see you talking to the patients as a plus.

I came in straight from the leaving but there is mature student in my class and they are all still there!! Also about getting to know people on your first day everyone is in exactly the same position and you will be there five minutes and you will be talking to people like you've known them years! I started knowing nobody so know what its like!

ELISHA82

Hi buttercup thanks for all the help you've been great, think I'm all out of questions for the moment, thank god says you! :-) You've really helped put my mind at ease now I have an idea of things to come, your a real star! x

Elisha

Buttercup18

Elisa no problem at all because I remember what it was like to be in your position. If you think of any questions in the mean time post it and I'll get back to you!! Good luck x

ELISHA82

Hey

Didn't take me long to think of another question sorry! :-) lol. was just wondering do you have to do alot of presentations in the nursing course where you have to stand up and talk about something for a period of time in front of the class, am kinda nervous about them kind of things but it won't put me off or anything would just be good to know!

And one other thing, I know that parking up at the LYIT is a nightmare, how do you get on with it? would you have to arrive early to get a space or is their anywhere near by that allows you to park I know a lot of the businesses will clamp you now if you park on their premises. any ideas? Maybe you don't even drive!

Thanks!

Elisha

Buttercup18

lol no worries!! Well about presentations in first year you have to do a group presentation with 3 of your classmates so you have to talk for about 2 minutes in front of the 3 disciplines. Also during some of your classes they get you to do groupwork and then choose a member of the group to stand up and present your work back. Then in second year you have to do a 10 minute presentation on your own usually about your placement experience and also they get you to give feedback. This is pretty similar in third year and then fourth year you have to give 3/4 presentations. But don't worry seriously once you have done one you'll be flying its just very nervy to start off!!

Parking wise it is a complete and total nightmare!! This year they have a new car park at the far side of the football pitch which might help a little bit but I doubt it as this year your not allowed to park on the ballyraine road either! So you really need to be at the college before 9 to get a spot which is a bit of a pain! Then while on placement you get a staff badge so you don't have to pay and you can park in the staff car park.

I have a feeling you'll have a few more questions between now and september lol but seriously don't be afraid to ask am more than willing to answer them for ya cause I know exactly how you feel!

ELISHA82

Thanks again buttercup x