The final count down has begun

Only packing the essentials 

Summer is here, FINALLY! This year at uni has been really chuffing difficult to put it politely. The step up in work and responsibility from first year has been greater than we could have anticipated, but good job I have a fantastic group of nursing buddies to work through everything with (and my amazing non-nursing friends of course). But we’ve all survived and I’m now half way to becoming a nurse.

With my final exam completed and being safely back home, my attention can now turn to getting stuff ready for Shetland. In-between stressing about what I can and can’t take on a plane, my bag is pretty much packed, my tickets are printed and I’ve been in contact with my mentor for the placement. I honestly can’t believe how quickly this has all come around, from the initial emails to having everything just waiting to go. I’m super excited for the trip and the unique learning opportunity it will give me, however the nerves are really starting to kick in. As most of you know I can talk for England and am the neediest person ever. I have no idea whether there’ll be anyone else in my accommodation block, and spending 3 weeks without seeing any of my friends or family is going to be pretty difficult. I therefore apologise to anyone who has to put up with hour long phone calls and endless chains of messages from me. But I do also hope this will teach me how to be a bit more comfortable just being in my own company, and I’m hoping I’ll make some new friends while I’m there. I’m also rather terrified of flying and the thought of having to navigate an airport by myself is nerve wracking, so lets all just hope I actually get on the right flight and end up where I’m meant to be in one piece.

Moving away from the negative side of things, I do also know I’m going to have an amazing time. I’m most excited for the photography opportunities, so I do also apologise for the spam of nature photos. My camera is my way of connecting with the world and it helps me to see the finer details in what’s around me and I’m just hoping a 32GB memory card will be big enough to capture the whole beauty of the islands in all their glory. Photography is my release, so despite the anxieties this trip brings, it will also give me the opportunity to unwind from the stresses and strains of the past few weeks and months. I’m also really looking forward to just getting to spend time in a clinical setting again as my last placement was many months ago, and nothing teaches you more about nursing than being with patients.

So, as the last few items are packed into my bags, it marks the beginning of a very exciting 3 weeks. I plan to write as often as I can, and as I said in my last entry I hope this blog will be a reflection not just of my trip but of what I learn that I can take into my practice as a nurse, as after all, that is the point of the adventure. My uniform will certainly be seeing some different sights to the ones they see where I’m training, but it will all be positive experiences that I can take back and learn from.

That’s all for now, and I shall hopefully be on the island the next time you hear from me, so wish me luck!