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Student Nurse Blog Year 3 - Week 25

February 19th 2007

19/02/2007

Well everyone this morning was our first morning back at uni for the new semester.This morning we were given an overview of the degree option to the course. If you do the degree option you do an extra module which is an independant study module. This comprises of doing a student driven three thousand word (or equivalent - i.e. presentation, video, educational booklet, etc.) on any relevant subject you choose. However, the NHS has now closed all funding loop holes, so if you do the degree option you are no longer entitled to the NHS non-means tested bursary, as you become a UMS degree student. Instead you have to apply for an NHS means-tested bursary. I think that put a lot of people off!

Anyone not doing the degree level was free to leave after the overview, unless they were unsure and wanted to discuss it further. I think seven people stayed behind. I cannot do the degree level. I have already looked into this. If you attend university and get a degree you are not entitled to any funding (in the form of student loans and grants) for a second degree. This would mean that I would not be entitled to any funding for my three year degree at Salford University. So I am going to continue my training at diploma level and apply for funding for when I go to Salford University in September this year.

Tomorrow is the launch of the next module - ethics, legal and professional issues.

I will blog to you all later. Matt

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20/02/2007

Well today was the launch of our module on ethics, the law and professional issues. We covered the definition of ethics, morals and the law and looked at the differences between ethics and the law. We then went on to look at a brief overview of the law, its history and the various types of law, such as common law, civil law, etc.. The session took the whole day but was very interesting. I have covered various aspects in the past around employment law and health and safety law from my various management work, however, there was still a lot I learnt from the session.

At lunchtime we got our assignments back from last semester. It was the PBL assignment, which made up 60% of our total marks for the PBL module. I got a B for my PBL module and an A- for my assignment, which was pretty good.

Last night and the limited spare time I had today was spent on arranging the information display stands and other things for the Prostate Cancer awareness week 19th - 25th March 2007. Yesterday I was given permission to put up a display stand at the front of the hospital library in Worcester. I was also given permission to put a money collection pot at the main reception of the education centre at the Worcester hospital. Today I sent an email to the student union vice chair asking permission to put up a display stand and various posters around the students union. I was shocked when he replied and said no, because he felt prostate cancer only affected men over 50 yrs!!! I have emailed back asking him to reconsider and explaining the impact it can have on the lives of friends and family members of those diagnosed with prostate cancer and the importance of raising awareness of this disease. The University marketing department couldn’t help with a stand at the main reception area, but the press officer said he would put out a press release on the university website if I gave him the information. Marketing suggested that I try the catering department and I did. They gave me permission to put a stand in the university’s main eating area.

I work part time at a pub and the area manager has given me permission to put out Prostate cancer awareness week beer mats in the pub for the whole of that week. I am just waiting to find out about putting a money collection pot in the pub. I am also waiting to hear back if I can put an information stand up in the main foyer reception area of the Worcester hospital.

However, so far it seems to be going pretty well, especially as I only started organising things yesterday!

Tomorrow we are off for a study day. I have a meeting at 230pm with the Sexual Health Promotion Nurse regarding frameworks for sexual health promotion services in GP Practices and other primary care settings.

I will blog again near the end of the week. Matt

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23/02/2007

Well, the last few days have been great. I’ve always believed that things happen for a reason, and have always had proof of this in my own life. Things started on Wednesday. In the morning I spent my time checking emails and reading up on the Primary Care Service Framework for the Management of Sexual Health. I then went to see a colleague of mine who is a pharmacist and owns two pharmacies. He is very much into health promotion. I told him about my involvement in the Prostate Cancer Awareness Week and asked if I could drop off some leaflets and posters to him to display in both his pharmacies. Ofcourse he agreed. After that I visited the university quickly to get my young person’s (for mature university students) rail card renewal application form stamped and signed. Whilst at the Uni I checked my emails again and had an email from the Urology Nurse Specialist (I had worked with during my one week urology rotation as part of my seven week palliative care/cancer care pathway specialist placement). She emailed me to explain that her and her urology Nurse specialist colleague had already arranged a information display stand in the main hospital foyer reception area for the prostate cancer awareness week. So I emailed her back and said I would pop to the hospital later to see her about the awareness week. I then went over to the University Health centre to speak with the nurse. I explained to her about the Prostate Cancer awareness week and asked if I could display some posters and leaflets around the health centre, she agreed.

From the university I went into the City. Whilst waiting for the bus I received a phone call from the prostate cancer charity regarding one of the additional orders I had placed for educational material and my involvement in the awareness week. After the discussion they seemed very pleased with my efforts in organising so many information display stands and other methods of raising awareness. Once I got the bus back into the City I popped into three pubs to ask permission to put out some prostate cancer awareness week beer mats. All the pubs I approached agreed, which is great! From there I went to meet with a Sexual Health Promotion Nurse Specialist where we discussed sexual health promotion strategies, PCT and GP practice funding and other important issues that would be relevant to my future involvement in providing health promotion services. I was also directed to the Sexual Health Education Unit manager who could give me more of an insight into the mechanisms of Primary Care funding. I certainly got to clarify a few things on health commissioning and purchasing and realised that the practice isn’t the same as the theory – due to budgetary constraints! We were also able to discuss other areas around general practice and health promotion along with some of the national strategies and government policies and documents on sexual health promotion. It was certainly worth while.

That meeting started at half two and I left around 345pm. From there I went to catch a bus and went up to the main royal hospital. I went to see the Urologist nurse specialist, but both of them were busy with an outpatients’ clinic, so I decided to go to the hospital library to look up the strategies and policies that were discussed during the meeting with the sexual health nurses. The whole day was very valuable with regard to my health promotion work.

Today was back at university for the launch of the management module. It was a very interesting morning and afternoon where we discussed an overview of management and a selection of management and leadership styles. In the afternoon we did group work and within our groups individually selected different leaders we were familiar with and listed the qualities they had that made them leaders and identified their management and leadership styles. This was then fed back to the whole group.

We finished around 245pm. The free hospital transport from the uni wasn’t until 4pm, so I decided to go on the Internet whilst waiting. I suddenly had an urge to look at student accommodation in Salford and was glad I did. During my first visit to Salford I had registered with a local estate agent there. However, I didn’t expect to look for accommodation until June this year. However, after looking at one website I completed an application form for a brochure and viewing – this particular agent wasn’t my first choice as it was flat shares, which isn’t what I want with student accommodation this time round. The second website displayed a selection of more affordable accommodation, which also had a selection of one bed flats, and apartments. The website seemed out of date as it stated that they were now taking applications for July 2006. I phoned them and had a chat. They explained that they provided the same system as my current housing association, which means I am able to rent and occupy the property all year round for a three year period. Then it hit me. They explained that if I wanted to view some of their properties I would have to do it soon, as the properties are going very quickly and they only have a few one bed flats and apartments left. I didn’t realise they had started leasing them so soon. When I viewed the current property I am leasing the first viewing wasn’t until March and I didn’t put a retainer on it until late April. Anyway, I am now going to travel up to Salford Monday morning. I won’t get there until 1240pm. I am due to meet with the student housing agents at 2pm. Salford train station is in the middle of Salford University and the housing agents are opposite one of the campus sites adjacent to the station. So I should have time to have some lunch before starting my flat hunting.

On a positive note I have around £650 saved up to use towards securing a property. From what I am aware this student accommodation agency require five weeks rent in advance plus a small deposit (I think). This will be easily affordable with the £650 budget I’ve got. That will mean that I just need to save up at least another £400 to pay for the removal van one way when I actually move up to Salford in early August. The next thing I need to concentrate on is applying for my funding for the degree course, but I don’t think I can do that until later next month.

I’ll blog to you all again next week. Hope you have a great weekend. Matt

Student Nurse Blog Year 3 - Week 25

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