 So if you don't know who I am, my name is Claire Carmichael and I'm a second year adult nursing student. And today I'm going to talk to you all about things that you should be doing before you start university and in the first couple of months of starting university. And I hope it helps somebody out there. Firstly, I just want to say that every university is different so I'm just going on my own experiences and what my university does. I'm at Birmingham City University. So these are just some little bits of disclaimers that I have to put out there that every university is different so check with your university if there's anything else that you need to do. So coming up to September you're about to start university and you're going to need your checklist so write these things down. Number one, have you done your DBS? Have you filled it out and have you sent it off? Number two, finance. Have you applied for your finance yet? You should have. Number three, have you had an occupational health appointment at the university? They should have emailed you or maybe even telephoned you, get you in for your occupational health and make sure that you're up to date with all your vaccines and everything because when you start nursing you need things like your hepatitis B, TB, things like that. So go in and get that done and don't worry about it, don't panic, just relax. Do you have your start date? And this sounds really simple but sometimes they, you know, there's a technology failure, something's happened, there's an error somewhere, this happened to me unfortunately and I didn't get my start date and I ended up missing my first week unfortunately but luckily it was sorted out and they're really good about it and yeah, so I just want to say if you haven't got your start date, ring them, email them, anything you can do to get your start date. Next thing, have you submitted all of your certificates and evidence that you need to say that you can do the degree, whatever the conditions were in your application form? Have a look. The last thing in this section is do you have everything you need? Have you got the right amount of pens, papers, different colours, your fob watches, calculators, all that's jazz? I did do a vlog on everything that you need for your first year for nursing so I'll put the links below and just go and check that out if you want. It's up to you. Let's start with the first day. So your first day is going to be really overwhelming, it's going to be really nerve-wrecking especially if you don't know anybody and you're going in just completely alone into this because that was me, I was that person and it is really scary that first day but you know what, you get over it and you start talking to people and everyone's in the same boat, you have to remember this, you're not going to be the only person there that's alone, there's going to be other people there that's alone. So if you used to be at the spot, somebody that's on their own, looking a bit gloom, looking nervous, come say hi, wave at them or something ridiculous, hey friends. Okay so your first week slash month can be overwhelming as a whole because you're going to get a lot of information thrown at you, you know your timetables, your placements, exam days, everything's going to be chucked at you in the first month. So please don't stress, just take some time to just absorb all the information, take some time to adjust to the university life because it's okay that you don't adjust. It took me a couple of months at least to adjust fully to university life and you need to just be comfortable and don't panic because if you don't know something there's always someone to ask or there's online resources to have a look at, one of your colleagues will know, someone will know. So just don't worry if it's a bit overwhelming, just set yourself in and yeah. So when you start you will be given a personal tutor, this is your first point of contact if you have any issues, any problems. A personal tutor is also the person that looks after you for the three years and they're going to be writing your reference at the end and it's just nice, it's nice to get to know your personal tutor I think. Yeah, so you will be given your personal tutor when you first start so make sure you send them an email, say hello, introduce yourselves and ask them what they want from you as well and what they expect and you can just go from there and make sure you tend your mandatory sessions so you'll have manual handling, basic life support, hospital life support, whichever one they call it. There'll be information governance, things like that, mandatory sessions but they'll tell you about this and they will warn you that them and the tree before you go out on your placement you have to have these sessions so make sure you know when they are and go to them. And then next make sure you download and print your timetable off, make sure you have a look at your dates, what's coming up next, what exams, what assignments, what when your placement is going to be and just prioritise everything in order, get put it on your calendar, print it, put it on your wall, make sure you know where you are, what time you're at places and just start to organise yourself because you're going to need that for the three years. Another very, might be a strange tip but read your emails, go on to your university emails, I do mine daily, actually probably twice a day I'm addicted to checking my emails but please go on to your emails daily because this is your point of call from the university so if they've got any important messages or anything that or that's how Birmingham City contact us we always get emails and updates and things. There might be a forum for you on the university website that you can go on, it just depends how your university works but just find out but just yeah check your emails and don't miss any important information that they might be sending you. Also I just want to say make the most of events, if you've got events and things going on at your university take some time out, go to the events, meet new people, mingle with the other cohorts, mingle with the other fields of nursing or different subjects completely just go and speak to those students and mingle and just make the most of your time there. It's going to be a really long three years if you don't make the most of it and if you're just you know dragging your feet and getting by and I don't want that for you please make the most of your university life. If there's an event about and you want to go to it go to it that's just one of my top tips I think. My next top tip is this is just a personal love of mine, it's not for everybody but I love Twitter and everyone I feel should be on Twitter but that's just my personal bubble and no that's not for everybody please don't shoot me down. Twitter is a swear word to some people so I'm very sorry about that but I personally love it and for your personal professional development it's really really good and you're going to come into networking with so many different people across the NHS it's fantastic it's really really good for your professional development I think. So two weeks before at least on your placement call them up call them up introduce yourself and out with your mentors get your shifts booked in so it's really good if you arrange a visit as well before you start because if you go onto the ward or community or whichever area you're going into it's really nice to go and speak to these people see these people before you start so you're in a more relaxed environment because you're not in your uniform and going if that makes sense so you get to speak to see everyone and just get a feel for everybody and that will just completely erase half the nurse that you're feeling right now about it. Also because your first year your first year first placement don't panic if you don't know anything people are going to ask you questions assuming that you're a second year student or third year student I had a couple of people thinking that I was a third year student I was like I'm the first year first placement and they expect you to know a lot and some people they just don't take into consideration okay you are a fresh new student and it's okay it's completely normal to not know anything so don't worry about that don't panic if you don't know anything just be honest about it just say listen I'm really sorry I don't know but can you just explain it or show me and they'll be fine about it. Also keep a little pocket notepad when you go out onto placements and a pen in your pocket because it's really good to write everything down I've got a little notebook book myself and I've literally just written little bits that I've learned along the way it's just full of knowledge and little tiny just it doesn't even make sense some of it but I understand it but if someone else was to read it they'd just be like so keep a notepad in your pocket and it's really good if your mentor tells you anything explains anything to you literally just jot it down and mentors will love that as well so that's a really good tip if you can grab hold of a bnf I've said this in a previous vlog if you can grab hold of a physical bnf get it take it home love it it's your bible if you can't get hold of one they are free from pharmacists if you go to any pharmacy and just say you're a student nurse have they got any old bnf's that you can have they will give you one for free because they literally they've got no use for them because they get one fresh every year so steal it but if you can't if you can't find a bnf anywhere don't worry because there's a bnf app the bnf apps really really good it's just the same as the book I just like having a physical book to look at but the bnf apps just as good and it's all the same information so it's easily just download do it because that's going to be your bible for the next three years you are going to use it it's going to be the most used thing you ever use out of every book anyone's ever told you you need a bnf whether it's the app or book but if you don't get it don't worry because the wards always have a bnf hanging about that you can look at on the ward obviously don't take that one because they need it but it's something that you can look at and also just be mindful if you've got the bnf app on your phone don't get that you can don't get your phone out on the wards because you're not allowed your phone on the wards or whichever area not just wards but community whatever just be really mindful of having your mobile phone and just keep it away keep it on silent turn it off don't touch it whilst you're working on your placement it's really not worth the hassle that it will cause but if you do really need to look up a drug and the only option you've got is to use your phone just go and find your mentor or whoever you're with at that time and just say listen i'm just going to look this up on my phone is that okay and just explain exactly what you're doing because you don't want people to get the wrong impression of you if that makes sense and last but not least i just want to say when you go onto the ward it is very busy you know you're going to be out there you're in the real world there are real patients that are really sick out there and your mentor is going to be so so busy so please i just want to say this now don't get disheartened if your mentor is rushed off her feet she hasn't got time for you if she's putting you with hca's to go around with please don't be offended that's a really good thing as well because hca's are amazing they're so knowledgeable they're really good to learn from so honestly embrace that if you you're put with the hca to go around with because they're fantastic so my main point is it is very busy so don't be disheartened i know some people have got disheartened before because their mentor didn't appear to have time for them but it is the real world they are understaffed and it is a struggle to fit those students in as well as dealing with their patients so don't worry if they can't sign your book on that day it can be done tomorrow so don't worry if they haven't got time for you but at the same time if you're not learning and because you are there to learn you're there to train if you feel like you're not learning and not getting the experiences you want maybe just ask somebody if your mentor's busy see if you've got a buddy mentor or another nurse and just say i'd really like to experience this do you mind if i come and watch you do this it's all about the way you approach a situation you know we're not there to kick off at people because it's not their fault it's a real life situation and they're there to do their job at the end of the day and a patient comes first before anybody before us so if there is something you particularly want to do you can ask please feel free to ask about pathways and things that you can go on as well any experience you can get involved in get involved in so that is it as my top tips and advice for placements and just remember as well not everyone has the same experience every student will experience something different depending on the area they're in depending on their own life circumstances so you have to make this your own this is your next three years of your life is you're going to be living and breathing nursing or even any course you're doing right now you're going to be living and breathing this course for the next three years people are going to become your family and it's just make the most of it enjoy it embrace it and love it and for now see you later