 Hi everyone, welcome back to another vlog. I hope you're all okay, staying safe, staying well in the COVID-19 crisis. I'm trying to keep positive which is why I'm still smiling because if I don't I'm going to cry. This week is week two of lockdown so last week we started to put in more extreme sort of measures and the distancing and staff rooms and things like that. So this week we have been clearing the rooms, we have been clearing anything that is not wipeable, anything that need to be there, getting the rooms ready so that when we start having COVID positive patients or people that are suspected and things like that, we need to be able to manage the whole room. Every single surface needs to be deep cleaned after every single patient and all of that. So we've been removing leaflets, we've been removing paper from the walls, we've been removing things like fans because we can't use fans in a situation like this. Weighing scales because weighing someone is the least of our worries right now. We're waiting for more PPE to be delivered so we've got enough. We've been really really fortunate that a school locally donated some science goggles to us so we've got some eye protection, we've got the masks, we've got the gloves, we've got aprons and we are just waiting for more PPE basically. It is on order, it is on its way but yeah there is numbers and email addresses and stuff like that to order your PPE out there from the government so have a look if you need to. But I really really feel like our surgery has done amazing, like we have done everything we possibly can. The management, the CCGs, I said this in my last video have been fantastic with everything. I really feel like we're on the ball with it, we're really well prepared and we're doing everything we can to manage the situation and at the minute we are very very quiet but I think it is the calm before the storm that's how it feels. It feels like we're preparing and that's what we've been told as well from the head above you know the nurses have to be well rested right now so in between our patients we've got big gaps to make sure that we're doing everything properly, make sure that we're preparing the clinics for the worst case possible situation. We're waiting for a lot of things to happen right now so what have I been doing in the meantime? So I've been having like three patients a day and I've got big blocks in between but this is not to be mistaken for I'm not busy not doing stuff and I'm not going to be doing stuff in the future because I am. We are going to be seeing the COVID positive patients, we're going to be seeing suspected, we're going to be seeing dealing the symptoms, anybody that can't get physically into the hospital, anyone that's been going to the hospital or anyone that's sort of got COVID symptoms that aren't being managed in the hospital, they have to be managed at home, they have to be managed out there in the community so we are going to be very very busy because there's going to be a lot a lot of cases in the community that can't physically get to hospital, there's going to be end-of-life patients but they're preparing for the absolute worst because they have to and they're going to have to make tough decisions and I shared a post on my Facebook, I think it was last week, not Facebook, Instagram actually I did share it on Facebook as well I think Twitter and Instagram about the ethics around this because I was the first thing I thought when I heard that the decision is going to be made that they're not going to treat everybody that they're just going to treat the people with a chance of survival, I thought where's the ethics in that that's really really harsh because me as a person I want to treat everybody that's bloody awful and I can't even imagine it don't I'm going to get emotional um so I wanted to look into the ethics about it and that's where our role as a GP nurse as community nurses is going to fall we're going to be managing the symptoms of those people at home and it's going to be it's not going to be nice I know it's not going to be nice but you know what I've always said in previous vlogs when I've had my community placements whenever we've been on a reward and I've had to deal with palliative patients and end-of-life patients I feel like that's an honor I feel like it's such an honor because that's the last piece of care you're giving to someone whilst they're alive or at the end of their life or after they've passed when you're doing the last offices I feel like it's such a privilege and honor to do that for someone and I always give my best and that's the way I've always thought of end-of-life and that's the way I will be thinking of this God sorry guys I'm a mess but it's awful it's awful that it's come to that that it's going to come to that that people are going to die and we're not going to be able to stop it and people are dying I mean look at the stats already there's so many people that have died but when this peak hits that they keep talking about that's all I keep thinking about and it's times like this that COVID compassion is needed and that's what I'm calling this my friend Kenny who's on Twitter if you don't know him on Twitter go and follow him he's amazing um he kicks off the early risers club for us and he does a lot on safeguarding there's a safeguarding app and all of that and it's just safeguarding app have a look at it need it want it do it um but yeah he said to me on because I was feeling actually I didn't say this to them but I was feeling a bit low about things I was thinking I was feeling like because I only have three patients a day at the minute I don't feel like I'm doing enough I don't feel like I could I could feel like that I'm doing more for people and I'm not doing that at the minute and that's how I've been feeling this past week but he said something on that video call that we had we had an early risers club video call and he said you know what you've got the COVID compassion and that's what's really really needed right now it's not all about nursing clinical skills and ventilation and all of that it's about compassion because people are going to be anxious they're going to be terrified and you have that compassion that you can bring to patients and I just thought it was so lovely and I'm trying to get the hashtag going now COVID compassion so come on when you hashtag things hashtag COVID compassion because I just thought it was just so lovely and nice and I thought you know what he's right and actually the next day when I went into work I started phoning patients no one's told me to do that I've just done that because I think you know what I need to start ringing patients I need to start saying to patients are you okay do you need any support at home things like that I mean I had a lady who hadn't had her hair done in two weeks and I just said to her do you know what there's a lot worse things right now in the world than this little thing but I know how awful it must feel not to have your hair washed like those little things are going to get you down and so I offered her a little solution she did have a family member that could go out and get her shopping and things like that for her so I said try some dry shampoo I said I've tried you know there's days where I haven't washed my hair I've got some dry shampoo I give it a spray and my hair looks amazing and bright as new I said so get whoever can go out for you to get you some dry shampoo and give it a go and see if that works and she was actually really chuffed with that this yes and she was like oh that's a really good idea yes I'm gonna try that and she was actually really happy with that so I helped her in that sort of way and that was actually really really nice to do that and I think though these hours that I'm using at the minute are being used wisely and with the COVID compassion I'm also doing a lot of e-learning so as you know if you've been on my Instagram and Twitter I've been sharing my e-learning stuff that I'm doing because I want to be prepared for the absolute worst as well we sort of haven't been giving any training or anything to do yet so I've took this off my own back and thought you know what do I need to know that I don't know I don't know anything about ventilating a patient not that I'll have to actually ventilate a patient because I'm not trained to do that but if the time came to a point where I might have to manage a patient like that or manage the symptoms and things like that I haven't got a clue I know about oxygen I know about because we do obviously the life support at university on the wards have been shown oxygen different masks and things like that so I'm aware of those things but I'm not aware of actual managing proper ventilation in a patient and the machines and things I've got no clue I've also if you go on sorry e-learning for healthcare if you've got an NHS email address you can log in and sign up to all this e-learning sorry I can't speak it's amazing the e-learning online is fantastic I'll put the link below so have a look try and register if you can and yeah so my other e-learning was all about COVID management in end alive and palliative patients because I might potentially be doing that so I looked up that I did e-learning about that about managing symptoms managing fevers and the coughs and sputum and pain all these sort of things that I sort of kind of ruffling you because we sort of do those sort of things with the end alive and palliative patients anyway in the community when I did my community management placement I sort of knew a bit about it but it was really really useful it was so good to know and I've wrote it all down so that if the time comes at least I've got a bit more of guidance there as well I mean we're not going to be alone in this I'm like the way I'm doing this I'm thinking I'm going it's just going to be me I'm going to be on my own I'm going to have all these patients to deal with on my own and make decisions but actually we're in a team I've got so many amazing nurses around me and doctors around me none of us are alone in this we're all in this together we keep saying this we keep hearing this on social media have you finished I wish I videoed that that was hilarious he was there like I was like have you finished you went I just stared at me he's still glaring at me my advice is to everybody else out there make the most of this time if you are a student nurse you're in self isolation maybe if you've been if you've opted out and you're deferring things and things like that firstly massive well done to you for making that decision I think it's a brave amazing decision and if people are putting you down and making you feel guilty for it don't listen to that negativity it's not needed and I think you're amazing for making that decision and you absolutely have to make that decision for you for your family and what's best for all of you not just what's the best for a patients or the NHS but you have to decide this for you and yourself and I said this last week and I'm going to say it again this week we need nurses at the end of this we need nurses for the future so please think of it as that way and don't feel bad and don't make any don't let anyone make you feel bad for that so yes and if you choose to opt in amazing well done thank you for joining in and helping the COVID crisis and all of that jazz but please also get support make sure you're safe use all of the proper PPE do not go into anything that you're not sure of it's all about competency at the end of the day and you're well well well within your rights to do that and keep yourself safe because it's not going to be any good to a patient if you're taken out of it so protect yourself as well as the patients guys come on anyway that was a bit of a rant I'm sorry didn't mean to do that but yes so if you're self isolating if you've chosen to opt out if you're at home you've got kids around and you're really struggling with things to do you don't know what to do you don't know where to start maybe your assignments have been put on hold exams have been put on hold whatever um take this time as an opportunity like see this as a whole different situation visualize what you need in your life so think about okay what do I struggle with what am i not good at what am i what are my weaknesses and improve like you've got all this time at home like send your kids if you have a garden um send your kids or to the bedrooms or something like send them on a treasure hunt or something so that you can take the time out to do your work like get them occupied and just take the time to build on those weaknesses to practice practice practice at home or even get them involved like if you've got a blood pressure that you really don't like doing manual blood pressures or you're not familiar with it or you're not good at it practice on your family like turn them all into patients practice like what a perfect time to do this guys just use your time to do this do e-learning like said e-learning for healthcare is amazing it's where I do all mine look at your modules online on your university websites have a look at assignment briefs and stuff like that because even though things have been put on hold you can still do stuff you can still refresh your brain you can still do anatomy and physiology at home you could even like set yourself up like I know as this is a ridiculous idea for some people like some people are going to think shut up there but do you know what make a little tutorial session for your family like pretend you are the lecturer and you're going to teach your family a and p so pick um a cardiovascular system for example pick a system of the body sit there revise it learn it and then teach it to the rest and you know what that's really really going to help you remember as well for your exams and for the future I'm hopeful when you're actually dealing with patients and things like that and that's the way I learned as well so I would always sit down I do all my revision but then I would speak out to someone and I teach somebody else and that's the way I've always learned things and it just it really really does help so set up your little thing and it doesn't matter if you get it wrong it's only your family they don't know that you've got it wrong although to prevent that from happening because we don't want you to make mistakes maybe give them your flashcards and your information so that they can sort of test you along the way as well that'd be really really good actually and do little things like that like anything that's going to help you and build you like now is the time to grow like this is a perfect opportunity you've got nothing to do you can't go out you can't go to the restaurants you can't go shopping you can't go to buy a new pair of shoes you could probably do it on amazon but use this time like you've got so many hours in a day now to grow to build to get all those weaknesses overcome them and build them into strengths and you're going to be an amazing nurse at the end of it like teach yourself at home guys do some homeschooling for yourself it's going to be amazing like in my head it's amazing but I know that this is what I do because I didn't really get much I got some things but in my first year especially of nursing I didn't understand anything they were talking at me at lectures about A and P and I was just like how do you know this how do you know this I haven't got a clue like what what is the skin okay wasn't that bad but you do know what I'm saying um so I literally homeschooled myself I went on Khan Academy which I rave about all the time I'm sorry you're probably sick of it I googled everything I literally anything I didn't understand I word defined on google yeah so I homeschooled myself pretty much for the first year I say homeschooled I didn't really homeschool myself I was still at uni listening to the lectures and making notes and things like that but I literally had to go home and do the work myself again at home um to help it sink in and help me remember and help me learn because I had no clue and it wasn't until second year I've said this before as well wasn't until second year when I think started to click in for me please don't feel like you don't know anything either but take this time as the opportunity to do this now is the perfect time guys or if you are that person that actually you are sick of nursing you've opted out you've decided staying at home is the best thing for you you don't even want to look at a Simon you've decided that's it for me then your skill like again you've got all these hours in the day to learn something new to homeschool yourself on something else like pick something that you're really interested in if you want to learn music if you want to play the guitar although if you haven't got a guitar that's going to be awkward maybe not that one um if you want to start singing I don't know if you want to start writing oh my god start writing you could write books you could write cartoons you could write children's books the world is literally your oyster in the palm of your hands you can learn everything on youtube now you can learn so much online open university for example have so many free courses do them this is amazing i've got to go to work like guys make the opportunity of this moment to be your best self to do what you've always wanted to do just do it anyway that's cheered me up so thanks guys i know you're not really there and you're not speaking back to me but i feel like you are so thanks you've cheered me up guys for having that little moment i had my little moment of crying and getting upset and now i'm back on the positivity come on we can do this guys and that's me i'm gonna shut up now i'm really really sorry i sort of vented and talked a lot that yeah anyway i'm gonna go see you later guys keep safe stay at home all that jazz i know you're sick of hearing it just yeah and if anyone's if anyone's suffering with their mental health with the struggling please seek help seek support inbox me my inbox is always open i nine times out of ten always reply almost instantly unless i'm busy and i'm at work or something like that but i will always look at my phone in my lunch breaks my it's coffee breaks when i get home before a start work i will always look at every single inbox because i'm obsessed with checking every single inbox and getting rid of notifications so i will have seen your notification i will have read your notification if i've ignored you send me another message because i've clearly read it and then gone off to do something and then forgot about it but please my inbox is always open if you're struggling get support get the help that you need because it's needed more than ever right now i just wanted to show you a really useful tip if you're trying to avoid any form of coronavirus covid 19 spamming your feeds up on twitter this is a really really useful tip that i used for love island which you'll see now um but if you go onto your twitter um go here into settings and privacy click that and then you want to go into content preferences click that and then you'll see blocks and muted you want to go don't look at my 68 blocks that's what happens when you be negative so um muted go to your muted and then it'll come up with muted accounts and muted words so you can mute people so they don't come up on your feed and you can mute words so if you look at my three muted words love island forever muted i never see any love islands come up on my feed anymore so if you are looking after your mental health you don't want to see all of the covid 19 stuff you don't want to see the hashtags all of that you can mute it however if you some people like i post things like positive messages but i also hashtag covid 19 into it sometimes because i know it's trending because that's the target audience that i want to see it those people that might be suffering so you you have to sort of balance it if that makes sense but if you want to mute covid 19 away from your live away from your twitter feed that's exactly how to do it or if you want to mute me for example do it that way go for it and i'm going to put some links below from the nhs about supporting your mental health as well at a time like this so stay safe guys