 So my name is Claire Carmichael and this is my vlog all about what I wish I knew before starting nursing slash university. I did put some posts on my social media because I wanted more of the people's opinions rather than just my own for this one. So I'm going to go through the good, the bad and the ugly. So let's start off with the ugly finances. Everybody pretty much struggles throughout this degree with their finances unless you have been seconded where you get a full pay unless you're military or AF anyone like that where they also get a full pay if you are funding this yourself. It is a bit of a struggle, especially when you've got a house, when you've got bills, when you've if you've got children, childcare and if you haven't got much of a support network around you or even if you're living at home with parents it's probably just as bad because they take into account that you're living with your parents you get less funding so that's going to be a struggle for you and it's really really really hard when all of your friends that aren't doing a degree they're working full-time they're going on holidays all the time they're going out all the time they can afford all these luxuries and you're just like oh I'm so broke I'm living on beans on toast and pot noodles and pasta and rice dishes but to be honest before I started I knew it was going to be a struggle and looking at the student loan and the bursary that I got I knew that I was going to have to work to get money and live so I was kind of a little bit clued up on my budgeting and I did do mine quite smart so advice to you is just budget know what you've got coming in and know what you've got going out make a list make a spreadsheet if you have to just make something so that you know exactly what's going in and what's going out and look at that put it on the wall put it anywhere that you can see how much you've got to spend every single month that's just going to help you and just budget and it is three years you've just got a budget for three years and I say just three years but it goes so so fast honestly it's going to be so worth it in the end just budget save do this you've got this come on always seek support advice help when you're down when you're struggling with work when you're even if you think you're on the right lines double check it please this is one thing that I actually wish I did in first year because the whole of first year I spent completely searching databases completely wrong and I didn't know it and I wasn't finding anything and there was a tear in my hair out but I didn't do anything about it I didn't ask for help from the library I just assumed that there was nothing out there for what I was looking for and I could have saved myself half the time so I went to the library in second year because it was really tearing my hair out because a topic that I was looking for I knew there'd be research out there but it's coming up with no results and I was like that's impossible there can't be no results for this so I went to the library and she opened a whole new world to me and I was like wow first year it was such a struggle when I should have just come to you in the first place so please get support from your personal development departments from the library from your personal tutor if you are having a mental health crisis if you're feeling really down anything like that please speak to university seek support seek help don't be too proud to do that because so many of you are going through this at the same time and they're going through all of the emotions and things like that together you're not alone in this so please get the help support don't give up you've got this now this one I put on my social media and someone commented with this emotional response and I was like yes yes do you know what I did not expect before university that this was going to be such an emotional roller coaster one minute you're up next minute you're down one minute you're happy and ecstatic and loving life next minute you're crying because one of your patients has took a turn for the worst and you're really feeling bored them and you go home crying and thinking about it oh do you know what this is emotional get ready get your tissues ready get your smiles ready because your face is going to ache from laughing and smiling as well as the tears rolling down your face your body is going to ache physically you're going to be mentally drained but nine times out of ten this is amazing this is the best course it's the best journey and all of the good completely outweighs the bad there's only been a few times where I've been stressed down demotivated crying and the good positive happy times have definitely outweighed any negativity so please just be prepared for the emotional aspect of this be prepared that you are going to cry you're going to have breakdowns but it's okay you just recharge re-energize that's it move along carry on life is good I'm going to say just for me personally but the facts I wish that I could go back in time just say to myself you can do this because I had so much doubt at the start before starting university those first mums were hell I had so much doubt myself I didn't think I was going to get through three years I thought it was going to be too hard do you know what it's not it's it's not as bad as you think yes there will be times where you're revising and nothing's sinking in and you're thinking I'm going to fail this or maybe you don't pass something first time it's okay but do you know what you will do it you will smash it as well as that nursing isn't for everybody and that's okay too if you go into this and you think do you know what actually nursing isn't for me make sure firstly you try everything you can to stay do everything you can to clear that doubt keep moving get over first year make sure that the decision that you're making right now about leaving nursing is the right one before ever quitting okay please get help get support speak to your friends speak to your family about it speak to colleagues about it don't just quit at the first hurdle please that I'm absolutely begging you don't quit at the first hurdle because it does get better it does get amazing and you will fall in love with it hopefully but if it's not for you it's not for you nursing isn't for everyone not every single person can be a nurse out there that's okay if you find that that's fine find something that you do love because life's too short to not be doing something you absolutely love we spend 24 seven at work our colleagues become our family they are our friends you're going to be spending all that time with them and to do something you hate that's not okay and so find something you do love if that's not for you and that's fine someone else mentioned the math side of it because they have this calculator I can't say these words and they really struggled with maths which is a really good point because for me maths is easy I've been fine with my maths I've smashed it but for other people that's not the same I don't think that there's enough information out there for the maths before you start university but there are things like the GCSE bite size websites there's the RCN there's the NMC that do all the drug calculations and there's practice tests and stuff online to do you can have a go at those and read around it but there's I don't think there's enough information maybe about the different types of exams the wording and all of that jazz if that makes sense but with my university Birmingham City they do prepare you so we have tutorials we have one-to-ones if we want them we can book in for that we have workshops we have a lot of online practice tests as well that we can do so there is that little bit more support for us at Birmingham City I think I'm not too sure what other universities do but I just know that my university are quite good like that but if you are struggling with your maths please speak up tell somebody get help get support and just make sure that you've got all of the support in place that you need something else someone mentioned was how much the registered nurses out on placement really need your support and help out there because they're rushed off the feet it's short staffed and you will sometimes be thrown completely in at the deep end and they'll just be like can you do this can you do that can you do that and you're completely on your own not completely on your own they'll be watching you from afar but just to be mindful that you might get a situation where you are just thrown in and just be like okay do this do this do this and you have to go out and do it you're completely autonomous and you are making those decisions so if there's ever a time that a registered nurse or doctor or healthcare assistant for a bottomist any of the multidisciplinary team are asking you to do something and you're not trained you're not competent you're not comfortable please say no because it's better that you are safe you practice safely for the benefit of the patient and maintain patient safety then put yourself at risk and completely erase your pin before you've even got it so just practice safely but if you are trained and you're comfortable to do that then please just go out there and do it help the team out because it's about teamwork show your autonomy show that you're going to be an amazing nurse show that you can muck in and you're going to learn so so much by just doing that by getting stuck in doing the nitty gritty and just learning on the job but just a word of warning it is can be very stressful out there on placement you're going to see people tearing their hair out you're going to see people really struggling because of the staff shortages and you're going to be like oh god is this for me please don't let that affect you it's just a really bad day and it does get better and if you don't like a particular ward a particular team a particular registered nurse as your mentor that's okay you don't have to work there at the end of the day get your placement done and move on but at the same time if you're having problems and real issues with anything report it to your placement practice manager if you feel comfortable report it to your mentor the ward manager your university anybody that you can don't just leave things and just think you know what i just want to pass and get on with it because that next student that's coming on it's going to have the same and it's going to be this knock-up on effect and these sort of cultures will never change if nothing's said or done about it so please do speak up if you're having serious issues bullying anything like that please speak up because it does happen i've heard it happen and it's not okay and we need to be reporting it but on a positive note i've had amazing placements i've never had a problem i've been really fortunate with everything i've got stuck in and i've loved it so please don't worry so for me i worked all of the time before starting university because i really needed the money and i thought if i get every shift in possible before starting i'll be great because i'll be good for money when i start this course so that's what i did so i had a good amount of savings ready for when i started but at the same time i wish i knew before starting university it would take away all of my life i threw all of myself into nursing into this degree i am a hundred to one non-stop in the fast lane i do everything possible i do all these extracurricular activities i am non-stop i keep one day free to myself every week and i try to keep that free lately i've been keeping two days three i've been keeping my weekends completely free i'll do like a little bit of work if i need to but then i'll completely keep the rest of the day free but i wish i took some time out before starting university and that's what i really wish that i did just to relax keep calm recharge get ready for how intense this course is and can be and i wish i did that before instead of concentrating so much on work i didn't see friends i didn't see family and if just my advice to you is take some time out before starting maybe a week before starting take that time out see your friends see your family because once you start this degree you are going to be so focused on passing the degree working and just social life get to step back i'm really sorry to tell you that but it happens but it's all going to be worth it at the end this is going to be amazing this is going to be the best journey it's going to be just so so worth it when you finish with your pin in your blues being a registered nurse i wish i knew just how incredible and amazing this journey was actually going to be so that i could completely remove all of my fears that i had at the start but actually i don't know i don't know if i'd want to know because it's been a really good surprise um it's been absolutely amazing and for me this has just been the most incredible journey i have grown i've developed i've gained my confidence my self-esteem it's just been incredible and a really happy unexpected journey that's it's been amazing and just on a final final final note i wish i knew that nursing would actually change me and this is something that i've said before in vlogs but this is something that somebody told me before starting university and i didn't believe it they said nursing will change you and i was like what how can nursing change you what and i didn't believe it completely and i wish i did believe it because you need to believe it nursing will change you you're going to start off as really unconfident you're going to doubt yourself it's going to happen it happens to us all and even now in third year you still have those wobbled moments but not as much but over time over first year second year third year you're going to be a different person you're going to be so confident in what you're doing you're going to be just i can't even explain it you are just a different person i am no longer just a shell of myself existing i have purpose in my life now and my life has meaning i'm helping people i'm saving lives i'm caring for those that need it most and it's just amazing and it's just giving me this newfound confidence in my abilities and i just love life i absolutely love life right now so yeah nursing will change you change you for the better