u/ethereal_egg

I'm a first year Dual Children's and Mental Health student nurse and am 5 weeks into my second 6-week placement (last day 19th June) with my third 7-week placement starting immediately after.

I have known for nearly six weeks now that my next placement is paediatric A&E - I've made contact with my allocated practice assessor and supervisor, and received the first four weeks of my rota. I've been so excited for this placement (especially since I've not been enjoying my current one in community mental health), and have been mentally preparing for weeks. Since getting my rota, I've had to cancel some things with friends and made alternative plans...

Then yesterday I just so happened to log into InPlace and saw that my A&E placement has changed to "to be confirmed"... no-one informed me. I've sent an email to the placement team asking for clarification with no response yet. I had a catch-up with my course director today and he said likely it's not going ahead "because first years don't typically do A&E" which I understand but why allocate me there in the first place and now leave me hanging with just over a week to go??

I'm so frustrated. I'm paying 9.5k a year to be messed around. I understand mistakes happen but the lack of communication is just so frustrating :( I'm neurodivergent with mental health issues and I have a WRAPP, with one of my reasonable adjustments being for me to receive my rota as early as possible, and I feel like this hasn't been taken into consideration :(

24F. First year dual children’s and mental health student nurse.

I absolutely loved my first placement on a children’s general inpatient ward back in February. It confirmed that nursing is what I’m meant to do. I got such amazing feedback too.

Now I’m on week five of my second placement, this time in community mental health. I absolutely hate it and am having issues with my Practice Assessor…

I understand admin, nursing notes, etc. are all a big part of community mental health nursing. But I do feel my Practice Assessor has been using me as a PA.

She expects me to write notes on her behalf during home visits, assessments and appointments, and then type them up for her. One time we were in a meeting with a patient, and my assessor tapped me on the arm and pointed to my notebook as if to say “write my notes”.

Today she gave me her written notes from meetings I didn’t even attend and told me to write them up for her. She gets me to make telephone calls and send emails on her behalf. She makes me go and collect stuff from the printer.

All of this while I could be going on home visits or attending appointments with other nurses, support workers, therapists, etc. I have taken initiative previously and worked with other members of staff, but my assessor gets irritated by me going off with others. She even told me I have to ask her for permission to work with other nurses?

A couple weeks ago, my practice assessor sat me down and told me I seem bored, disinterested and disengaged. I was so upset. Sure, I don’t seem interested all the time when I’m spending most of my time doing her admin work when there’s other things I could be doing.

My shift starts at 9am. I arrive early, usually before 8:30am so will usually go on my phone and laptop around this time. My Practice Assessor has a problem with this, asking me what I’m doing. She doesn’t seem to understand my shift starts at 9? I don’t get protected lunchtime either. I eat at the desk and she continues to tell me to do things.

I also struggle in the office environment and the Mon-Fri schedule due to my autism, so I can get overstimulated sometimes. I also struggle with my own mental health, and have been struggling to cope with some of the stuff I’ve been exposed to (to the point I spoke to the course director about dropping mental health and just doing children’s nursing). Both my PDTs are either on leave or off sick long-term so I feel like I have little support.

I’m taking tomorrow off. This placement has made my mental health deteriorate so much. I’ve gone in everyday but I need tomorrow off, even though I’m already 29 hours behind.

I’ve been taking 50mg Seroquel at night for basically 4 years now. I wanna quit cold turkey. How long will withdrawal last and what to expect?

FYI it was prescribed for BPD, intrusive thoughts. I’ve had enough of the sedation, the brain fog, the weight gain.

Disclaimer: I have no inside knowledge or connections but if you consider the following, you can understand that Reece will not be returning to DCC for a fourth year.

The Netflix novelty has worn off. The focus is being shifted/preparing to shift on other DCCs, like Faith, for when AS Season 3 comes out. This year Reece was not on tour and various other events (like Dua Lipa) as we move away from her being the “it girl”.

The girl is tired and seemingly just not enjoying it as much anymore, which is fair. Compare her performances from her rookie year to her most recent/towards the end of this season. Perhaps her injury also gave her some time for reflection, as well as took a toll.

Her husband’s toxicity and social media comments about Chandi etc. will have taken a toll on K&J and the team. Sure, it will have been dealt with but it would’ve left a mark.

Her socials are much less DCC focused nowadays. She appears to have been preparing/transitioning her socials for retirement/the next chapter of her life. ETA: when she does post about DCC nowadays, it honestly seems like it’s because it’s obligatory.

As much as she has that sweet girl persona, she’s got what she wants from DCC - a massive fan following, cool partnerships and brand deals, fulfilling a dream, etc. Reece doesn’t appear interested in leadership roles.

Taking all these things into consideration, I think it’s pretty evident that Reece will not be returning. I also think the wait for her to announce this is deliberate.

First year student nurse (dual children’s and mental health), started in Sept. I’m 24.

Had a lot of traumatic stuff happen, especially in the first trimester (including an unexpected and dramatic breakup with my closest friend who is also on the same course/in all the same classes as me, I was raped, I had to go to court and get a restraining order against someone in my family, my aunt got diagnosed with cancer, etc etc).

I get on with the two girls in my class who I share a flat with, but they hate each other and I don’t really relate to either of them. But I sit with one of them in classes because I have nowhere else to sit, and I struggle with her friends because they’re loud and don’t work hard and I’m neurodivergent and it affects me.

I’m 24 and too old to be worrying about stuff like this but I get so lonely and the social side of uni just wasn’t what I was hoping for. I want to start sitting with other people but there are established groups in my classes now and it’s quite cliquey.

I love when I’m on placement so I don’t have to deal with it