Clinical Placements - Nursing (1 Viewer)

[White Rabbit]

I've got a question.

As much as I love living Bathurst, and the Uni and Lectures here, I've come to the realisation it's rather expensive. I can't find a job, because it's Bathurst and centrelink only goes so far.

So, my question is - at CSU we get to organise half our clinical placments (A few in 2nd year and all of 3rd year), which is great for me because I want some pracs in the Central West, but also want to do a few at Dubbo Base (where I want to work once I graduate and do my midwifery course), one or two in Sydney, a town on the other side of Dubbo (Warren) and for my elective course I want to go to Fitzroy Crossing for a Remote Area prac (which one of my lectures has already said she could give me contacts for). What other Uni's offer me this flexibility? I know Wollongong doesn't, and Newcastle apparently won't give me much credit because of the differences in the course. Does UWS, UTS, ACU etc offer me this flexibility?

Cheers.

 

[moose87]

at une we get to place preferences for all our placements - i jus finished one in narromine which was great...
we get two choices in what they call the tamworkth area (warren, dubbo, bathurst, orange, narromine, gill, wello etc etc), and two choices in the armidale area (armidale, coffs, grafton, bello etc etc) - so b4 placements we get a list and select four - and ive only heard of one case when ppl got places that werent in their top four pix...its a good system cos we can plan accomdtn for the worst case of getting our forth preference...
they are pretty good if someone gets a place they dont want - like if they dont even know where it is...if there isnt accomodation they co-ord will organise for another placement....hope that helped...

when is your next prac??

 

[happy cup]

I think UTS doesn't offer much flexibility. The placements are decided upon geographical location and what's the most convinient for everyone in terms of transport. They don't let you choose where you want to go nor to they let you choose preferences. It's ok I guess if you're not looking to go anywhere specific like me but if you are then it wont give you many options and you have to go to clinical once a week . This is for first year though, I'm not sure about the other years.

 

[White Rabbit]

I just think it's a complete joke that rural NSW has such a massive shortage of nurses and Sydney unis refuse to offer rural health or pracs outside Sydney..

Moose - yours sounds awesome! I want to start at Dubbo and then move out throughout the old Macquarrie Region anyway (so Gill, Warren, Narromine and Coona - just love the region)

How long was you prac at Narromine? You from out there originally? what did they let you do?

My first prac is in a few weeks because the stuffed up my crim clearance. Was suppose to go to Orange Base in May, but now it's Nepean late July. Still, after second year I'll be out at Dubbs -- I've realised Sydney Unis don'y give a shit about rural health so I'm sticking with CSU

...It's not the Uni's, it's the Government and their lack of support. They'll offer thousands of dollars to doctors to go and practice in rural areas for 6 years, but ignore nurses who actually want to work in the bush for their entire careers. Joke I tell you!

What do you want to do once you graduate?

 

[moose87]

I just think it's a complete joke that rural NSW has such a massive shortage of nurses and Sydney unis refuse to offer rural health or pracs outside Sydney..

Moose - yours sounds awesome! I want to start at Dubbo and then move out throughout the old Macquarrie Region anyway (so Gill, Warren, Narromine and Coona - just love the region)

How long was you prac at Narromine? You from out there originally? what did they let you do?

My first prac is in a few weeks because the stuffed up my crim clearance. Was suppose to go to Orange Base in May, but now it's Nepean late July. Still, after second year I'll be out at Dubbs -- I've realised Sydney Unis don'y give a shit about rural health so I'm sticking with CSU

...It's not the Uni's, it's the Government and their lack of support. They'll offer thousands of dollars to doctors to go and practice in rural areas for 6 years, but ignore nurses who actually want to work in the bush for their entire careers. Joke I tell you!

What do you want to do once you graduate?

wats more of a joke is the fact that as nursing students - we are expected to move to area's to attend prac therefore leave our jobs (i dont have one in armidale but i do in dubs) work as slave labor for 3 - 4 weeks and in third year, most of the year is prac except for 2 five week blocks...
Narromine didnt charge for the nurses accom - not that i used it cos im from dubs so it was easier to jus drive the 20 mins home after an arvo shift cos i wouldnt b asleep any earlier in an unfamilar place...but the fact is that it costs alot to drive to placements, to then buy uniforms, eat, pay accom...where as in sum area's doctors are paid when on their pracs!!!! seriously...its a joke...

our prac was 3 weeks and it flew by!! it was awesum...im from dubs as i said but they (the RN's and EN's) were fantastic...they were wat made prac so good...
we did the basics...made beds, showered patients, observed the med rounds which was good cos i learnt heaps aobut why ppl were on certain drugs and their effects in real life...um...their AnE department is busier than i thought...we had everything from stabbing patient to lil kids wiht asthma and patients geting skin cancers removed and boils lanced...the doctors out there were fantastic...one encouraged us to put on gloves and assist him with cutting stiches and blotting the blood away and even sqeezing the puss sacs to clear up the lanced boils...we did UA's and observed the dialysis unit (2 patients - ted is a champ if u ever meet him)...admin of patients - their care plans, reg obs...prep of a lady who passed away (on my last day too...which was sad cos she was my patient from day one), BGL's...thats bout it really...

going to rural hospitals is far better than city ones...our preceptor told us that she would rather us help prep the deceased lady with a team who cared how we were able to deal with it rather than go to a city hospital and be left to deal on our own...so that was good...

id love to get into a city hospital and do a postgrad year in neonat or paeds...then move back around home and be a neonat/paeds spec in AnE...but i have to admit - i would love to move to syd (it would drive me crazy) and work in a busy AnE dept jus for the experience....but ill end up back around home i would say...

i hope ur prac goes well...enjoy it!!

 

[White Rabbit]

Have to say I'd love the rush of AnE in a busy setting - part of the reason I'd like Dubbo - get alot of trauma patients thru RFD. AnE + Trauma would be awesome!

I agree 100% in regards to the doctors! They cover HECS and pay them thousands in order to work for a few years in a rural area while nurses are left out inbthe col! Theres just as much a need for nurses as doctors in rural areas. Although, the NSW Nurses College offers scholarships for students doing pracs in isolated areas...not entirley sure how it works, but it's worth a look! With our placements, Orange Base has free accommodation, while Bathurst doesn't - which isn't great if you're not living off campus in Bathurst as half of the on campus kids are 30-weekers and have to vacate their rooms over the hols - when many of our pracs are held. Nepean has limited accom I need to pay for, so I'm gonna travel 90 minutes every day.. thats gonna be fun

I think I'm moving to Brisbane anyway - jobs are just as easy to find as in Sydney, but people are nicer. And come back to Dubbo after I graduate and work a few years

Thanks! Only a few weeks away, I'm all psyched for it!