Page 46 - QARANC Vol 15 No 2 2017

44 QARANC THE GAZETTE
encouraged move towards forming collaborative research would invigorate and develop potential roles for clinical academics and generally for nurses and healthcare assistants wishing to explore the research sphere. The implementation of research training in the official training requirement would additionally benefit the development of opportunity. These are something that the research culture survey and consequently the Defence Nursing research strategy can address.
If you are interested in looking at any of the presentations you can access them from the forum on the Defence Gateway by simply typing ADMN into the search bar. You will then be redirected to a folder where you will find all the presentations from this forum. For more information and guidance on carrying out research, service evaluation and audit please look to DIN: 2013DIN05-035.
The next research forum will be held on 25 September 2017. Application is through the nursing Chain of Command. You are highly encouraged to attend, what should be another informative, relaxed and stimulating day. ADMN can be found on twitter as @Def_ADMN.
Lt Nicola Fisher DMG(N)
References
Lamb, D (2015). Nurturing a positive research culture: The Academic Department of Military Nursing perspective, Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps, 161: i6-i9i.
Lamb, D (2016) The Academic Department of Military Nursing Strategy 2016-2020. London: Ministry of Defence.
Primary Healthcare Placement
Back in 2007, I marched off the parade square at ATR Winchester hoping never to see it again. Ten years later and I’m walking back in, for my Military PHC placement, my third of six. I was about to embark on a very different thread of operation, clinically, than I had experienced in my last two placements. I felt out of my depth but excited for the challenge ahead.
I was kindly welcomed by an amazing team, both military as well as civilian. Harmony sang throughout the medical receptionist’s service, and from my first Impressions, I felt that my time here was going to be good. I met my mentor for the first time, and all the good things I had heard from previous students was presented in front of me. We got stuck in to creating a programme for the following 8 weeks of experiences and at times adventures.
It didn’t take long before I had found my feet and secured a firm understanding of the day-to-day life, issues and injuries that would be coming through the doors of the med centre. My first week was made up of crossing the Ts and dotting the Is concerning everything that a new recruit has to go through in their first week at the med centre. One of the first lessons here was the power of wearing the nursing uniform. I’m not talking in some crazed power hungry fashion, but in the trust that a patient puts in you. It is something that in previous placements I had been aware of, but in the Army, with the added fact of rank, it adds a new element to the equation.
The day-to-day life at the med centre was delightful; there were times that it was “Q”, but with the need to revise for my upcoming exam I kept busy. In between the MRS activity and my exciting experience days the placement was really engaging. Some of the places I got to visit were our neighbours in Worthy Down, as well as up the road at Aldershot and Pirbright. Every experience helped mould my knowledge further to hopefully make me that ‘Good Nurse’ I aspire to become.
Life needs a balance, and too much work and no play is never a good idea. My time at Winchester ensured that there was play time. We had a couple of activities for the team to get together outside of the MRS. We had a very fun and adrenalin-filled morning on the high ropes, as a team building and goodbye event for the SMO, Lt Col Khan. High ropes have never been my cup of tea, but
when faced with the admin staff, I quickly covered up my fears and cracked on.
At one point I was actually thinking I no longer had a fear of height, until I looked down! The event was capped off with a beach themed lunch, turning the ward in to a fun- filled tropical paradise.
The end of placement was spent at the local hospital having a very eye-opening experience with the opportunity to attend two post-mortems. I have spent many hours in anatomy lectures over the first half of the course and had been somewhat puzzled as to how it all fits in. This opportunity was really interesting and absolutely cleared up the confusion.
My time at ATR Winchester has both been enjoyable and educational. Like all my previous placements, it has helped to cement my decision to transfer from The Band of the Household Cavalry as the right thing to do. I still wake up every day excited for the day ahead, and enthusiastic about what lessons in nursing the day will bring. As to whether primary healthcare is for me, I wouldn’t say it isn’t for me, but as yet, I am still to discover an area of nursing that fully draws me in.
LCpl Evans