Page 39 - QARANC Vol 20 No 3 2023

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The Gazette QARANC Association 39
The issue is now, we might not be seeing lots of Covid but we are seeing more unwell patients because things have been forgotten about. People haven’t seen their GPs and especially older people who were scared, they didn’t want to go into the hospital. So I think we’re going to be mopping up, the consequences of that.
We’re also dealing with staff burnout. The NHS runs on goodwill, there’s always a gap in the rota and I think the goodwill is almost gone. People are tired, they can’t do it anymore. That’s what having a massive effect on staffing and there’s no bed space either. So social care is having an impact on what we can do in hospital, because there’s nowhere to
Qdischarge patients to.
Hannah: You’re also an Army Reservist, can you
explain what that means? And why you decided Ato do it.
Nicola: I’d always been interested in joining the
army, but I didn’t want to do it until I was qualified in something. I didn’t want to be pushed by the army into a job that wasn’t for me. When I was in the Officer Training Corps at uni, I thought about joining as an officer until I discovered that you have to be qualified for two years as a nurse before you can join as an officer. So, I thought I’d give the soldiering side of it ago. So I did my basic training in December 2020, which was cold, I won’t lie, but overall not as grueling as some people made it out to be. If you like outdoors and you’re into fitness, you learn quickly, you actually will do quite well. I joined the 256 Field Hospital in a nursing role. I think it gives us more opportunity to train even before I joined a major trauma centre. It also gives you experience of how you treat things in a slightly more austere environment, so you’ll learn how to do more skills.
The NHS is very stretched for getting opportunities to do courses is limited outside the Army.
On the other side of it, I’m also on the army judo team. In June, I’m going to represent the Army Services Judo Championships. Army versus Navy and RAF, which is a big opportunity. Before I’ve got another camp which I’ll get the opportunity to coach on as well.
QHannah: The two trusts I’ve worked at, they’ve never seen (Army Reserves) as a hindrance, only a benefit. I still get people coming up, saying
‘what do you do when you’re with them’ it’s always Apositive.
Nicola: I am always encouraging people, if
you’re curious go to recruitment open day. At St Mary’s we’ve got an RAF doctor, at least two three army doctors. It’s a little bit exciting, because it means you’re more supported. So, our nursing competencies that we need to get signed off, having that little bit of extra support with people who know is useful. It also means you’ve got something else other than just your normal job to talk about.
QHannah: My friends at work joke that I get paid to run around in a field. I’m Alike ‘Yeah, I do.’
Nicola: The incentive is the other
things you get, like the training courses you get paid to go on, and the
when patients come into A&E this could be the worst day in their life. For you it’s a routine day but for them it’s the worst day
other experience. When you’ve got like Joe Bloggs and Jane Bloggs both applying for a job, but one’s an army reservist and actually can talk about all these other things they’ve done, these different leadership skills they’ve developed, it does make the difference. You’re taking your free time to go do something different. And that just shows I think that shows what type of person you are.
Q
Nicola: I can’t see myself doing bedside nursing
for my entire career with the best will in the
Hannah: So what are your plans for the future?
What do you see yourself doing in 5-10 or 30
years time?
world. We do things like pushing trolleys, squeezing between gaps, and try not to trip over lines, we hit our heads on monitors! I would love to do helicopter and Qemergency medical services would be like the dream.
Hannah: My final question for you is, what
of their life ANicola: There’s so many different things I
so far. You have to be emotionally intelligent to help them
couldn’t sum it up in a word. I think ‘competence and caring,’ emotional intelligence as well, is really key. Someone said to me, when patients come into A&E this could be the worst day in their life. For you it’s a routine day but for them it’s the worst day of their life so far. You have to be emotionally intelligent to help them.
My tip for anyone in nursing is to have your nursing friends, but also people in your life who do something different. Because unless you’ve got other things in
common with that other nurse you will just talk about nursing. Having someone that doesn’t do the job can be quite
helpful.
makes a nurse?