Respect...

*This is a blog I did about 3 weeks ago but due to laptop being broken never got it posted.*

It’s been a busy week here in the world of Shaniepoo

'Is there no standard anymore?
What it takes, who I am, where I've been
Belong
You can't be something you're not
Be yourself, by yourself'
                                              

                                                                                         (Pantera, 1992)

On Monday I got the opportunity to shadow one of our AP’s in A&E as part of my course.  I remember working with her when she was a CSW and seeing her now 4-5 years after qualifying was quite inspiring.  Her general knowledge of nursing is huge!  And her ability to adapt to the constant changes in A&E was something to be proud of.  My only criticism… The green uniform… God it’s awful! 
After being inspired by working with the A&E AP we talked about leadership at Uni and what attributes are needed to be a leader and who inspires you as a leader, quite a coinkidink.  We discussed the difference between a 'leader' and a 'manager'... Two very different roles, and if I'm honest i don't think i know anyone with a combination of the two.  We discussed what attributes were needed to be a leader and someone came out with the most random attribute of all... 'Fear'.  They tried to explain why it was an inspiring attribute 'If you are feared by people then you have their respect and they are inspired by you to do better or they might lose your job.'  I tried to re-word what he said by asking if they meant 'perfessional respect' not 'fear'?  'No, I mean fear.  If your scared you might lose your job of you do something wrong and the boss will come down on you like a tone of bricks then it inspires you to do better.  Same as bullying, if your bullied you start to do better so you won't get bullied anymore...'.  This broke down into a 2 sided argument that ended with a comment from me - 'So are you inspired by murderers? After all, you fear that they might kill you?  What about Hitler?  He put the fear of God into people and killed loads of people...'.  This didn't go down well.  If anyone does know the answer please send it to me on a self addressed postcard, top 5 answers will win a prize :)  I'd like to think I'm a leader and that people i work with look to me for guidance and support (i know everyone worships me already but this is about work).

On the work front i was taken to one side following something I'd done the week before... I put in a critical incident report about a pressure sore/wound i came across.  There was no documentation about where it came from (it just appeared from no where) and incorrect documentation about another persons wound.  I asked for advice from the nurse in charge and the nurse i was working with and both agreed that i should put a critical incident report in.  As it turns out i seam to have opened a can of worm.  I was taken to one side and told that in future I should consult the Sister on shift and not just go ahead and put in a clinical incident report.  As it turned out there was a wound care plan in place that I missed... It also turns out that the wound care plan as documented as being on the wrong location (left side and not right side).  I was told that I should still consult the Sister on shift.  I came away from work that day thinking that even though I'd
done the right thing I was being told off... a strange way of saying 'well done for bringing up failures within the workplace'.  This isn't the 1st and I'm sure it won't be the last can of worms I open ;)

Till next time peeps... :)

'Jump in the fire' - Here we go!

Well here I am... 33, bald and looking awesome! (This will become a repeating theme, you have been warned).  I’ve wanted to do a blog for ages but never got round to doing it or known what to say.  This blog has come around after a twit chat with WeNurse about nursing blogs that got me thinking, and after reading a few of the blogs that was linked I decided what the hell.

I want this blog to be about my last 6 months of my uni course and my progression through nursing... but real life will find its way on here and I’m sure there will be talks of judo, gaming and many other non-nursing things.  My aim is to do 1 nursing blog a week for the duration of the year.  Each entry I want to have a title that comes from a song or line from a book, kind of makes things a bit more fun - 'Jump in the fire' for example is a Metallica song.

Before I start it would be good to tell you about myself so that you know what you’re letting yourself into by reading my blogs and also so that some things you read will make a bit more sense-

Me

My nickname is Shaniepoo, This came about when I was 18(ish) when friends started calling me a 'cutiepoos' as it got on my nerves - 'Men are not cute! Only babes and girls are cute, not men!!!'.  This then moved on to become 'Shaniepoo' or just 'Poo'.  I’m a very self-obsessed person (or so my friends say, but what would they know) and love to tell people (and myself) how awesome I am and that everyone should bow down to my glory.  Some friends have even gone to the point of saying I’m a little narcissistic but it is all just a bit of fun on my behalf... people would be upset if I didn’t act in this way.  lol.  I can be very loud, opinionated and love to be the ctr of attention!  I love confrontation and a good argument... I mean debate... but if I’m wrong then I will hold my hands up and admit it (sometimes. lol).  After asking a few friends to describe me they came up with the following comments - 'Angry cue ball', ‘Enigma’ and 'God of awesome with rhythm in his thong clad loins'.  lol.  Some of my friends say I’m very angry, my best friend for one thinks I’m a 'very angry person', but that’s only because he knows that calling me angry winds me up and the more he does it... the angrier I will get.  I’m a bit like Bruce Banner - If you push me to far I will snap and get angry... And you won’t like me when I’m angry.  But if there is one thing that nursing has taught me it is to take a deep breath and count to 10.  People have an expectation of me - They expect me to be unpredictable, make them laugh (at my own expense normally), come out with comments of self-gratification (I am awesome so everyone needs reminding now and then), put my foot in my mouth, and be a general all round fun person to be around.  I’m a huge geek and love my old cartoons and toys - Heman, Thundercats, Transformers...! 

Work 

I worked as a chef for about 6 years in a pub and community ctr.  Had a great time and worked with some great (and not so great) people.  This helped me find my love for heavy metal music and increase my vulgar display of power (another song line - Pantera).  I moved on from there to become a clinical support worker at my local Trust hospital working on the surgical nursing bank.  Here is where I fell in love with nursing... but they still won’t let me wear the nurses dress uniform :(  I worked on a colorectal and urology ward for around 5 years before I managed to get on my trainee assistant practitioner course with my Trust.  From here I was moved wards (turns out that I caused to much trouble by pointing out the problems that needed fixing to the matron and head of the surgical department) and now work on orthopaedic trauma.  I qualify in 6 months and then I will be a fully blown assistant practitioner :)

Hobbies 

My main hobby if Judo.  I’m a 2nd Dan coach at Lancaster University and love to teach!  I got into this through my mum and dad who ran the local Judo club in Lancaster for over 20 years.  I don’t compete any more due to injury and the fact that I can't get enough training in due to real life things like work.  My other main hobby is gaming - Bloodbowl.  Yes, I play will little toy men.  I’m well known in the gaming seen for my ability to be crap at the game and to dance for people in a thong (it's a long story).  The last of these has become my legacy.

Right, I think I’ve gone on enough for now and my coffee cup is now dry.  I hope that (if) anyone reads my blog they find it fun and enlightening.  And with that I end my 1st blog.  That wasn’t so bad now was it?

Love you and leave you peeps.

Shaniepoo