Callum Ashton
2nd-year Adult Nursing Student on placement at Ashton View nursing home in Wigan
I had worked previously in both the NHS and social care and so I had a good insight into both before being allocated my 2nd year placement at Ashton View. I know some students have preconceived ideas about social care and for some reason they can be very negative without knowing the true facts as they haven’t experienced social care! I have spoken to some who believe that being so connected to the NHS would mean they get better support so discount social care right away. They don’t realise the opportunities on offer.
For me, the social care placement was a great confidence booster and I realise the importance of being part of a small and very supportive team to help me learn and develop. I learnt more about personal relationships and putting the resident at the heart of everything I do than I would ever have learnt on a ward in acute services. My communication skills improved, and I really began to understand the ethos of the fact that in social care
The care plans are very in-depth, and you must adapt yourself to fit in with the residents and not expect them to adapt to meet your needs. You begin to learn what they really want and what is important to them.
I also learnt so much about team work from working with multidisciplinary teams, nursing home nurses and care staff alike. It’s a myth that nurses just sit there doing medication
I was fully involved and encouraged to learn and develop. For example, I learnt so much from everyone about Parkinson’s disease and the impact of medication, pharmacology, wound care, dementia, oxygen care, skin care to name but a few.
I had a great PEF who would visit every week to support me in lots of other areas and to recognise and celebrate my own successes – She was marvellous! I was more than able to meet my competencies.
I think it’s important that this handbook could help prepare other students and go some way into influencing them to take note of what a social care placement could be like and how it could be a real positive, in fact a MUST to experience.