Siobhan Pollard, 14 May, 2024
Find out what to expect, ways to prepare, and how to make the most of nursing placements with current student Siobhan Pollard.
QUT nursing students are scheduled for 840 hours of clinical practice and complete the minimum of 800 hours required for registration. Current student, Siobhan Pollard shares her advice for surviving and thriving on placement.
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What placements have you done so far in your nursing degree?
Throughout my degree so far, I have completed three placements, totalling 360 hours of practical placement. These placements included an aged care facility, a med/surg ward at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) and a specialist ward at the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH).
How do you feel before going on placement?
Before my first placement (and honestly before every placement) I was really nervous. I had no idea what to expect and what I had signed myself up for. Not only is every ward and hospital/facility slightly different, but you are making an impact on someone’s life, and that initial pressure is a little daunting.
From all my experiences, however, all the staff have been super lovely and understanding that we are nervous. We also get an entire day dedicated to learning about the expectations of placement before we jump into the wards and our facilitators are always just a phone call away if we are ever in need.
How do you prepare for placement?
The best things that have helped me before going on a placement was knowing what kind of patients I was going to be working with. In each ward, patients are going to have different needs and requirements, so prioritising studying those specific medications and specific supports that are most commonly used on that ward is always helpful. A lot of the time you will get resources to help you with that knowledge prior anyway, but sometimes it's better to just chat to students who have been on that placement previously, or a ward similar to the ward you will be going on.
QUT has such a big nursing community and help is never too far away, you just have to look for it.
What’s your top tip for nursing placement?
I think the best advice I ever got from someone before placement was “Don’t stress about the things you don’t know” and “Always be willing to learn something new”. We are students after all and we are on placement to learn and fill in the gaps in our knowledge. I wouldn’t know half of the things I know now if I didn’t get the learning opportunities that I have during placement.
What are practical placements like?
My first placement at an aged care facility was my very first exposure to the practical world of nursing. I was able to learn basic skills such as manual handling (using hoists/shower trolleys/commodes etc.), observations (blood pressure/oxygen saturation/heart rate/respiratory rate/temperature), Comprehensive Clinical Assessments and, of course, hand washing.
Throughout my three weeks (120hrs) at this facility, I also had the amazing opportunity to spend time with my patients and understand the lives they have lived and get to know their needs so I could support them more effectively.
My hospital placements were very different, however because I had so much exposure to the basics in my first placement, I was able to manage much more effectively. In the hospital, I was able to shadow a few registered nurses throughout their day. I assisted with med rounds, documentation, removals of sutures, staples and Nasogastric Tubes (NGTs) among lots of other things - all under the supervision of my buddy nurse of course. I was also able to watch certain procedures such as a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) line removal, and learn about some rare diseases from patients that were admitted into the wards.
How do you balance placement with uni studies?
Honestly, managing your workload while on placement can be tough. I always make sure that I am on top of my assessment prior to placement so I can focus on my placement experiences.
I also have an equity plan in the event I need an extension, but sometimes it comes down to communicating with the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) team and changing the dates of your placement so that the semester can feel more manageable.
How do you manage the cost of placement?
With costs, there are a few things you always have to keep in mind: Bills and Rent/Mortgage, Travel expenses and Food expenses. I personally spend the time outside of Uni and placements either working or budgeting to make sure I can afford these costs and I can focus all my time on placement, but you can also look into Equity Scholarships if that is not realistic for you.
I try my best to minimise my spending on things like food so I either cook at home or get the $3 meals from Aldi. You can also look into the QUT Food Bank if you need certain non-perishable items. The cost of placement is definitely the hardest part about placement, but most students are in the same boat and a lot of the time work around helping each other get through to the end.
QUT students can access student support services and there are scholarships available to help with the cost of placement.
What has been the best part of practical placement?
I think my favourite part of placement is being able to apply what I have learnt in the classroom on real people. It doesn’t really settle in how much you are helping people in nursing even as a student until you are in the wards and talking to your patients about their needs and concerns, and physically helping them through what can sometimes feel like the hardest time of their lives.
I remember on the last day of one of my placements I was helping a patient I’d known for a couple of days with their hygiene because my buddy nurse was falling behind, and this patient told me “I’ve been here a while and I’ve had good nurses and bad nurses… but you girls, you students are just incredible”. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.
Additional resources
If you need assistance supporting yourself on practical placement there's a range of scholarships, bursaries, and other supports available. QUT encourages students to apply for all scholarships for which they may be eligible.
