Opinion

Starting out Take up the challenge I AM BACK in Ireland after my seven-week voluntary experience in China, and the realisation that I am now a fully qualified nurse is only just hitting me. I am preparing to move to London to start working as a children’s nurse soon. This is something I am looking forward to but I am also apprehensive about it and unsure what to expect. I have experienced life as an intern nurse before, but I know that practising as a qualified nurse in the clinical environment will be challenging. Making the transition from nursing student to staff nurse in the clinical environment is bound to be stressful at times. Some of the challenges will be adapting to a new clinical environment and healthcare system, the increase in accountability and responsibility that I will have and the fear of failure and litigation. However, I do believe it is not the challenge that is significant but rather the manner in which you deal with and learn from it. It takes time and a multitude of experiences for nurses to learn, build on their knowledge and overcome challenges in their practice in an effective and professional way. Learning is a lifelong process. I am committed to lifelong learning, and I will make sure that I take up any educational opportunities that will be offered to me when I start my new job. This will enable me to update my clinical skills and expand on my roles and responsibilities as a qualified nurse. Consequently, I can meet the demands of an ever-evolving healthcare system without compromising the efficient delivery of healthcare services to my patients. I will never forget my nursing philosophy and the ethos on which I base my nursing actions. I think that, if I abide by this, I will always provide the best nursing care to my patients no matter what challenges I face in the future. Lisa Kirwan was at Trinity College Dublin doing a children’s and integrated nursing BSc and was a volunteer at the Butterfly Children’s Hospice, Changsha, China

14 April 2015 | Volume 27 | Number 3

Book reviews Safeguarding and Protecting Children, Young People & Families: A Guide for Nurses and Midwives Gill Watson and Sandra Rodwell Sage First edition 216pp | £23.99 ISBN: 9781446248904 SAFEGUARDING IS, by its very nature, a complicated and difficult subject. This book manages to deal with it in a relatively easy to understand format providing the reader with a comprehensive introduction to the topic. There is acknowledgement of the necessity of providing safeguarding across the age spectrum, while concentrating on the early years of a child’s life and looking at the possible long-term effects that problems can cause to later development if safeguarding problems are not handled in a timely manner. The book contains discussions and critical analyses of recently released policies, ensuring that it is as up to date as possible. While this book is especially pertinent to children’s nurses, midwives and health visitors, it should also be essential reading for nurses from other disciplines, as well as nursing and midwifery students and other professionals who come into contact with children and families. The text makes good use of case studies to help the reader relate the theory to practice. There are also suggested reflective activities which you, as the reader, are encouraged to take part in to help develop your confidence and knowledge around the area of safeguarding and to increase your confidence in dealing with any safeguarding matters you are likely to come across in your work. The authors also highlight the importance of early intervention. I thoroughly recommend this book. Sandra Slater-Booth, staff nurse, Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan

Children and Young People’s Nursing at a Glance Alan Glasper et al Wiley Blackwell First edition 304pp | £19.99 ISBN: 9781118516287

THIS TEXTBOOK, written by experienced practitioners and educators in the field of children’s and young people’s nursing, is part of a series aimed at healthcare students and newly qualified practitioners. The chapters are informative, and quick and easy to access, covering a wide range of topics. These topics range from assessing the child, working with families, the newborn infant, child development, child health policy, nursing sick children and young people and living with chronic and life-limiting conditions. The authors highlight best clinical practice because they are aiming to provide a guide that allows the readers to deliver a high standard of evidence-based nursing care. The textbook assists readers to build on their knowledge and expertise with accompanying resources accessible through a companion website. This book is reasonably priced considering the vast amount of information it covers and would be a good resource for practitioners at all levels. The few criticisms I have is that some chapters revert to US spellings. Also some of the parts of the book cover such a wide variety of topics that it seems disjointed. For example, part 1 looks at assessment, covering topics that range from nursing models/record keeping, and engaging with children and young people to understanding X-rays, blood gases and resuscitation. Debbie Killman, senior paediatric nurse, paediatric assessment unit, Children’s Services, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust NURSING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

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Starting out--Take up the challenge.

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