Opinion
Books
Student voice
It’s worth it I AM finally past the day I dreaded most throughout my training – my final exams. I have spent more than three and a half years attending lectures, reading books and articles, and learning endless amounts of information – all in preparation for the final exams and forthcoming nine-month internship. I must admit that the run up was not easy. I do not think that I have ever been as stressed, anxious and worried in my life. My biggest fear was that I did not know enough or that I had not studied hard enough. Not only did I have my final exams in children’s nursing, but also those in general nursing. I had twice the workload of my general nursing colleagues and I did not know how I was going to get through it. We were reassured by our lecturers that we would get through, because we are taking an integrated course, meaning that we can apply the principles of children’s nursing in our general nursing and vice versa. However, my final exams have proved just how difficult applying the principles in this way can be. The nursing care delivered to children and adults can be quite different, even for the same illness. I have found that general nursing exam questions can be answered broadly and generically, but this is rarely the case for children’s nursing because of the variety of factors that need to be taken into account, such as a child’s age, family-centred care and safety issues. Despite the differences, the exams went well and I am happy I chose general and children’s nursing as a combined course. The programme can be academically challenging because it involves studying two courses. However, I believe the stress, anxiety and worry is worth it in the end. Looking back, I have had double the workload of my general nursing colleagues but, by the end of the course, I will have twice the knowledge and it will have been worth it. Lisa Kirwan, is a third-year student in children’s and general nursing, Trinity College Dublin
14 March 2014 | Volume 26 | Number 2
Adopted Like Me Ann Angel Jessica Kingsley 48pp | £11.99 ISBN: 9781849059350
THIS BOOK IS so useful it made me wonder why it has not been written before. In my working life I have worked with adopted young people who would have benefited from the insight this volume offers. The format is simple, yet hard hitting. The author describes the life stories of 19 famous people who were adopted, including musician John Lennon, writer JRR Tolkien, film star Marilyn Monroe, philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, politician Nelson Mandela and athlete Fatima Whitbread. This is an uplifting collection of hope and inspiration for children and young people attempting to negotiate similar events in their lives. Each story is accompanied by illustrations that help make the text accessible to younger readers. This is a text that I will use again and again in my practice because its simplicity tackles a complex issue much better than I can. Dean-David Holyoake, senior lecturer and nurse consultant, University of Wolverhampton
Fundamentals of Infection Prevention and Control: Theory and Practice Debbie Weston Wiley-Blackwell 400pp | £24.99 ISBN: 9781118306659 BACTERIA BEWARE. Infection control and prevention is everyone’s business, and this text will be valuable to a range of clinical staff. It covers factual information about specific organisms and has chapters of relevance to the infection control and prevention team, audit, surveillance and the microbiology laboratory. Intended learning outcomes are set out at the start of each chapter, which also include reflection points. Additional learning is available with free access to the e-edition textbook. The practical aspects of isolation, cohort nursing, personal protective equipment, as well as hand hygiene and antibiotic resistance are discussed in detail using case studies and facts to engage the reader and link theory to practice. Thoroughly engaging, interesting and readable, with indicative further reading, this is a must-read book for learning about infection prevention and control. Beverley Jones, ward manager, children’s centre, Gloucester Royal Hospital
Letter Join the campaign to help protect children from abuse I HAVE LAUNCHED a petition to make life study and awareness a mandatory part of the primary school curriculum in honour of Daniel Pelka, the boy from Coventry who died in 2012 after being beaten and starved by his mother and her partner. So far, more than 3,200 people have signed the petition, but we need more signatures. The curriculum change would show children aged as young as four years information that bullying and abuse is wrong and that they can seek help. Many young children who are abused are made to believe it is a normal way of life.
Raising their awareness will show them they can seek protection. A child’s social and mental health wellbeing is as important as teaching maths and English. Long-term suffering and abuse can lead to issues that can otherwise be avoided and dealt with at an early age. This initiative is essential for the safety and wellbeing of children. Things can no longer be left until another tragic story comes to light. Sign the petition at www.chn.ge/18qbZXY or change.org/users/danielpelka, and you can go to the campaign’s Facebook page for the latest news at tinyurl.com/facebk-pelka Emma Liston is a second-year nursing student at Manchester Metropolitan University NURSING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Nursing Children and Young People 2014.26:14-14. Downloaded from journals.rcni.com by National University of Singapore on 11/24/15. For personal use only.
Books
Student voice
It’s worth it I AM finally past the day I dreaded most throughout my training – my final exams. I have spent more than three and a half years attending lectures, reading books and articles, and learning endless amounts of information – all in preparation for the final exams and forthcoming nine-month internship. I must admit that the run up was not easy. I do not think that I have ever been as stressed, anxious and worried in my life. My biggest fear was that I did not know enough or that I had not studied hard enough. Not only did I have my final exams in children’s nursing, but also those in general nursing. I had twice the workload of my general nursing colleagues and I did not know how I was going to get through it. We were reassured by our lecturers that we would get through, because we are taking an integrated course, meaning that we can apply the principles of children’s nursing in our general nursing and vice versa. However, my final exams have proved just how difficult applying the principles in this way can be. The nursing care delivered to children and adults can be quite different, even for the same illness. I have found that general nursing exam questions can be answered broadly and generically, but this is rarely the case for children’s nursing because of the variety of factors that need to be taken into account, such as a child’s age, family-centred care and safety issues. Despite the differences, the exams went well and I am happy I chose general and children’s nursing as a combined course. The programme can be academically challenging because it involves studying two courses. However, I believe the stress, anxiety and worry is worth it in the end. Looking back, I have had double the workload of my general nursing colleagues but, by the end of the course, I will have twice the knowledge and it will have been worth it. Lisa Kirwan, is a third-year student in children’s and general nursing, Trinity College Dublin
14 March 2014 | Volume 26 | Number 2
Adopted Like Me Ann Angel Jessica Kingsley 48pp | £11.99 ISBN: 9781849059350
THIS BOOK IS so useful it made me wonder why it has not been written before. In my working life I have worked with adopted young people who would have benefited from the insight this volume offers. The format is simple, yet hard hitting. The author describes the life stories of 19 famous people who were adopted, including musician John Lennon, writer JRR Tolkien, film star Marilyn Monroe, philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, politician Nelson Mandela and athlete Fatima Whitbread. This is an uplifting collection of hope and inspiration for children and young people attempting to negotiate similar events in their lives. Each story is accompanied by illustrations that help make the text accessible to younger readers. This is a text that I will use again and again in my practice because its simplicity tackles a complex issue much better than I can. Dean-David Holyoake, senior lecturer and nurse consultant, University of Wolverhampton
Fundamentals of Infection Prevention and Control: Theory and Practice Debbie Weston Wiley-Blackwell 400pp | £24.99 ISBN: 9781118306659 BACTERIA BEWARE. Infection control and prevention is everyone’s business, and this text will be valuable to a range of clinical staff. It covers factual information about specific organisms and has chapters of relevance to the infection control and prevention team, audit, surveillance and the microbiology laboratory. Intended learning outcomes are set out at the start of each chapter, which also include reflection points. Additional learning is available with free access to the e-edition textbook. The practical aspects of isolation, cohort nursing, personal protective equipment, as well as hand hygiene and antibiotic resistance are discussed in detail using case studies and facts to engage the reader and link theory to practice. Thoroughly engaging, interesting and readable, with indicative further reading, this is a must-read book for learning about infection prevention and control. Beverley Jones, ward manager, children’s centre, Gloucester Royal Hospital
Letter Join the campaign to help protect children from abuse I HAVE LAUNCHED a petition to make life study and awareness a mandatory part of the primary school curriculum in honour of Daniel Pelka, the boy from Coventry who died in 2012 after being beaten and starved by his mother and her partner. So far, more than 3,200 people have signed the petition, but we need more signatures. The curriculum change would show children aged as young as four years information that bullying and abuse is wrong and that they can seek help. Many young children who are abused are made to believe it is a normal way of life.
Raising their awareness will show them they can seek protection. A child’s social and mental health wellbeing is as important as teaching maths and English. Long-term suffering and abuse can lead to issues that can otherwise be avoided and dealt with at an early age. This initiative is essential for the safety and wellbeing of children. Things can no longer be left until another tragic story comes to light. Sign the petition at www.chn.ge/18qbZXY or change.org/users/danielpelka, and you can go to the campaign’s Facebook page for the latest news at tinyurl.com/facebk-pelka Emma Liston is a second-year nursing student at Manchester Metropolitan University NURSING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Nursing Children and Young People 2014.26:14-14. Downloaded from journals.rcni.com by National University of Singapore on 11/24/15. For personal use only.
