Lisa Kirwan

Student voice--Life is precious and we must cherish it.

INITIALLY I WAS heartbroken when I heard about the vulnerable children who live at the Butterfly Hospice in China. Most of them not only have life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses but also were abandoned by their families at birth or shortly after. When I volunteered at the hospice, I found it emotionally challenging because there is only so much you can do for these children, and when it is their time to go, you have no control over it. This came to the fore when I experienced the death of two children. I admitted them to the hospice and named them after two people close to my heart. I could not help but question why they died, or wonder if I had done something wrong or whether there was more support I could have given them. The circle of life is not supposed to break early; children are not supposed to die. Even though these deaths were difficult for me, I have sought solace in the fact that these children were loved, cherished and cared for as much as they could have been at the hospice. It gave me so much hope to witness the fighting spirit that all of the children possess no matter how unwell they are. Even though it seems like life has been so cruel to them, they still fill each room with laughter, joy and happiness. I realise now that life is so precious. We should be grateful for everything we have, whether big or small. From now on, I will never take my life for granted and will strive to make a difference to the lives of those I nurse. I write this as I reach the end of my seven-week voluntary work. I will never forget the children, the experiences I have gained and the memories I have made. It has been a life-changing experience.

Starting out - A place of happiness, joy and possibility.

A FRANK account of parenting a disabled child and dealing with the vast range of professionals and services this involves is offered here. The book is directed mainly at parents and the author provides useful and practical tips, tricks and strategies at the end of each chapter. The chapters cover a variety of aspects, such as dealing with professionals, siblings, being in hospital, social services and education. The author rightly points out in the conclusion that professionals may find it a difficult read. Few books tackle the issues with such honesty, and a feeling of ‘us’ and ‘them’ is threaded throughout. However, it is only by reading such accounts that we, as professionals, can learn and, ultimately, improve our care and practice. Although the book is not targeted at nurses there is much to learn from a multidisciplinary viewpoint. It is probably of most interest to children’s and learning disability nurses, and would be a useful addition to libraries. Patricia McNeilly, lecturer in children’s nursing, Queen’s University Belfast An Introduction to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Maddie Burton et al Sage 248pp | £23.99 ISBN: 9781446249451

Student voice -- on my own.

THIS BOOK provides a practical guide for those carrying out a literature review in nursing, health and social care. Given that undergraduate and continuing education students can find critical literature reviews challenging, the sequential format and clear information should guide students through the minefield. The authors set out the context of the literature review and the different types of reviews, before carefully leading the reader through each step involved. The chapters provide clear learning outcomes and a summary of key points at the end. The final chapter of the book gives helpful guidance about how to disseminate the literature review through publication, oral and poster presentation. Overall, I feel that this new text will serve as a valuable and useful resource for students. Jayne Price, senior lecturer (education), Queen’s University Belfast Reflective Practice in Nursing Lioba Howatson-Jones Sage / Learning Matters Second edition 216pp | £18.99 ISBN: 9781446270851

Student voice - Questioning others as a child's advocate.

RECENTLY I WAS involved in a situation in which I was asked to assist two staff nurses in an invasive procedure with a young child. Initially, I held the child down as instructed to do by the staff nurses. The child became distressed, so I asked the nurses to stop the procedure and to give the child a break.

Student voice - rapid response.

ONE THING THAT I find frightening about nursing children is that they can become unwell extremely suddenly.

Student voice - Reflecting on experience.

MY RECENT work in the childrens emergency department has brought to light how worrying it is for parents when their child is admitted to hospital.

Student voice - Learning to respond to patients' families.

I HAVE ENCOUNTERED many challenging situations in my childrens and general internship placements. One that stands out was when I was taking care of an adult patient who had undergone an endoscopic procedure - and it is one that has resonance in childrens nursing. A biopsy was also taken of some tissue and it was reported that it was likely the patient had cancer.

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.

Student voice - The end of training but life is wide open.

I AM SO relieved that I have nearly finished my internship and my training. I am looking forward to the day when I can say that I am registered as a childrens and general nurse.