Clinical Training, Lectures and Everyday Experiences

As a nursing student, most of the time you’ll spend in university will be in the health sciences buildings. Whether that’s in the Seebohm Rowntree building for a lecture with a cup of tea or in the Clinical simulation unit (CSU) learning new skills. Taking a step closer to your end goal while watching your friends try to attempt to do CPR. For now, I’ll be taking you through my experiences.

Seebohm Rowntee building

The Seebohm Rowntee building was named after a social pioneer I’ll let you take a wild guess on which one it was. One of the main factors about this building is that it houses multiple departments. For example, the department of health sciences, the department of Social Policy and social work and much more. In relation to the department of health sciences most of my lectures are in this building.

This is where I attend my morning nursing lectures with my laptop in one hand and my notepad in the other. The lecture theatres for example ATB/056 & 057 are split into two sides with a staircase in the middle and on each side allowing you to sit anywhere you like. This lecture theatre has two projection screens, wheelchair access and a replay lecture capture. This makes life so much easier as it’s easy access to the lectures whether you’re at home watching it on replay or in the actual lecture theatre.

Clinical simulation unit

Now this is where all the fun happens! You’re in a moving hoist playing as a patient as your friends treat you like one. They move you across the room as you peer down at everyone from a higher distance feeling like you’re on a swing and holding down the urge to sing I came in like a wrecking ball. I’m hoping this is a universal thought.

The clinical simulation unit is inside the Seebohm Rowntee building near the reception. There are multiple uses to the CSU besides pretending to be Miley Cyrus such as in person training. The time I’ve spent in the CSU I’ve learned different types of techniques and skills. This includes infection prevention and control, injection techniques, moving and handling and observations. The bane of my existence learning how to take blood pressure. By the time I finally learned it I had to sit down and let someone check mine. We take practical exams such as the OSCE in the CSU where you just go through all the practical things you’ve learned so far.

Overall, the CSU would be my favourite area in the health science buildings. No matter how long the sessions are they end up flying through and you’re always doing something new. Whether that’s holding a needle at one point or the next doing the Heimlich manoeuvre on a choking mannequin.