A Cumbrian student who helped to serve on the frontline at the start of the coronavirus pandemic last March has spoken of her experience.
With third-year student nurses invited back on placements to support the NHS last month, Ashley Gass, 25, recalls her experience working at the Carleton Clinic in Carlisle on a ward providing assessment and treatment for people with a learning disabilities and mental health issues.
“Opting-in and providing support to the NHS was not a difficult decision for me as I felt that it would be something I would have to do when I qualify so why not get the experience as a student nurse beforehand?” explained Ashley, who is from Carlisle.
“I also felt that it could be a once in a lifetime experience to work throughout a pandemic and support the NHS, therefore it was always going to be a yes from me.
“During my placement I did not care for any patients with COVID-19 however we always took precautions, wearing full PPE which was challenging at times and even more so for the individuals we were supporting.
“Working during a pandemic allowed me to learn to adapt and change my way of working, it has also highlighted the importance of teamwork during these unpredictable times to be able to provide the best possible care to the patients.”
Students who opted in to COVID-19 placements didn’t necessarily end up caring for patients on coronavirus wards.
Ashley was approached to opt-in to coronavirus placements again this year and she said she would again prefer to help out than stay at home studying.
She is now placed at the Ruskin Unit at the Cumberland Infirmary which is an assessment unit for suspected dementia patients, which is a completely new experience for her and a huge learning opportunity.
Final-year nurses were asked to return to paid clinical placements to support the coronavirus response with many having started their placements over the last few weeks.
Opting in to undertake a COVID-19 placement is entirely voluntary. If a student nurse decides not to opt in, for whatever reason, they will still go on placement in a non-COVID-19 setting and get the clinical experience necessary to become a registered nurse.
For anyone who has ever thought about a career in nursing, or feels a call to action in the time of seeing so many suffer throughout the pandemic, check out the University of Cumbria nursing team blog – why become a nurse?
