Goodbye my babies.

Hey guys,

From the third year on, my nursing course exists of placements only. It really puts the focus on practical learning which I find the most interesting and most important of my course. Placements allow you to put theoretical knowledge into practise and to really learn the fine bits and pieces of the nursing profession.

On my previous placement I got my first taste of health care in a hospital setting. The most diverse and dynamic setting, but because of this also my favourite setting. Last placement I familiarised myself with care for patients with lung, cardiac, general, and neurological problems. So that was pretty diverse. Now this placement would be diverse as well, but a completely different setting and an even more different patient group. This one however turned out to fit me perfectly and it was my best placement so far.

This placement was on the obstetrician-ward. The ward pregnant woman come to with their problems during pregnancy or to give birth naturally or by c-section. This means we have to care for pregnant women with a broad spectrum of health problems but also women who have given birth or had a c-section and their newborn babies. Really specific care that is but oh boy, it was incredible.

Over the last few months I worked with an incredibly nice and fun team, who challenged me, accepted me, and helped me grow. I have learned so much from them and felt so accepted, it was literally as if I was a part of their team instead of a student on placement. A feeling I never got to experience before. Then I also got to witness some of the most special moments in every parents lives, the birth of their child. Together with my colleagues we helped the mum through the birthing process, took care of her child and her after and made sure they both came out well. These natural births and c-sections have been amazing, you have to work together so well as so many factors can go wrong so it keeps you communicating continuously. The obstetrician ward is definitely something else, but oh how fun it was. Then there was the care for the mum and newborn baby after the birthing. I got to wash both mum and the baby of which I obviously preferred washing the baby, to give it it's first ever bath together with mum or dad. You get to witness so many first things, the first feed, the first bath, the first full diaper, you name it. It really is something else.

I remember my first weeks, being really insecure with the mum and the baby. Not quite sure on how to handle them, how to hold them, or how to help with the feeding. And look at me now, I participated in a breastfeeding audit as my colleagues found me capable of doing so. Today, on my last shift, they even told our manager to tie me to a chair and not let me go until she had given me a diploma and contract as they didn't want me to leave. Now I'm not that good with compliments so I spend the entire day just thanking everybody awkwardly and blushing because the compliments just kept on going. Guess I really did something right over there.

It was an incredible experience, and definitely a ward I'll consider going back to. This ward, and placement have proven to really be something special, I felt welcome and accepted, never having to introduce myself as a student to patient and the patients being surprised when I did. I learned so much, also that birthing and breastfeeding isn't the pink cloud a lot of people imagine it to be. But it was an incredible placement and it will stick with me forever. Colleagues, patients, babies, thank you so much for teaching me so many amazing things and letting me teach you so many things as well. I'm starting to sound like a broken record here but it was something special.

Sometimes life as a nurse isn't all that bad you know, this placement showed me how good and fun it can be.

Lots of love,
ThatDutchGirl96

My journey through 2016.

Dear 2016,

Our time together is nearly over. Just a couple more hours before we have to say goodbye, a final goodbye as 2017 slowly steps in your place. But for now, we're still together so let us cherish these final moments by reflecting on all the things we did together.

2016, you were a mess, a bittersweet disaster. Globally you shook the entire planet and everyone on it. You had us say goodbye to so many influential people and to so many lesser known people as well. Then there were politics, to make politics a more popular item you decided to spice it up. Let me say you succeeded, more people are into politics now then ever. To say I agree with your choices in politics would be a step to far so let's get over our political differences and say goodbye to this subject already. 

Personally, 2016, you were a roller coaster. You've given me a lot of opportunities, a lot of chances and I took most of them gratefully. Some ended better than others but all of them led to incredible adventures. 2016, you expanded my interests and taught me a long list of new things. I found more time for all the amazing books you had for me and discovered some more literary gems of my own. There are a few adventures I would like to go into more detail about. 

First of all there was Elfia, a massive cosplay event on the grounds of a beautiful castle in Utrecht. I went here with an internet friend of mine and it was one of the best days ever. Elfia has this atmosphere that makes you feel accepted, included and not at all strange. Everyone is dressed differently and able to be someone else for a day whilst at the same time being themselves completely. At this event I met some incredible people and I learned that it is okay to like science fiction and fantasy, and that it's okay to be a bit weird. As long as you like what you do what's the problem? Correct, there is none.

Then there was Domaine de Puylagorge, a Dutch campsite in France for families with disabled kids. A wonderful place where I went for the second time to organise the animation program for the kids. This year I was lucky enough to guide to incredibly interesting and wonderful kids with special needs, and I had an amazing time working with them and getting to know them and their families. One of the most amazing things about that campsite is the bond between families and the animation team and families. On this campsite it's okay to sit down and chat with families, to share stories, concerns and happy memories. The campsite is a safe haven for families with disabled kids, parents can let go of some of the care around their disabled child and the siblings can play without having to worry about their disabled brother or sister for a change. Everyone can be themselves which is a pretty rare feeling when you are a parent or sibling of a disabled child. 

To continue my list of adventures I saw André Kuipers live and visited the space expo and the ESA ESTEC terrain in Noordwijk. For a long time now I've been strangely interested in space and hearing André Kuipers talk about his time in space and running around in the space expo surrounded by spaceships, a recreated module of the International Space Station it blew me away. I was like an overexcited child in there, which I still am when I think back at how amazing that day was, including the four hour road trip my friend and I went on to get there.

Furthermore I went to see Twenty One Pilots and Panic! at the Disco live in November. Two incredible performances with two incredible crowds. Crowds in which I didn't feel claustrophobic or anxious for a change but crowds that felt welcoming and accepting. I sang along, jumped and cried without shame, I utterly loved those concerts.

Oh and how could I forget my visit to the Cat Café and the Vincent van Gogh museum. Yet another amazing day in an incredible year with incredible adventures. Another museum to cross of my long lists of museums I want to visit. It's kind of becoming an annual thing now, going to a museum with a friend of mine to indulge ourselves in the artistic believes of various great painters. It's just lovely.

Yes 2016, when it comes to adventures you were amazing I did a lot of amazing things and met a lot of amazing new people in the process. Also those things allowed me to develop myself as a person. The best example, regarding my personal development, may be my current internship. The internship in the hospital. Another adventure, yet this one isn't over yet. This internship might be the hardest one I've had so far, be the most challenging both personally and professionally. As a nurse I learned a lot, I've become a much better nurse already however there is still a long way to go before I feel qualified as an independent nurse on a ward. Personally I learned to deal with my mental and physical limitations in the work field, how it's better to talk about them and make them known at the start of my internship instead of blocking my learning process with them. 

Something everyone I know knows about me is that I'm diabetic, it's a physical issue that is pretty obvious when people go out for lunch with me or when my insulin pump decides to be a bit dramatic in the evening. Still haven't found an off button for the alarm sounds. The things that only a few people know about me are my mental issues. It's just something that you don't bring up that easily and that I don't really have to bring up as it's not something as visible and obvious as my diabetes is. 2016, however, has taught me that it's important to talk about those issues as well. Ignoring them will only lead to the inevitable breakdown and it will limit you're personal and professional development. 

So to cut things short, 2016, you were amazing. The last couple of years have been full of me learning stuff about myself and me developing myself more and more but this year I honestly thought that process was finished. That I was able to deal with my 'problems' and that they wouldn't trouble me anymore. Well 2016, thank you for showing me otherwise and telling me that there is no shame in being different or having a few more diagnoses. My problems are a part of me and there's no reason to act as if they're not. 

2016 you were an incredible tutor and you helped me plan out the first steps of some amazing adventures I will have in 2017. 2016 you will be missed but 2017 the world and I, are so ready for you. A new beginning, a new year, new chances, new opportunities and most important of all new adventures!

Lots of love,

ThatDutchGirl96

Infinite incomplete knowledge.

Hello,

Here it is... My very, very delayed blog. I truly am sorry for not uploading last week however it means there will be two blogposts this week! 

Let's get this started. Personally I am a big fan of learning. Diving into unknown subjects storing every weird fact there is to find about it. Broadening my knowledge of a wide range of subjects. Subjects chosen at random. Subjects that caught my attention by seeing a picture of it somewhere or hearing someone on the other side of the room talking about it. All of them chosen at random yet all just as important. Some fictional some real, some from this world others from outer space. Curiosity is the word for it, I believe. The weird invisible force that drives you to discover things that are yet unknown to you. A word and a feature some people lack because without curiosity you will never learn, you will never go somewhere and you will never discover magical things. 

For me this already started at a very young age. Whenever I found something that got my interest I just had to know as much about it as possible. Every single little weird fact seemed important. So now my head is full the weirdest and uncommonly known facts imaginable. (Great for at parties though.) 
For example I've read every book our local library had on sharks. Which my family didn't really thank me for as on a holiday to France I informed them on every kind of shark that lives in the Mediterranean sea. The sea that was near our campsite, the sea we would be visiting very often with my sister whom is terrified of sharks.

Back to the subject of curiosity. As a baby you were possibly the most curious of your whole lifespan. Babies have only been on this planet, in this universe, in a specific environment for a very short time. Not yet knowing what is going on, what the rules are. These tiny humans don't really know anything yet so they have super much to learn. Everything is new to them and driven by the force of curiosity they encounter new things, touch them and sometimes even put in their mouths. Curiosity is also the thing that get's them to roll over, sit up, crawl and eventually stand up, walk and run. The older you become the more you know and that's, I think, where curiosity starts to fade. The more you (think) you know the less (you think) there is left to find out, to discover. And when puberty kicks in you think you know everything, that the world is all in your hand and you've already seen every aspect of life. Reality check, you haven't even started kid.

So there are always new things to learn, new things to discover, places to see, people to meet. There are reasons we still need scientists. We don't even know half of what happens in the seas and oceans. Don't lose your curiosity, keep searching for new things that you might like. Go outside, take a walk and look around you. There are so many things that seem very common to you since you most likely see them everyday. Stop and think, what do you actually know about those things? Nothing? Do you want to? Are you bored? Good, go online, go to the library and look those things up. Gather knowledge about them and let curiosity lead you.

Lots of love, ThatDutchGirl96