Back to business

Hi readers

Annual leave has officially ended and that means it’s time to get back into the swing of things, placement here I come…

The ODP course offered by the University of Leicester is different to your typical course in relation to its structure. We get x2 weeks during the Xmas period and summer, but we also get some flexibility as opposed to others; an additional  67.5 hours of floating A/L that can be taken at any time.

The reason our course is structured in this way rather than normal term times is that it allows us to remain proficient in our clinical skills. Having really long breaks means that you get out of practice really quickly. When going back to placement, it becomes difficult to get back into a routine and feels like you are back to square 1.

Even after this A/L and a week of study block, going back to placement is going to feel really weird although it’s only been 3 weeks. It makes me appreciate the continuity of the placement blocks.

Continuity and practise is the ? to success ?

With two weeks left on this module, there’s a rush to complete any remaining Clinical outcomes and get some experience before moving onto the Recovery module. I am looking forward to moving on as I get to go back to the Glenfield, which is where I started off last year and learnt a lot of what I know today. Recovery will be a good change to scrubbing and anaesthetics, as you get the chance to engage in post-op recovery and care, observing the patient journey after they leave the theatre which usually isn’t seen if you’re scrubbing or assisting the anaesthetist.

Excited to see what awaits…

-Aliyah