Experience life at King's
If you wish to become a King’s nurse or midwife, joining our student community may be easier than you think.
When you are studying nursing and midwifery at King’s no two days will ever be the same. Nursing and midwifery aren’t what you think. We all have an idea of what a nurse or midwife does day-to-day but a career in nursing or midwifery is so much more than that. With such a huge number and variety of roles, there has never been a more exciting time to join these professions.
If you are interested in discovering everything that nursing and midwifery has to offer, read on!
Student stories
Jennifer Knight, BSc Midwifery Studies with Registration
Lauren Fisher, BSc Children's Nursing with Registration
Amy Wenn, BSc Children's Nursing with Registration
Sophie Miller, BSc Children's Nursing with Registration
Bashira Nakaweesi, BSc Adult Nursing with Registration
Rachael Frost, BSc Adult Nursing with Registration
Stephen Dempster, DipHE (accelerated) Adult Nursing with Registration
Jennifer Knight, BSc Midwifery Studies with Registration
I have really enjoyed being able to partake in the care of so many women and I always feel so valued by the women and their families for any help I give them. Knowing that the women rely on you for support, both physically and emotionally, is hugely rewarding, as is supporting the birth and care of the newborn.
There are many different circumstances women are in, such as poverty, varied health problems and the involvement of social services. These are sometimes difficult to know how to handle. But with the experience we are gaining and the support from our lecturers these situations become much easier to deal with.
Lauren Fisher, BSc Children's Nursing with Registration
Being a children's nurse you have to be extremely versatile because not only are you caring for babies but children and young people. Within my second placement, I was involved in looking after a young teenage girl who had battled for health all her life. On one particular day, she deteriorated and became extremely ill and unresponsive. This was hard for all the members of the multidisciplinary team who had spend many hours talking with her and caring for her. It seemed like there was no hope, but the amazing spirit she had helped her to fight to recovery.
She is now at home where she belongs with her family and friends. It just goes to show that children, no matter what age, will fight for survival! And it gives me immense pride to work with and care for, such brave human beings.
Amy Wenn, BSc Children's Nursing with Registration
Developing a relationship with the child is great. It's rewardin; it makes it much easier for you to try and help to treat them and it just makes for a nicer time for everyone involved. But, unless you can develop a relationship with the family of that child too, that relationship is never quite going to work. The feeling of knowing that a parent trusts you to help take care of their child in hospital is really special. To know that they see you as someone who will help to keep their child safe, and to get well enough to go home again, is something I don't think you would get in many other careers. I remember a baby that I helped to take care of for many weeks and finding out that after I left that placement, that the baby's mum had been asking after me and where I had gone. Knowing that I can make that much of an impression, not only the little boy himself but also the rest of his family, was something that I'll try and keep with me throughout my career because it's so important to remember that, in children's nursing, we're treating an entire family, not just one child!
Sophie Miller, BSc Children's Nursing with Registration
Paediatric nursing is a whole different ball game. You don’t just have the patient to look after, but their family too. At first, this can be quite daunting. However, I have come to learn that this is the most fulfilling part of my job. This is due to the fact that you can really see the impact that a hospitalised child has on the family. Building up this trusting relationship and friendship enables you to really support and care for them as well as the child. I remember, within my first placement, coming onto a shift and a family asking for me to look after their child for the day. This really built up my confidence in a way that nothing else could, as this showed me that they truly thought that I was good enough to make a difference.
Bashira Nakaweesi, BSc Adult Nursing with Registration
We received a patient who had just suffered a stroke whilst on holiday here in the UK, with no friends or family and unable to understand English. It was a problem that even the staff nurses found challenging, let alone me as a student - and I was assigned him as my patient. But with assistance from all members of the multidisciplinary team we were able to care for my patient’s physical, emotional and mental needs.
So where is my patient now? Back at home, in his country with family and friends and making a fast recovery. I am so proud that I was part of the team that helped him - the best day of all was sending him home and the hug he gave me was priceless.
Rachael Frost, BSc Adult Nursing with Registration
Being a student nurse is physically and emotionally challenging. You will be faced with situations which are out of the ordinary and will have to deal with people who can make your life feel stressful. However, at the end of day, knowing that you have helped someone who is in need, truly is an amazing feeling. It is a rewarding job and I wouldn't change it for the world!
Stephen Dempster, DipHE (accelerated) Adult Nursing with Registration
It was coming to the end of my first day on my first placement. There was a lull in activity which meant I had a few moments to talk to a patient who I knew was about to be discharged. He was telling me that he was going to go fishing with his sons, which brought a smile to his face. He then collapsed in front of me. As we were near the nurse’s station, a lot of staff rushed over. A doctor started giving the patient basic life support and called for the crash team. The patient had gone into cardiac arrest.
I don’t know how it happened but I just became part of the team. There was lots of activity; I saw him being intubated, given life-saving drugs, x-rayed. The decision was made to take the patient to surgery immediately. By this point one of the senior nurses had taken me under her wing and was talking me through everything that was happening. Throughout the transfer the team were giving the patient chest compressions, to keep his heart pumping. I had received training in the correct way to do CPR just days before at university, so I asked if I could step in. They asked if I was competent and I said I was; at which point they let me take over. I was giving chest compressions to a patient on the operating table, on my first day. I couldn’t quite believe it.
There was a moment where I looked up and saw in a blacked out window the reflection of the whole team, working as one to save the patient. There I was in the middle, in my student nurse uniform, surrounded by surgeons, anaesthetists and senior nurses. I felt proud to be representing King’s nurses this way.
Unfortunately the patient did not make it. When I went back onto the ward I received so much support. This experience confirmed my desire to work in emergency healthcare. It also showed me how we cannot always be successful. Dealing with death is part of the profession.
Finally, I realised I was the last person that patient ever spoke to. His last conversation had been about something he loved. I’m so proud and privileged that I was able to help make his last moments happy.