Had my first session as a practice patient today. 15 minute briefing first, basically to give us purpose of the sessions and a reminder about confidentislity - no names or locations. Two sessions, first one my own with four white girls the second with another volunteer with three girls from Africa - all 20 to 25ish.. Distinct cultural differences between the two groups, also noticed that the three racial types, white, African and Asian stayed in their groups
There was one who dominated the questions in the first group, the eldest and the only mother there. None of them had had any nursing experience before. We covered it from all angles, nurse behaviour and patient type, getting stuck in too routine a box-ticking pattern and missing subtle clues, how we might be patient number 1000 to them but they are nurse number one to us etc. We got through it all with a few laughs and they seemed pleased with the session, I could see their confidence slowly building as the hour went on.
Less laughing with the African girls. One, the eldest I would guess, had been a qualified Healthcare Assistant, now going for a higher professional qualification, and she was the more outgoing. The cultural aspect came in their attitude towards older people, much more respect expected at home, always Sir or Madam for strangers and Aunt or Uncle for close family friends. They felt uncomfortable calling their elders by their first names. We could only say, "Ask them how they would like to be addressed."
I had a companion in that second session, a very disabled lady in a very expensive looking electric wheelchair. She kept drifting off into anecdotes and I had to keep, gently, breaking in to give the students a chance to ask their questions.
The tutor wandered about monitoring things, assessing us more than the students I think! She also asked permission to take pictures, mainly for propaganda with the uni trustees and authorities. This is an innovative idea and is being watched carefully.
Also innovative is that the students have Pilates and "Mindfulness" sessions each Monday - presumambly to "tune up" their bodies and minds after the drinking and debauchery of the weekend!
I think we all enjoyed the sessions. Well, there was one chap who wondered why they were asking some questions that seems quite pertinent to me. He seemed to think they were all common sense things that everyone knew - I could see that they related to experience, or the lack of it.