By Rufai Ashiat Gbemisola,

Having studied Nursing Sciences for two years, the Monday I have always been waiting for, finally arrived. It was the first day of my clinical posting and anxiety, mixed with joy of finally getting to dress like a nurse was all over me.

Days before the D-day, I have gotten my scrub ironed, my shoes were shining bright like diamond and I kept checking my watch, a night before, for 7:30 AM to finally creep in.

My first posting was at the Male Neurosurgical Ward. The place was busy, nurses were moving around and doctors were doing their ward rounds with patients lying hopefully in bed.

At the sight of this, I realized I was no more in the lecture room, but rather in a place where the lives of people lie hopefully on my shoulder.

“Check the vital sign of the patient in bed 4,” so said one of the nurses on duty. Even though I had practiced this in the department’s demonstration room using mannequins and my other colleagues, my hands failed me by shaking as I wrapped the sphygmamometer (an instrument for checking blood pressure) cuff around the patient’s arm.

The thought of, “what if I make mistake,” kept crossing my mind. Thankfully, a colleague gave me a nod of encouragement, and I managed to do it.

Another lesson I learnt on my first day of clinical experience was on positioning. While trying to jot tachycardia as a heart rate faster than normal, I caught sight of two senior nurses turning an unconscious patient who had a head injury on bed.

I asked for the reason behind that and why they were so strict about the time. They explained that leaving a patient in one spot for too long stops blood flow and causes “bedsores”; painful wounds on the skin.

At that moment, I came to the realization that nursing is not only about giving injections, but giving an all-round care to patients even when they are ignorant of what is happening around them.

My first day in the ward was very far from being smooth. I struggled to manage my time and felt overwhelmed by medical terms in the hospital.

But with every mistake, I learnt something new. And these, I am passing on to you, through my diary.

If you are caring for a sick or elderly person who cannot move, please help them change their position every two hours to prevent bedsores. Changing their position is an important care on its own.

Also, do not be afraid to be a beginner; we all start with trembling hands before we become experts.

My name is Rufai Ashiat Gbemisola, a 300-level Nursing Student. I am still learning and one day, my trembling hands will be replaced by the steady hands of a veteran nurse. Until next week!