The beginning of the end: starting my final year

This week I attended my last ever induction as a student nurse. It is hard to believe how quickly the last two years have gone.

I didn't take a straight line into nursing. My first degree was in primary education, and I have also worked in emergency medical dispatch. On the end of a phone, you quickly learn how much a calm voice and a clear question can matter to someone on the worst day of their life. Those experiences brought me to adult nursing at the University of South Wales. They still shape the way I practise.

Where I am now

So far, my placements have taken me through respiratory, spinal surgery, the coronary care unit, day surgery, theatres and the community. Each one has taught me something different. Respiratory taught me how frightening breathlessness is. CCU taught me to respect the monitor without forgetting the person attached to it. Day surgery showed me how much good preparation and clear discharge advice matter when patients are in and out in a few hours.

What's left

• Two placements. That includes a management placement, where I'll start to take on the co-ordination and leadership side of the registered nurse role. I'm hoping for a theatre setting.
• The academic year. That means advanced therapeutic interventions, nurse education and supervision, and a critical appraisal of my own development towards proficiency.
• The final milestone. Joining the NMC register, getting my PIN and starting my first job as a registered nurse.

Looking back to look forward

The early-morning study sessions, the challenging shifts, and the patients and practice supervisors who have taught me so much have all been leading to this year. My aim for the year is to be more than "a student on the ward". I want to work as a member of the team who can be trusted with more, while still asking every question I need to.

If you're a theatre nurse with advice for a student hoping to spend their management placement in the scrub room, I'd love to hear it.