My stage three nursing placement was at Lake Grace Health Service in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) and aged care facility. It was my second clinical placement and it was a fantastic experience.
To be completely honest, it was very quiet but the staff there were incredibly welcoming and went above and beyond for me. Additionally, the slower pace allowed time to consolidate skills and build confidence in myself, which I would later need in advancing placements.
If the day was quiet and there were not many patients, the staff would bring out dummies to practise skills on and answer any questions I may have. There was also enough time to debrief after a patient was brought in.
The town itself is small and is made up of two cafés, one IGA, one pub, a post office and a sports club. However, on my time off I took a drive down Tin Horse Highway, visited Wave Rock and also popped into a local winery.
As many nursing students understand, the middle of semester can be quite intense. Lake Grace was my saving grace during this time, as it allowed me to tackle my assignments and placements simultaneously whilst never feeling stressed – a novelty for me.
By the end of the three weeks I felt like a part of the team and would love to return one day.
