Well, as you may assume from the title, I am working hard. I'm still pulling 10-11 hour days, 5 days per week and I've got a bit of marking coming up (oh joy, oh rapture). I've managed to withdraw 2 students from placement and this is only mid way through the second week of four. I'm battling with how exactly to deal with students that I fail/remove from the clinical environment as the process around it isn't particularly clear. I'm seeing all of the facilitators who manage our students while they're out on prac once a week I think with good effect (well, that's some of the feedback that I received from one of the international support team this afternoon). I'm trying to do some thinking around my yet unfinished article although I keep on getting interrupted. But you know what? I'm really enjoying it.
I went through a period a couple of weeks ago, where I didn't really feel like I was useful or being utilised. My unit is quite a specific one and it is "all stations go" when they're out, but much less involved in the times in between their two placements. And so I was left to metaphorically wander around the developing corn field that is nursing education up here ... a time that I initially thought was a bit of a waste, but which I am coming to understand is/has actually been quite important.
I'm still figuring out where everyone fits, who is aligned with who, where people place their emphasis. But what I have come to realise during this "downtime", is that I am quite good at talking with people from both within and without the university. When I'm chatting with our facilitators and educators, whole strings of ideas come tumbling out of my mouth and then, as people are earnestly listening to me talk about my various hobby horses, I realise it was me who just said those quite intelligent things. It was me who people are looking to, to help them make decisions about how to progress with students, to guide their (sometimes inadequate) documentation, to make them laugh about the absurdity of various situations. Surely this only comes when you've got a captured audience? A conference perhaps, or when you pay them to be there (kidding ... who's got the money to throw away like that)?
I'm not saying that I've conquered the world yet, but If I'm not careful, I might start believing in my own goodness. I'm happy mucking around in what I think is a developing undergraduate nursing degree - one that does need a bit of work, but if I'm lucky and play my cards right, one that I could be quite instrumental in guiding forward. I am tired. But I am happy too. I hope this continues!