A unique nursing experience in the Western Isles

Louise Reid, Student Nurse with the Open University, has recently completed a placement with NHS Western Isles, gaining invaluable experience across a wide range of clinical settings.

Louise is studying nursing through the Open University and is normally employed by NHS Highland. She chose to undertake her placement in the Western Isles as her husband is from the island, allowing her to base herself locally during her time with NHS Western Isles.

During her time with NHS Western Isles, Louise worked with various teams, including Medical Ward One, the Emergency Department, Bethesda Care Home and Macmillan Nursing. She also took part in several insight days, spending time with Paramedics, Urgent and Unscheduled Care Nurses and the Day Hospital team.

Reflecting on her experience, Louise said: “I have really enjoyed just embracing each placement and the variety of skills and experiences I have gained from them all have been huge! The multi-disciplinary teams in every area have been so welcoming and inclusive of student nurses. All the placements have been so different that I feel my time in the Western Isles has been a real insight into all nursing disciplines hopefully setting me in good stead for the future.”

When asked if there were any moments during her placement that she felt particularly proud of, Louise added: “At the end of every placement, I felt a little proud just for completing it and for working so closely with such experienced teams. The work that is done in Western Isles Hospital is something to be proud of, and it has been great to be a small part of that as a student nurse. My confidence has definitely grown over the course of each placement.”

Coming from Tiree, Louise commented on how much she has enjoyed working in a similar rural island setting: “Having the opportunity to learn in a similar setting to my hometown has been wonderful. I’ve always found the caring culture in the islands so inspiring and as a student, to work with people so passionate has been great.”

She continued: “Every staff member I have worked with has been so supportive of learning and making me feel welcome. The nurses, doctors and healthcare assistants have all encouraged questions and taken time to support learning opportunities.”

One of the biggest challenges Louise faced was being away from home for an extended period. However, she would still strongly encourage other students to consider a placement or training opportunity with NHS Western Isles. She said: “I would definitely encourage other students to undertake a placement with NHS Western Isles. I think sometimes the temptation is to go to the mainland to the bigger hospitals for experience, but the experience you can get from rural hospitals and nursing is so unique and challenging.

“Being remote and rural almost forces you to be resilient not only as a nurse but also as a person and having the opportunity to be able to immerse yourself in the culture and community of the Western Isles is something I would definitely recommend to other student nurses, and I feel really grateful to have been able to do this.”