dyspraxia ruining career

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invisible2014
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dyspraxia ruining career

Post by invisible2014 »

Hi ,I have always wanted to be a nurse,so I volunteered on the hospital wards a few years ago,I got as far as an apprenticeship for a clinical support worker but I quit due to.my dyspraxia which I really regret as ay the time I.got humilatef as I was the only one who wasn't able to do first aid cpr training and I felt really humiliated,I wish I could do.that career and I'm not sure if its worth trying again.
welshwizard
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Re: dyspraxia ruining career

Post by welshwizard »

Hi Invisible,

What was it about the CPR that was causing the difficulties?
invisible2014
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Re: dyspraxia ruining career

Post by invisible2014 »

Hello,I'm not sure really but I was only one in a group of nine who wasn't Able to do it.apparently I wasn't doing it right or right pacr and I remember feeling really humiliated because they kept focusing on me as I was only one.the person who led it spoke to me and said if I cant master this and I'm gonna be on a ward what will I be like than and organised one to one with me. But I just quit as was so humiliated ,problem is ive always wanted that career helping people.
welshwizard
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Re: dyspraxia ruining career

Post by welshwizard »

That sounds horrible - sorry you had that experience. It doesn't sound like you had a lot of support or encouragement. Speaking for myself, it can sometimes take me longer than other people to 'get' things, but once I've got it, and sometimes with a bit of practice, I can do it. Do you think you'd manage better with a more understanding instructor?

For the rhythm, I sing 'Nelly the Elephant' to myself in my head (although I think 'Staying alive' is the more recent one that people use!)

If you absolutely think you wouldn't be able to do it though (and I'm absolutely not saying you wouldn't - because it sounds like you weren't given much of a chance), have you thought about other careers that help people? Everyone's got strengths to go along with weaknesses, and there could be a career that fits yours, that allows you to help people like you want to?
otis_b_flywheel
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Re: dyspraxia ruining career

Post by otis_b_flywheel »

Invisible,
Oh, the irony! Many years ago I was teaching First Aid at a college that shall be nameless. I did fail some student nurses on their CPR (although they would have had the opportunity to try again) and was told by my colleagues that I should pass everybody because nurses never have to do it anyway. ](*,)
For yourself, I think you should persevere. I have been on the receiving end of more First Aid courses than I can now count, but until relatively recently have lacked confidence in giving "real" First Aid, largely because of my dyspraxia I suspect. It's hard for us to remember to do things in the right order and not to miss anything out, but if you can keep repeating your CPR practice until the actions move out of your (probably poor) short-term memory and into your (almost certainly much better) long-term recall, then I reckon you'll cut the mustard.
Find a better instructor and explain your dyspraxia to them at an early stage.
Best of luck
Tim
Tim

"I may not be perfect, but parts of me are pretty awesome."
allesandro
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Re: dyspraxia ruining career

Post by allesandro »

Experienced the same exact thing when I was in a respiratory therapy program, only the test entailed more than just CPR. I think I could have mastered the CPR part with lots of repetitive practice, but I'm not so sure about the other aspects of the test, the specifics of which I can no longer remember because it was so long ago. The decision is yours, only you can determine what is best for you
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