hi…am i happy or what! lol……what a week…an emotional time has been had! yesterday morning i was full of adrenalin…high as a kite…i couldnt keep still…lol…i was so nervous about the exam……we practiced breakaway techniques in the morning…ive done them before  so i was very good at  them…hurraahh! we went through a few of the moves of the restraints which i was very nervous about, we were also shown how to get out of the rape position and out of strangle holds….every one was slightly frazzeled to say the least! i kept laughing and every one kept laughing because i was bouncing around with the adrenaline…lol…then we went to lunch…i actually went to the canteen with everyone this time. its a really funky canteen with very modern orange sofas and funky tables. i had a right laugh!  then we went back to the gym…..at about half one the door opened and in walked a few ward managers   and approx 20 people who were about to be interviewd{so many people} it freaked us right out…so i told everyone to imagine a row of cabages not people…..i said to those watching…enjoy the show…itll be you soon.   the instructors had told us that sometimes when people watch they walk out shaken up by the level of violence they may encounter.   one of the instructors{the one i liked a lot] read out some names and they had to go out side and then a situation was set up and they had to come in and deal with the situation………when my name was read out i thought…shit! here we go.  i had  7 people with me, we wernt told what we were going to encounter…just that someone had pulled there alarm and we had to get there as quickly as poss[but not so ur out of breath]then we were called in…….i didnt hesitate and was the first through the door…in the middle of the room on the floor were the two biggest  instructors 15to17 stones of muscle.they were fighting and shouting and swearing ..i was right in there [i didnt even think bout it] i grabbed the arm of the guy on top managed to get him in to an arm lock restraint[just about] secured his w rist whilst someone had the other arm and others had the one on the floori was beeing thrown around but didnt let go once!i mhad to use both hands on his wrist and elbow so couldnt put my hand on his shoulde to get his head down…but we managed to get him down to his knees then the floor, other people then took over the arms and i layed across the back of his legs…then when he was secure i secured his head with my thighs[lol] and hand…i forgot to do this at first and had to be reminded.  god was i sweating…the next time my name was called we went out side and were told that a patient wanted to go for a walk in the grounds with his brother but he didnt have ground privaleges for that day, once again i was first in…delmar a massive guy was the patient and the guy i like was the brother, the brother had his arm round the patient and was walking towards the  exit…i stood sideways to him and said where are you off too? he said im taking my brother for a walk, i said to the opatient….delmar you cant go out today and repeated it to the brother he continued to walk to the exsit and started shouting and swearing,…[he still had his arm around the patient] so still standing in the sideway position i grabbed the wrist of the brother got a wrist and finger grip managed to get his elbow under my arm pit and my hand on his shoulder and pushed my hip right into his side with my full body weight, someone was behind me securing his elbow which helped me alot…[others had got the patient down to the floor ]someone had the other arm…he was shouting swearing and we were thrown around….i never let go…someone was at the head position and we got him to the floor some one helped me secure the arm as you need help if its been a bad struggle cause its really tiring and bloody sweaty. ….the next time i was called we wernt told about the situation just that someones  pit[alarm] had been pulled. again i was the first in….on the floor was a dummy with a blastic bag over the head..secured with a rope.i said we need the thing[couldnt remember the name of it…its called the fish cause of its shape]i was thrown the fish and cut the rope and got the bag off straight away, i checked the airway, put the head back breathed twice gently into the mouth and started compression, i did it for thirty with locked arms and i did it hard…some one else buy then had the mask on the face and pumped it before i started 30 compressions…then someone took over from me and i had the mask..[it used to be 15 compressions, so its really hard work]. i did a couple of things wrong here..i didnt count out loud and i didnt remove the clothing before compression…but none of the rest of the team noticed either….and that was the end….the people watching left and we were told where we went wrong but we were told wed done really well. people kept coming up to me and saying well done…i suppose they were shocked by me as i havent been anywhere near as confident all week. the instructor i like stared deep into my eyes and said well done.  and i got a well done from one of the other instructors. we still didnt know if wed passed at that point….we had a tea break and i started shaking really badly…i was told it was cause of the adrenalin…i walked down the corridor and burst into tears…someone huged me and then i started laughing…it was pretty overwhelming. then the instructors told us 3 people hadnt passed….they mad 3 people stand up and then got out the certificates and laughed and said that for the first time in a long time everyone had passed! the bloody jokers…lol…the certificate lasts for a year so we have to redo the course every year……im proud of myself…i now know that when it comes to a real situation i will deal with it in an effective, appropiate strong way….yyeeaaaaaa! i wasnt scared at all……..now i have a three day induction course to attend at the hospital…just lectures and meetings with ward managers…then i  can work on the wards that i want……. ill be nervouse at first but im sure itll be ok.