My Working Day Eileen Clarke, registered general nurse and midwife, Student Health Centre, Cork Institute of Technology, cares for more than 10,000 students
When I first came to work here, almost 15 years ago, my contract was for just two hours a day and we worked out of the changing room in the gym. I suppose it's worth remembering that at the time the college had about 2,500 students.
I think what attracted me to the role initially was the variety of the work and that hasn't changed really. It's fair to say I was always interested in general practitioner work and also I think the location here suited me as I lived quite near the college. I had a young family at the time so the working arrangement also suited me. Nowadays, I work from 8.30am to 4.30pm five days a week. A typical day usually runs straight through with little time for lunch.
First thing I do in the morning is turn on all the computers and answer the phones, which are hopping with people looking to make appointments or general inquiries.
Usually I have a few sick students in my waiting rooms from early morning and so the day begins with them. A lot of what we do is to "triage" students, in other words they come to us and we prioritise if they need to see a doctor. I would see 30-40 students on a busy day, and our doctors probably see the same again.
I also deal with emergencies on campus, which can be anything from a student having an epileptic fit or an asthma attack, to someone breaking their leg on the football pitch.
We now have support from the staff, which is of great benefit. About 18 months ago we organised a number of first aid courses for staff and three defibrillators are now located on campus.
I have seen many changes in terms of student health since I started here. There is much more pressure nowadays, and the students lead much busier lives, often working evenings and weekends.
We are usually the first port of call for students with mental health issues or stress-related problems.
Family planning issues and giving advice has always been a large part of our work, but in recent years I am noticing an increase in issues of sexual health.
The number of physical assaults has also increased enormously.
I still get huge satisfaction from my work. There are more than 10,000 students in the college now, and we have moved into a new health centre on campus. What I like most about my typical day is the variety it contains.
I also like seeing students coming to us in first year and maturing through their time in college. I remember at the start I used to be quite nervous about the workload. Much of the time you are on your own, which is very different from the hospital scenario where you can ask people their advice.
With our role you have to think on your feet a lot more, but over the years it has become a little easier. Some days, though, you can feel a little bit stressed out by it all.
I can certainly see myself retiring in a few years' time - I won't keep going forever.