Cardiac Catheterization Report

Clinical day started slow, I was a bit anxious about waking my patient up that morning but I knew I had to go in. I woke him slowly and took his vitals and proceeded with my assessment. As I assessed my patient, his wife came in to his room and I introduced myself. During the morning I found out that my patient was being discharged. Before discharge, my patient was going to be fitted for a LifeVest.

When I arrive to the facility this morning I was informed that one of the patients had passed away during the night, which was quite sad. Today I was in the acute ward all day and was able to watch the RN perform an ECG on a man that was bought in via ambulance who was complaining of chest pain. I watched as she placed the ECG leads on different positions of the chest. The RN showed me what a normal heart rate should look like. I also went around the ward taking OBS and notice that one of the patient's O2 levels were very low at 73%, the RN then gave the patient some ventolin through a mask to increase oxygen levels and they rose to 95%. The RN also showed me the medication charts and how they are to be read. I went around with her watching

In a normal human being the heart correctly functions by the blood first entering through the right atrium from the superior and inferior vena cava. This blood flow continues through the right atrioventricular valve into the right ventricle. The right ventricle contracts forcing the pulmonary valve to open leading blood flow through the pulmonary valve and into the pulmonary trunk. Blood is then distributed from the right and left pulmonary arteries to the lungs, where carbon dioxide is unloaded and oxygen is loaded into the blood. The blood is returned from the lungs to the left

My clinical day of week 3 started pretty much with the same routine. I had to shadow a CNA preceptor and helped her throughout her assignment. By late morning, I have encountered a patient that at first refused to have a conversation with me despite my efforts of searching the right therapeutic questions that will make her open up to me. I founded the situation to be a little bit frustrated and made me feel unsuccessful that I was not be able to form a relationship with the patient. I did not know what to do or what to say. She just kept staring outside the window without saying anything. At lunch time, she surprised me when she approached me and expressed her apology for her earlier behavior.

When he came into the examination room he was different, I had his medication record and a record of his vital signs and blood glucose checks but had not looked at them. He started to talk before I had a chance, he told me that when he left from the previous visit that he went back to his room and prayed the entire night. He said that God told him that he needed to start following his treatment plan. I than looked at his records and saw that he had been taking all of his medications and that blood pressure and blood glucose numbers were decreasing. I could not believe it, I just looked at him dumbfounded. The patient told me he felt great and that I needed to keep continue what I was doing because I really did make a difference and had changed his life. I must have looked so silly because I was crying and smiling at the same time. He said that he just could not believe that someone cared that much about what happened to him. I continued to see that patient for several more months, and he would tell me how he had started to repair all of the relationships in his life through understanding, forgiveness and god.

The purpose of this journal is to reflect on my experience and skills gained during my clinical placement at Ben Taub Hospital. On my first clinical day, I was excited and nervous at the same time. My first placement was in the PREOP/PACU area. I was assigned to help a patient who had been in the PACU area going on 2 days. Normally, once the patient comes from surgery they are only in the PACU area for a short period of time before they are discharged home or given a bed in another area of the hospital. This particular patient still had not received an assignment for a bed. The physicians would make their rounds to come check on him daily. The patient was a 28-year-old Hispanic male, non-English speaking, he had a hemicolectomy. He had a NG tube, urinary Foley catheter, and a wound vac. My preceptor had just clocked in and she needed to check on the patient’s vitals and notes from the previous nurse. Once she introduced me to the patient and explained while I was there, she then asked me to check his vitals. (Vital signs indicate the body’s ability to regulate body temperature, maintain blood flow, and oxygenate body tissues. Vital signs are important indicators of a client’s overall health status (Hogan, 2014). I froze for a quick second. I have practiced taking vitals numerous of times and I knew I could do it correctly. I started with the temperature first, when I was quickly corrected on a major mistake I had made by my preceptor. I HAD FORGOT TO WASH MY HANDS and PUT

This Friday, September 29th, I had my second clinical observation experience in the Cardiac Cath Lab. I was there from 7:00 a.m. till noon, viewing the flow and duties of the nursing staff on the unit, learning about the procedures done on this specialized unit. Throughout most of the morning I followed Sara, an RN, who had been in the unit for eight years. It was an impressive experience that broadened my previously limited knowledge of the roles and experience of a Cath Lab nurse.

As Friday was my first day starting my experience at the cardiac catheterization lab, I was quite nervous and curious about the different things that I would have to do considering in all my time volunteering at the hospital, I have been to the cath lab only one or two times. However, when I went to the lab I was warmly welcomed by some of the staff and I later met many of the nurses and doctors there as well. Everyone was very friendly and they were excited to have my help and to “train me.” In fact, one of the doctors I met wanted me to do some research regarding cardiac catheterization to “get me more involved in the field,” which is pretty exciting because I'm not very familiar with anything related to cardiology but I chose this specific

Description Today I was assigned to the male surgical ward which is known as the most hectic ward within the hospital. Even though I was not given a patient to take care off today I got to make grand rounds with the doctors which were very informative and a good experience. Feelings When my preceptor inform my group members and I that we will join the doctors as they make their grand rounds I was hesitant because I know it was not much time I have left on the ward and the doctors usually take a long while doing their rounds and all I wanted was to be assigned to a patient before it’s time to leave. However, I did not regret making the rounds with the doctors, it really opens up my brains and some of the things the doctors said to patients I

Cardiac catheterization is often referred to as coronary angiography or a coronary angiogram. It is a radiographic procedure that is used to look at and visualize the heart and the coronary arteries. During a cardiac catheterization it is possible for the cardiologist performing the procedure to see how effectively blood is flowing through the coronary arteries. In addition, this procedure allows the cardiologists to see how blood is moving through the chambers of the heart and how effective the heart valves are functioning. A cardiac catheterization can also allow for the visualization of the movement of the walls of the heart to see if the pumping action of the heart is normal.

Blood is one of the most vital components of the human body. The blood carries many functions such as to supply oxygen to the bodies tissues, remove metabolic waste products, regulate our core temperature as well as fighting infection and foreign bodies (Glover, 1997). The cardiovascular system is composed of the heart and its vessels. The heart is an involuntary muscle which receives blood to the atrias, which is then pumped via the ventricles. The vessels are composed of three main types. Arteries, veins and capillaries; all which transport blood throughout the entirety of the body. The constant action of both the vessels and heart ensure that the body receives a continuous supply of blood, keeping us within our homeostatic limits.

The affect of the Stimuli Motion and the Human Cardiopulmonary System Oghene-okuko Efagene 2 September 2014 Life 103 Kevin Wilcox Introduction The Human Cardiopulmonary System is a combination of both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. There are integral parts to the cardiovascular system, the heart and blood vessels, which form a network inside the human body. The purpose of this mechanism is to transport nutrients and oxygen, as well as dispose waste products such as carbon dioxide (Weedman 2014).

This past Friday at the Cardiac Catheterization Lab my mentor was not there but I still got to do everything that I enjoy doing, like watching procedures and talking to the doctors, nurses, and staff. When I arrived I knew my mentor would not be there so I had asked another one of the ladies in the office if there were any surgeries that were going on for me to watch. After I was given scrubs to change into I was able to go into where the surgeries are happening. I went into the control room that I was told to go and the nurses and other staff were preparing the patient and setting up the computers and everything they needed before the doctor arrived. The surgery overall was one I have seen before and not as exciting as some of the more unique and different ones that I have seen previously.

The table above can also be found in Seeley’s Anatomy and Physiology laboratory manual on page 376.

Although it wasn’t my patient, we had a patient on the pod that was a 30 year old with metastatic lung cancer. His prognosis is less than one year. The nurse who had the patient gave the other nursing student and I a little insight on the patients case because it so complex. During rounds, it was unlike what I had seen on the floor yet. The doctors and everyone in the room seemed to be upset during the rounds, its almost like there was a certain energy among all of us. The doctor began by saying “this is a very unfortunate case.” I was able to help the couple a few times when the call light went off and they were such nice people. However, when I got home I just felt the need to cry. Which is very rare and it is almost weird putting it into words. This has never happened to me after a clinical. The patient is so young and is experiencing so much fear and pain. The main thing that made me even more upset is the fact that I want to be an Outpatient Oncology nurse at some point in my career. So then, I began second guessing myself, since this one patient made me so upset. The fact that my clinical group had three clinicals, two exams, and one simulation probably added to my emotions also. But once, I showered and gathered my self back up, I realized that I shouldn’t be second-guessing what I want to do with my nursing degree. It is true, this is a very unfortunate case and similar situations are going to happen almost everywhere as a nurse. These patients need us. They need our knowledge, skills, and most importantly our support to help them when they are in such a vulnerable time in their life. I think this experience made me learn that times like this are going to happen as a nurse and not every day will be a great day, but there are going to be very rewarding times