Ishiguro Diary Entry

Volunteering at the Mary Manning Walsh Nursing Home over the summer was an invaluable experience. As I became more comfortable, I began extending my duties beyond physical tasks such as serving food or transporting residents. I started interacting with the residents on a more personal level, not as a volunteer, but more as a friend. In return, the residents became increasingly open, and the nurses watched as I conversed with residents they had deemed as reserved. Sometimes when I helped residents they would say nothing, but at the same time they said everything I needed to hear. I probably appreciated helping those residents, more than they appreciated me. Every night when I went to bed, I felt I had actually made a difference. This volunteering experience allowed me to realize that whatever I do in life, I want to go to sleep feeling the same way I did that summer.

She seemed to start enjoying coming in for her appointments and I would look forward to the days she was scheduled, as a bond had formed between us. She continued to come in for therapy, and soon enough a noticeable improvement in function could be seen and it was time for her to finish her therapy. On her last visit, I remember feeling a mixture of emotions; while I was happy that she had achieved her therapy goals and recovery of function, I was saddened by the thought of not seeing her anymore, as I truly saw her as a friend. Although we have had hundreds of patients come through our doors, most of whom I was close with and looked forward to seeing each day, I will never forget Jennifer, because working with her was my first experience of just how important relationships and bedside manner are in a field such as physical therapy. Not only was this experience a major challenge I faced in my professional career, but it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career as

I vividly remember that chilly night in March as I walked out of Fifer, the building my father now calls home, for the first time. I had goosebumps, but they were not from the cold I felt hit my skin. Instead, they were from the sickness in my stomach. As I got in the car, I began to cry and had to stop myself from running back inside. My entire world had turned upside-down. How could I go home without my father? How could I leave him in a nursing home, a place where he was too young and mentally fit to be confined? I had to fight the feeling that he didn’t belong. I had to remind myself of why he chose to be there, and I hated it.

It was another restless Friday afternoon in the small-town nursing home. Overworked nurses buzzed around, itching to start their weekend. “Ann,” a late-stage dementia patient, stared out her bedroom window. Her eyes focused on nothing in particular. As a hospice volunteer, I had been visiting Ann for three months. She spent our time together lost somewhere in her mind where I could never seem to reach her. I reminded Ann who I was and began one of our familiar conversation topics. As usual, she never spoke. As the visit went on, however, something changed. Ann slowly shifted her gaze toward me. I paused. She gently reached for my hand. Her hand felt weak, but her grip was firm. She looked into my eyes, and for a moment her face was clear with recognition. “You’re here,” she said. “…You are here.” She struggled to get out the words as she brought my hand to her face and kissed it. I was so touched I could not speak. For a moment, Ann connected with me. She trusted me. In that moment, I knew I had made the right choice.

Sarah’s daughter Kaye expressed her feelings throughout the video, the frustration, the good and bad days her mother had, all of which affect the care givers state of being. Listening to the sadness in Kaye’s voice reached me.

Danielle Maestas June 16, 2015 CCU Application Essay Helping others has always been a core value in my life. I knew, at a very young age, that someday my role in life would be to help others on a daily basis. Over the years, I sought after employment in positions that would satisfy my passion for servanthood. As I got older, I felt like there was more I was capable of doing. My Grandparents have had a remarkable impact on my life. They raised my brother and I for a majority of our lives. In 2009, my Grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which was rapidly spreading throughout his body. During the last months of his life I took on the role as his caregiver. At the time I did not have any prior medical training. The ability to care

Reminiscence can be therapeutic for the elderly and the caregiver involved in the conversation. This sharing of old time stories is important for self-presentation bring comfort, stimulation and confidence to the elderly patient (Tablonski, 2014). Throughout this discussion post I will discuss the significance of reminiscence to me, my experiences with reminiscence, my thoughts and feelings of the video “See Me, Nurse” and how I would incorporate change within my practice based from this viewing. I will also further discuss difficulties I have encountered with elderly patients from a different background.

On occasion, I felt unimportant in my patient’s lives because they often forgot who I was. I struggled with the idea that I was not

In 2012, my cousin suffered a severe heart attack which lead to heart failure. After witnessing someone I love suffer a life-changing event, it was important to find ways in which I could help. During her time in the hospital I cared for her children, encouraging them to remain positive around their mother, explaining how important their presence was to her recovery. I assisted in organizing a fundraiser that provided financial benefits for medical expenses. An extended hospital stay can create a feeling of isolation, and the fundraiser served as a physical reminder of the amount of support she had behind her during this battle. Childcare and fundraising were both pivotal ways in which I made a difference, but being present with my cousin at

During her career as a pediatric nurse, she became very connected with a patient who happened to be her first death encounter. At the time, the patient was a six-year-old boy who was diagnosed with leukemia. ML said: "When I was caring for this patient, I was a mother myself. Seeing that boy and his family suffer gave me so much heartache… it was hard not to make it personal." The more she worked with this child, she observed the pain and suffering him and his family had to go through. She also learned about him and the family dynamics which enabled ML to help the patient and the family become well involved in understanding one another and guide care towards an agreement that everyone was satisfied with. As I reached for the tissue box to hand it to her, I rephrased the story to confirm the understanding of the story. She nodded and continued on talking about things she has done for the patient. Being a mother and a nurse, she believed in providing this child with what a healthy boy would be doing at his age. ML's strategies involved promoting short physical activities, playing games, and encouraging the parents to participate in such activities if possible; ML wanted to provide a lighter atmosphere around the unit and help the patient disregard the diagnosis even if it was just for a little while. Over the past few months, she continued to assist this patient as his

Upon arrival, I was matched with Ann Malkani, who greeted me with a smile, showed me to a small room, and began her life story. I recorded the session. Listening back on it, I realized that Ann and I were put together because we both believed in compassion. “In helping others, we help

Her name is Erin, and her story doesn’t begin tonight. Her story actually began a week ago while she was sitting on her bed. It was her birthday and she had just turned seven. She was busy going through the contents of an old shoe box, and she was crying. In her hand, she held a photograph of her and her mother. They were in their backyard next to a rose garden, and her mother had her arms around her, holding her tightly. Erin remembered every moment of that day. How the sunlight warmed her skin, the sweet smell of honeysuckle in the air, the rhythmical buzzing of a humming bird’s wings that had flown into the yard only fleetingly right before her father had taken the picture. That day was two years ago now, and seventeen months before ovarian cancer had taken her

I enjoyed reading your post, you brought forth a great idea that your hospital uses. The “getting to know you board” that is in each patient’s room is a wonderful tool to use to open up the doors of communication with patients. This will assist them to share their memories with us, their nurse. The older adult feels it is helpful to involve reminiscence of the present, past, and the future (Tabloski, 2010). I too, believe that reminiscing takes the patient back to happier times and can be a useful therapy tool. Life review therapy is beneficial in reducing anxiety symptoms, as well as improving mental health (Korte, Bohlmeijer, Cappeliez, Smit, & Westerhof, 2012).

October 8, 2015, is the day that my life experienced a total change. My best friend, who I had known for over ten years, passed away at the age of eighteen after a year-long battle with cancer. Ryan’s struggle and ultimate passing had a profound effect on how I live my life. He taught me that one does not have to be popular and outgoing to get involved and make a difference. After his death, I began to break out of my “shell” and try new and important things. I believe that the best was to carry on his memory is to do this I would have not normally have done and live like each day is my last.

My grandfather recently passed away 6 months ago. So I have personally witnessed my grandmother go through the grieving process as well as deal with her own sickness. Unfortunately my grandmother will have to enter a nursing home because my mother can no longer tend to her needs. This is a difficult time for my family because my grandmother doesn't want to go into a nursing home, but she requires 24/7 care. For my interview I chose the neighbors mother who’s situation, age and lifestyle are very similar to my grandmother’s. Her name is Lucy and she is 82 yrs. old living with her oldest daughter. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome to the questions I asked her.