Personal Narrative: It's Procedure Time

This clinical rotation I was assigned to observe at the operating room, where they conduct various surgical procedures. The night prior to the clinical, I have to admit, was every bit unnerving. Especially, the fear of not knowing what to expect was daunting. There must have been a thousand scenario of what to expect or what might possibly go wrong playing through my head that night. However, after being introduced to the nurse I would be following, and meeting the surgeon and the rest of the team; my nerves settled down. The surgery scheduled was for a ventral hernia, which seemed routine, but complicated by a previous bowel realignment previously. The whole operation, from beginning to end, lasted a little over four hours. Although, the procedure lasted that long, it did not bother me even bit. In spite of standing for the whole duration of the observation, I never felt tired nor gotten bored. Notably, watching the surgical team working cohesively is like watching an artists who have

I was operated on at Seattle Children's Hospital. The surgery took around six hours, according to my mom. She said the stress of waiting for my surgery to be over while in the waiting room was worse than someone who was being held at gunpoint. All I can really remember from the whole experience are a few things. The hospital had a very friendly, almost warm feeling to it and I felt like I was going to be fixed. For the first time in my life, people would be able to understand me. I wouldn't have to repeat myself over and over again like someone who was visiting a country in which they barely knew it's language. I was excited and anxious due to the fact that I was at a hospital, seems a little ridiculous to be anxious. But, honestly who doesn't get a little bit anxious when they're about to be put to sleep and have doctors do surgery on your body that'll have a major effect on your life. Another thing I remember at the hospital was before preparing me for the surgery, the nurses were very sweet and kind to me. After the prepping, I recall being wheeled down the hallway to a room for the procedure. I said my goodbyes and “I love you’s” to the family members who were there, it was my mother, father and grandparents. I then went through a double, slightly padded or sealed, doorway which led to the operating room. I was then set down on a surprisingly comfy

It was so warm like fresh sheets out of the dryer. While I laid there I watched tv and waited for the anesthesia team to come in the room and prep me. Finally, after a two hour delay, they came in and put my IV in. It was a couple pokes to find a vein because I had been dehydrated because I had to fast for surgery, by the time they got it in my big toe I was hysterically crying and screaming. They gave me some medicine to calm me down since it was almost time to go under. I was dreading it because my mom had googled some information on this the night before and kinda scared me a lot. There were many things that could go wrong with this surgery, and I am a huge worry wart. I could be physically disabled, die, be alive but brain dead, and/or have a cancerous tumor. I’m not ready to die, I’m only 14, I wanna do big things in this world. I have God on my

The most gratifying experience for me was my interaction with patients. Along the course of their hospital stay, I established a kind of relationship that allowed me to not only see them as patients, but to see them as real people. Each patient had a unique story; a story that defined them a individuals and that had led them to this point in their lives. The patient presenting with a Lupus flare was a 42-year-old female that had to give up her job and career because of the chronic disabilities the disease brought over the years. She had developed chronic kidney disease and was on dialysis waiting to match for a donor kidney. Over the years she had given up hope, and this attitude had an impact on her marriage. Her husband wanted to donate

Lying on the hard gurney in that cold, stark white operating room, I could see the nurses and doctor all scrubbed and wearing their white masks and plastic glasses. The constant beeping of the monitoring equipment became louder in my ears, the cuff on my arm inflating as it was reading my blood pressure made my senses more aware of what was going on. I could smell the disinfectant, my mouth, even tasted like I had swallowed Lysol. The nurse was going over her checklist, asking me my name, asking me what procedure I was here for, and then receiving from her the details of what was going to happen. Having experienced this before with my first son Christopher, which was horrifying because I had not been ready for an emergency cesarean section,

Our surgery date was scheduled and the four of us piled in to our van to head down to Baltimore MD. My youngest sister Aspen was too little for the surgery so she stayed home with my oldest brother. Maggie’s bladder reflux effected both sides of her bladder. Therefore, she needed surgery on both sides of her tubes so she went in first. Over the years for me, my right side had gotten better with the medicine. I only needed my left side fixed now. I sat in the waiting room with my father while wearing two patient gowns on top of each other so my backside was not exposed. Before I knew it, my name was called. I was put in a mobile hospital bed. They feed me medicine through a syringe and told me to count to 50. I was out before I got to

I was very nervous before I went to the floor. I had no idea what have to do and how to start my day with my patient. When I first entered to onto the floor I realized the unit was little different than the usual floor. The floor was so quiet and basically there very few people were outside of the room. Once we got a tour of the unit I got to attend group with some patients. I was still nervous and lots of thought were running in my mind. I was looking for my patient and trying to figured out how should I talked to her so she feels comfortable with me. My actual patient was trying to ignore me, so I sat in the room with other patient and started to talk to one patient. I was feeling confident as I started to talk to her, because she was responding

Today I wasn’t able to start an IV and I was a little sad about that as usual; by the time I reached the floor most was done, or I was in a procedure while another one was being done. Its always a case of bad luck with me, but I will be able to practice tomorrow in class so at least that will be beneficial. So I can be successful on my first one as a student nurse. I've done one before when I was a medical assistant at Any Lab Test Now, but that was years ago. But I am excited to say that I was in the operating room finally, and that made my day. I had the opportunity to be present during a laparoscopic tubal ligation. It almost made me decide to switch my major to surgical technician. I was wanted to remain out the way and only used when needed.

Once my operation was over, I looked around in amazement. Most five year old children would cry after being in the emergency room—not I. I simply stood up and smiled, pondering on the limitless possibilities that exist within the medical field. I was envious of those doctors. I wanted

Beep...Beep...Beep… The sound of the heart monitor filled the room as I slowly woke up from surgery. I was about four years old and had gotten diagnosed with reflux of the kidney’s which is when the fluid in your kidneys cycles through them twice and causes them to work overtime and can lead to kidney failure. My older sister had this same problem and it was because of her diagnosis the doctors also had me get tested. My surgery took place at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. During the surgery the doctors corrected a valve in my kidneys so it worked like it was suppose to and stopped fluid from flowing backwards. I was a scared going into it because I had never had a surgery before and didn’t know what to expect.

I had to be there at 5am for my surgery. I got there and checked in and waited for what seemed like eternity and they got all my information and then I finally got to go back to the room to sit and wait. I had to change in to a gown and they took my vitals and got me hooked up to an I.V. They got me hooked up and made me go pee. I had to wait for a couple of hours until it was time to go to the back. The nurses brought a wheelchair and I had to ride in it. I got back to the room where I was going to have my surgery. They laid me on the bed and gave me some medicine through my I.V. That is the last thing I

My third week of clinicals was spent at the Biddeford Animal Hospital on February 23, 2016. Same as last time I went in ten to fifteen minutes early and their customer service staff member Terry took me right back. It was in between patients so they were building new tables for the back room and cleaning the patient rooms. I helped them clean and move the old tables out. After the first half hour I was there they had a constant flow of patients.

When we arrived at the hospital everyone was very excited and happy to see us. They started preparing me for surgery with IVs and fluid. Also, my head was pounding and stomach was cramping from not eating the night before. I wasn’t feeling my best when the doctor came into my room to see if we were ready to meet our bundle of joy. They wheeled my bed into the operating room and it was cold and very bright. First, they had to stick a needle in my back to numb my body for

The day of surgery I was so terrified my heart was beating out of my chest,my stomach was is in a big while. I grew white when I heard the doctor open the door. I told my mom “I love you.”

I was then sent to intensive care. It was a unit where only curtains separated you from the next patient over. It had a large nurse area in the center, which I could see from my bed. I asked for Kevin. I was uncomfortable, but all and all I felt better than before the surgery. Kevin came in for just a few minutes, and then they made him leave. When he left, the woman on my left went into trauma. I could hear the entire ordeal, which was horrible. I felt so alone. I asked for my husband, but they would not let him come back in the room. The trauma of the woman beside me was more than I could take emotionally. I shut down and really do not remember much past that