Personal Narrative: My Clinical Experiences

As a Registered Nurse who knows the duties that his work demands, I have to demonstrate deeper understanding of the Health Directorate's core values of care, excellence, collaboration, and integrity in my professional nursing practice and patient care. To conform to the above mentioned values, I endeavor to appreciate that improving a patient's experience is integral in patient care. This can be achieved by doing away with fear and anxiety that protracts patients' healing process. Enhancement of the communication between my patients and I will also go a long way in hastening their recovery and their self-management.

Day four of clinicals was really long. The first patient was scheduled from 8 until 1, he was getting fitted for 4 crowns and an implant crown. When the patient came in he had a horrible odor and looked like he hasn’t taken care of himself in months. I seated him down and the dental assistant just glanced at his teeth and looked at me strangely and whispered come here and look. I look in this old man’s mouth and saw nothing but a brown layer of plaque and calculus build up and it disgusted me. How could someone not take care of their selves? Anyways, we ended up sending him to the hygienist's room next to us and they cleaned his teeth extra good. He came back into the room and Dr. Williams came in and quickly did a check up on his teeth and

In addition, I also realized that I now ask the patient is there anything else that I could help them with before leaving their rooms. With this new knowledge that I previously overlooked, I believe that in my future of being a health profession, I will be more aware of my patients needs to solve all problems that they may have in order for them to gain trust in my skills and knowledge that I provide them with. Also, it will help me to be able to interact on a more professional level to satisfy any worries that may leave my patients feeling unsettled.

Each department works together to create a smooth streamline transition for every patient. The employees, from customer service to administration to physicians, work on the same level with one another and share in the passion of treating and healing their patients. The employees continue their focus of their patients to the patient’s family as well.

For the past two weeks I have been performing my clinical at Holton Community Hospital experiencing what it is like to be on the floor with the patients and I had the opportunity to see what it was like in the Family Practice part of the hospital.

While I have identified numerous issues that need improving and changing, each day, I will have to start with small changes in order to lead to an overall permanent change for the future. For the duration of this clinical, I will plan out my days in an organized manner, as a way to complete tasks in an appropriate way. I will give all medications under the supervision of my clinical instructor to ensure safe, correct medication administration as well as additional teaching. I will attempt to find answers and critically think on my own and will ask questions when I am uncertain or not 100% confident about something. I will try my best to communicate with my nurses throughout the day about things going on with my patients and inquiries I have.

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

Throughout my career, I expect that standard will change as new research shows improved ways of caring for patients. It will be important to continue to learn about these new changes in order to provide the best care possible for these patients. Being able to know that I am providing the best care possible will allow my confidence in myself to continue to grow as I know I am doing the right thing.

Whilst studying case studies, brainstorming and thinking critically helped with finding a diagnosis, it also made me aware and appreciative of how even minute details can make a big difference to the overall picture put together by the patient history. I have been able to apply the theory from my degree in a clinical setting, by working as a bank clinical support worker on different wards. This has allowed me to see first-hand the various ways a disease affects a patient and enabled me to get a realistic idea of what it is like working in a healthcare environment. Having hand over has taught me the importance of clear communication and teamwork in providing excellent patient care. I have learnt that being attentive, empathetic and maintaining integrity helps patients feel as ease, in particular during personal care.

As I progress through my clinical, I am feeling more confident interacting with patients as I conduct history taking and assessments. I am getting quicker and my history taking and assessment have improved. The process of adhering to, learning from, and following the guidelines will help me as I transition to practice as a nurse practitioner.

I found clinical this week more challenging this week than normal. My patient has been in the hospital for a while, however, he was disoriented to his situation. He didn’t remember having an abdominal surgery and thought he was still in the hospital for his back surgery. He also had no energy from not eating properly and wanted to be left alone to sleep. Before the first day of clinical my goal was to focus on teaching. After interacting with him on the first day, my goal for the second day way to try to connect with him and encourage him to take more control of his care.

The first thing that comes to my mind about this clinical experience would be exhausting. I had only three hours of sleep because I had forgotten I had a prior obligation later in the evening, so was unable to leave Alamosa until 2100, so I did not get home till 2330. I had to get up at 0400 to then go to SCCF. Four hours asleep, while sick was not a good idea. It was an extremely tiring day that I feel like I am probably missing something in this journal.

The seven principles of patient-clinician communication are Mutual respect, harmonized goals, supportive environment, appropriate decision partners, the right information, transparency and

The past two days I have spent in clinical has been a great learning experience. The first day, Wednesday, I had a patient who was a frequent flyer. He had just been admitted to the med-surg floor the day prior from the ICU. He was admitted to the hospital for DKA. He was admitted to the hospital multiple times in December because he is noncompliant with his diet for diabetes. The second day, I had a patient with has asities and A-fib. With this patient I learned the importance in receiving, and giving report to the next nurse. As my nurse and I were preparing my patient’s morning medications the nurse noticed that the dosage on one medication had increased. Before we gave the medication she went to speak with the doctor, who then informed

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.