Personal Narrative: Non Ventilated Patients

“The Magna Carta was a document issued by English noblemen who demanded rights from the king and limited the rights of the king’s power” (Source A). The document is important due to the fact that the Magna Carta influenced today’s society. Also, the Magna Carta is important because it gives everyone a fair opportunity, gives rights to every individual, and rights for a fair trial.

It is a typical weekday on my active Orthopedic/Medical surgical unit, as I worked on the 7am-7pm shift. On this particular day, I was assigned, one client who is a pre-operative for total bilateral hip replacement, four clients, who had recently had orthopedic surgeries and, a client who had his operation, a total bilateral knee replacement, cancelled moments ago, due to a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA).

Mercy Medical Center is where it all started. On August 4th, 2004, 6:47 p.m. I was born. My name all started as a simple idea 4 years before I was even born. It originated from an American singer-songwriter Shannon Hoon, the lead vocalist of Blind Melon. Eventually, Shannon had a daughter, and named her Nico Blue. My mom liked the name and decided she would name her first child that. Though my first name isn’t actually Nico, it’s Nicolynn. She added her middle name to the first half, leaving me with no middle name.

Reaching across the center console of my car, I imagined the commute that I had into school. My 1992 Jeep Cherokee courageously braved the snowstorm of the year, with only one functional windshield wiper and a forlorn four wheel drive system. As I turned onto the Merritt Parkway, a Honda Civic swerved past me and proceeded to weave in and out of the afternoon traffic. Fast-forward sixty seconds and that Honda was now engulfed by the powder white trees which bound the highway. Instinctively, I pulled up behind the crash site, dialing 911 as I ran over to the mangled wreck. I peered into the car, my pupils the size of marbles, and the driver seemed uninjured; regardless, I proceeded to reassure the driver that Emergency Medical Technician’s/Paramedic’s

Well I got my Cpap machine yesterday and I was really excited to have a great nights sleep. I guess it's going to take some getting used to because I don't feel much different. The pressure setting that they have me on is pretty high and it changes throughout the night and that wakes me up. I am really hoping that I can get used to this thing soon.

It seemed like a normal day coming into work, it was a Tuesday. 6:45 a.m. on a Medical Surgical Floor, the night shift was eager to give report so they could go home, and all the day shift nurses were drinking their coffee getting ready for the 12 hour shift ahead of them. My name is Staci Deland, I am a Registered Nurse on a Pediatric Medical Surgical Floor. This day I am talking about is about to become much busier than it normally does. After rounding, one of my patient that was post-op day five from a laparoscopic cholecystectomy had changed since Monday. She had a history of emphysema and also was on 14L of oxygen via simple mask and her saturations were

The aim of the study was to explore family members’ experiences with the use of a diary when a sick relative did not survive the stay in the ICU. The overall study findings revealed that the diary was experienced as a medium for interpersonal communication, where it was perceived as a social medium maintaining communication and the relationship with the patient. But the diary was also a common interest affecting writers and readers in different ways, thus sharing information, emotions and thoughts enabled relationships, which grew. Not only relationships developed but also participants as humans due to the course of events and finally the death of the patient. The experience was compared to taken on a journey but in an existential way by the participants. To understand the unfamiliar in a way different from the way in which it has been understood so far, also include a way to understand him/herself in a new way (Gadamer, 1989).

The remover of a life-support Machine is one of the most painful decision, a family have to endure. If I was part of the legislator, I will vote for a law that would enable doctors to remove the life-support machine from patients whom doctors knows there is nothing they could do for their patients. Initiating, such a law will allow doctors and family members to work hands in hands to make a crucial medical decision while the patient is unconscious. On the other hand, if the patient have discussed his/her medical necessities while she was conscious to her family prior to her being unconscious , or have a Living Will on file( is a document that lets people state their wishes for end-of-life.) on file. The family and doctor should obeyed that

On Thursday June 14, 2017, I had to return a page from the emergency room (ER) doctor for and admit. When I returned the page the ER doctor wanted to admit a patient with stage 4 brain cancer that was a DNR for hospice care. I told the ER doctor that this was not an appropriate because this patient needed and wanted hospice care and that the hospitalist did not need to be involved. The ER doctor proceeded to tell me that I don’t want to do my job and I need to admit the patient so he could get the care that he needed. When he told me that over the phone I almost lost my cool and professionalism in a matter of seconds. I hung up the phone and walked down to the ER. I went into the patient room and spoke to the family members and they told me

Since last year, I have volunteered at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit and until recently the Emergency Room. My time there has brought to my attention the more unpleasant side of medicine. Whether escorting patients or attending to their needs, I noticed that many of them were quiet and avoided eye contact. Several of the doctors spoke to and treated these patients in a brute manner which I found quite upsetting. These sick or injured patients were worried and scared, and were served with the promise that no one would be turned away. Yet many were silent as they were afraid of “bothering” the doctors. In spite of this, I did my best giving patients some peace of mind by just spending a few moments of my time to chat and to listen their needs as liasion and support. Seeing them smile and at ease has shown me that I have done my job but more

There are many monumental events that have occurred in my life, but the incident that left me paralyzed and partial blind was the turning point.

Sitting in the uncomfortable seat made out of polyurethane foam and breathing in the stale airplane air, the inflight safety announcement starts:

Two years. Two years of anesthetic and healing. Two years of missed school days and gained therapy sessions. Two years of success and failure. The two years have shape of my perspective of life as a roller coaster with it's beginning, bumps, stops and an ending. I transformed from an articulate 7 year old, who depended on her parents, to a young 8 year old girl who was quickly became independent and prepared for serendipity.

I dance to convert my thoughts into actions, and now I write to express my thoughts without hesitation. It was not always this effortless. As a teenager, I played soccer to transform my parent’s dreams into reality. However, these dreams dissipated like smoke into the air once I was benched every game for two years as a member of the junior varsity soccer team in high school. Although my parent’s joy seemed to radiate, my shame manufactured notions that seemed to only blacken. Even though I feared revealing the truth, I could not continue down this unhappy path any longer. Upon the conclusion of the season my sophomore year, I managed to teach myself something vital— I needed to put on my oxygen mask first.

Critical care is medical care given to patients who required closed and continuous monitoring from specially trained clinical providers, and usually takes place in intensive care units or a trauma center. Most of the time, the patients are critically ill and susceptible for serious complications, and thus, they are placed in special units. Critical care units are also known for its high-technology equipment with advanced interventions and treatment. These conditions are well known to be contributing factors of psychological stress experienced by the patients and their families. A recent study in India found that there is a significant elevation of stress, depression and anxiety level among patients admitted to ICU compared to those in wards