Special Motifs And Necklaces In The ICU

Throughout my clinical experiences, there have been quite a few circumstances I have been placed in that have remained with me whether good or bad. All of them have been learning experiences for me whether it is how to improve and to do better next time from a mistake, for me to learn that this is or is not how a patient should be treated, how to handle family situations, and many others. One experience that I was able to participate in that will remain with me because I had not experienced this before was during my critical care rotation in the fall of 2015. This patient was dying and we were implementing comfort care for him.

Alvord uses her personal experiences of working as a Navajo surgeon to teach her readers the philosophies her people follow to heal. Her philosophy is that instead of looking at each patient as a mechanical system with each part separate, look at their mind, body and spirit as being connected. If one can do this, patient care will improve. She also touches upon being culturally competent in the work place by knowing your patient population’s beliefs on healing and health care. After reading her story, I believe that in order to be the best health care provider one must look into the spiritual aspects of their patients’ lives. As providers we must provide care using the biopsychosocial model of care and become knowledgeable on our patients beliefs. Like Alvord states within her story, we must walk in beauty, become harmoniously connected to those around us, and care for our patients in a positive

Wounded soldiers were flying home and staying in the hospital with no family or friends. With the decreased patient load and paperwork, I was able to sit at the bedside and listen, feel compassion and empathy. As I listened to their stories of bravery and heart break to lose a fellow soldier. With each patient I was assigned to, my heart grew bigger and bigger. I became more mindful of patients and their struggles. Theses soldiers looked brave with tattoos,

The nursing profession is known for being a caring and compassionate career path that is loving and accepting of all individuals. The traits of many of us are based on our cultural background and therefore it is important to be culturally aware of different traditions and preferences pertaining to cultures that we directly interact with. Both taking into consideration the patient’s culture and recognizing the impact of one’s own personal beliefs are competencies that a nurse should demonstrate and are listed under the first standard of practice according to the American Nurses Association (ANA, 2015).

In delivering modern nursing care while incorporating the beliefs and customs of the Native American, a nurse

Thinking about my own experiences with doctors and hospitals I have a situation that was benefited through words of comfort. I am not a health care provider so my own experiences may be different but I feel that words of comfort art most needed in times of emergencies. For example, I was a a majorette for my whole school at the age of 16 I was preforming during a half time show when my hip dislocated. My parents could not attend this game so the only thing they could do was to try to relax me in the

Multiple family members gather together to give care to the loved one from far and near. The father or the oldest male relative holds the greatest power in most families to make health-related decisions for an ill loved one. Family members feel responsible for bathing, changing, and feeding their loved one daily even during hospital stays (Taxis, 2008). In addition, prayer and ritual are also critical components of the dying process. Family members may pray with the patient at the bedside, at a home altar, or at church. At times, candles are kept lit for 24 hours a day as a symbol of continuous worship. Clergy members may visit to offer spiritual support. As the ill loved one approaches death, the sacrament of anointing of the sick is administered by a priest or lay member (Kemp, 2001). Mexican American families use religious beliefs in the afterlife to help them cope with this emotional process.

When caring for a Native American patient, it is imperative that the nurse provide culturally competent care. In this scenario, there are two main dimensions along which cultural tensions between the patient and the nurse can arise. The first pertains to the actual practices and values of Native American culture, which may be at odds with the practices and values of dominant healthcare institutions. The second is both broader and more subtle: it pertains to the historical relationship of the Native American people and the

In addition to my professional experiences, I’ve had personal experiences that further highlight how important it is to be sensitive to other cultures and the human condition. Last year I lost my father after a 4 year battle with cancer. The experience I had as his primary caregiver has made me more appreciative of the human condition.  Throughout the years of doctor’s appointments and procedures, I

After seeing several patients the team finally went in to see my eighty-three year old female who was in the hospital after suffering an ischemic stroke. As always I went in prepared: I had read about ischemic strokes, brushed up on my pathophysiology and was ready to make suggestions about what further work-up would be necessary! Our team, which was made up of a pharmacist, social worker, two geriatric fellows, and an attending geriatrician, all filed into the room as we did every day for rounds. However, instead of talking about the tests that we would run today and the lab results that had returned this morning, we all looked at each other and began to sing “Happy Birthday.” The patient’s face lit up and I remember feeling this overwhelming sense of happiness. Yes, I had arrived at the hospital before the sun was up, and tucked in my white coat was my perfectly crafted plan, which I was prepared to recite chapter and verse, but instead there we were a team of healthcare professionals, all singing. As I stood there singing I looked around the room and I was overcome with relief; because in that moment I knew these were the type of people I wanted to sit with at the lunch

Learning and understanding death, and many views in which people look at death a someone can’t understand what that person who is close to death or has an illness is going through. Hospice takes a big role in helping with a good death. Getting a good look at the viewpoints of other people in the hospital people can really understand more and get a better understanding of how it’s like, also knowing what the doctors believe is right for the patient. The difference in customs in each culture are a big eye opener.

My supervisor, one of the head nurses, hurriedly pulled me to the corner of the bleach white hospital room and directed me to put on gloves, an eye mask, and a face mask. I felt as if I was preparing for war as I put on all of the required gear. The sound of expensive shoes click-clacked down the hallway indicating the arrival of two doctors who rushed into the room and shouted out orders to the staff while pulling the doors to the room shut along with the curtains. Two doctors, eight nurses, an intern, and a dying patient squeezed into the already claustrophobic ten by fifteen-foot room. The machine monitoring the patient’s vital signs continued to beep incessantly as my heart rate accelerated. Throughout my internship, I had never seen a patient in critical condition until that moment. I remembered my teacher’s advice if we were ever in a situation such as this: take a few deep breaths and sit down if you feel like you’re going to pass out. In that

There was one clinical situation that I could never forget till this day. During my first day at a clinical site in nursing school, I was with a nurse who had a patient who needed an immediate blood transfusion because his hemoglobin and hematocrit were low. I was excited because it was my first time watching a blood transfusion happen and how the process is done. The nurse looked at the patient’s chart and realized that he was a Jehovah witness. The nurse immediately stopped everything and informed her superiors. I was really stunned because at that time I did not understand why and to be quite honest I was confused as well.

Adapted from Culture Clues, University of Washington Medical Center (2004), American Indians and Alaskan Natives believe that the head and hair are sacred and touching either is very personal and disrespectful. Symbolic items like hair, jewelry, or ornaments need to be kept close to the patient at all times because they have spiritual meaning.

Older than anyone I know and made of a somewhat soft, orange gold. That’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think about my little bracelet. It’s delicate but awkwardly large, with an unnatural predetermined shape to it. It’s an important thing not only because it’s old and a family heirloom, but also because it was something entrusted to me by my mom.