Rather than horrify you with a lot of the gory details (I think you all have a good idea of how depressing nursing homes can be), I'll stick with some highlights of my two days there:
- I had to be there by 6 am sharp for our preconference meeting with our instructor, where she reviewed our prep documents about our specific patient's diagnoses. We are always supposed to come prepared and have to do about 2 hours of research the night before day #1 of each clinical.
- At 6:30 we were turned loose to find our patients and the CNA (certified nursing assistance) who is assigned to them. We assisted with getting our patient dressed, out of bed, toileted, groomed, and to the dining room by 8 am for breakfast. My patient was pretty independent in a lot of these areas, so I went around with the CNA and assisted with other patients. My favorite was a witty gentleman who decided that "Starsky" was much more fun to say than "Darcy" and informed me that he would just call me that instead.
- After breakfast I helped the CNA record the fluid intake and percent eaten for each patient, then went back to my patient's room to conduct a thorough patient assessment with my instructor watching. This didn't go as well as I would have liked - I was just so nervous and we ALL know what happens when I'm nervous... I talk too much! But my instructor was great and told me afterward that I don't have to apologize for being a student. She said we all need to stop telling patients we are "just students." Next time I will take a little more pride in my role and try to STOP TALKING!
- By around 9 or 10 am, patients were involved with activities or therapy appointments, so we had time to update some of our documentation (there's a lot required!) at the nurse's station where we thoroughly reviewed our patient's chart and recorded the latest lab findings, doctor's orders, etc. At 11, we took a quick lunch break, then reconvened for a post conference with our instructor for about an hour, where we all got to talk about our experiences. Whew! Then I rushed home and took long naps!
I helped out with many miscellaneous activities too, such as giving showers, feeding patients with extreme dementia (who were pretty much unable to process the fact that they were eating), and changing adult "briefs" for patients with bowel incontinence. After the first day, I went home thinking, "There is no way I could do this for a living!" I had moments where I was fighting tears at some of the indignities these poor people have to suffer and wasn't sure if I was strong enough to face it day after day. (And by indignities, I don't mean the care provided... the staff provided excellent care. I was just very devastated by what actually happens to people who lose the ability to care for themselves and have to rely on others for some very intimate needs.) But by the second day, I was actually getting attached to some of the people and began to understand how working with the same people every day can be very rewarding. I still think I'll probably work in the hospital after I graduate, but I can't completely rule out long-term care.
And how did I do during my first stint as a student nurse? I'll be honest... not very good. It's hard to put into practice the things we learn in a carefully constructed lab environment, especially when dealing with real people. I'm so new that I spend all my time trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing and I miss many important details. (For example, I'm so concerned with where I should be putting the stethoscope that I don't really pay attention to what I'm hearing and what that means.) I feel awkward and clumsy and embarrassed most of the time, but I'm trying to not be too hard on myself. I hope that over time I'll get more comfortable with the technical skills and be able to focus on my patient's actual condition.
No comments:
Post a Comment