We received a weekly schedule on the first day of class, which was clearly separated into two parts: Weeks 1-10 and Weeks 10-15. Well, I made it to week 10, which meant that on Friday I would complete my very first 12-hour shift.
I was so nervous about being tired during those 12 hours (probably because I am almost always tired these days), so I forced myself to start going to sleep early a few days prior to the actual shift.
It has reached the point in the semester where we have a test every week. The fast pace is a curse and a blessing. It makes me feel stressed, nervous, and fatigued, but it also makes me feel proud, capable, and productive.
I really cannot believe how much my knowledge base has expanded in only a few months. Terms that were unknown to me in July have now become vernacular.
I realized the importance of using and understanding proper terminology after the first time we went to the hospital.
What is even harder than using these words, is putting them back into simple language when communicating with patients.
We spend a lot of time putting complicated medications and disease processes into simpler terms that anyone would be able to understand.... It is not easy, but it is definitely important.
On many occasions I have heard friends and family members complain about their providers using highly technical jargon. I am glad that I am already practicing the opposite.
For example, when speaking to patients we are taught to say "blood sugar," "high blood pressure" and "high cholesterol" instead of "glucose," "hypertension," and "hypercholesterolemia." I think that this makes complete sense and I would be frustrated if my financial advisor tried to discuss complex market trends with me.
This past week we had an assessment that was aimed at helping us practice this skill. We were paired up, and graded on a simulated home visit, during which we reviewed medications, conditions, and lifestyle habits.
In the simulation we also helped the "patient" to make personal goals regarding his/her health. Each pair worked with one actor pretending to be a patient, and was graded by an observing professor.
This was a good experience and I enjoyed it because I felt like someone was really listening to my advice, and in addition to listening to it, truly valued it.
At this point, we have had three 12-hour shifts in the hospital. When we go we are assigned one patient for the day. We work with that patient's licensed nurse, and with our clinical instructor to administer oral, topical, subcutaneous, and intramuscular medications (we are still not allowed to administer intravenous medications).
We perform a full head-to-toe assessment in the morning, and we take the patient's vital signs periodically. We also assist with bed baths, and helping the patient with bathroom-needs whether it is on the bedside commode, on a bedpan, or in the bathroom.
It is a very humbling experience to see patients when they are so vulnerable.
In my three shifts I have learned that patients appreciate the little things, like when you use their names or take an interest in them and their needs. I have learned that it is important to pay attention to all of their conditions in order to understand what is happening during this particular hospital admission.
By far the most important thing I have learned is that I still have much more to learn.
Gloria Rothenberg, a native of Livingston, N.J., recently completed a summer internship with 51˶ and is now a nursing student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Her accounts of the program and her experiences appear in this space from time to time.
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