Clinical journal
My fourth clinical experience was a little different as it should.
As the typical day, I went to Overlake medical center on Monday, January 31st, to gather my patient information. It was quick because I learned my lesson from last week. All I needed was pathophysiology and medication. I went home, stayed up till midnight, wrote pathophysiology and medicine, and prepared for the next day.
I slept a fair amount compared to the other week.
Tuesday, February 6th, my day starts with good coffee. Then, I got on time, went to my unit, and around 6:45 am, the charge nurse facilitated the huddle for about 5 to 10 minutes. The huddle helped to begin organized thought and get important information for patient safety and prioritization. Around 7:00 am, I met the nurse that I got assigned to take the report, but I saw the other two class meets already set with her. So, it was a little confusing. The nurse said she could not have three students, and I understood how overwhelming it was for the nurse and that it would have been a less learning situation for us.
I talked about it for my instructor and my instructor to communicate with the charge nurse and decided one of us must change our assignment. I volunteered, and I changed my patient assignment and nurse. It wasn't easy since I had to start all over again to know about the patient information. The nurse was very kind, and she helped me understand the patient through her report. I went to the patient's room, and my patient was very nice and cooperative. But unfortunately, although she has not had much medical diagnosis, she got admitted with acute abdominal pain and dehydration. I asked her if it was ok to do a physical assignment on her; she was willing, but when I assessed her pain, it was 7/10, and she started complaining about the pain she had. I immediately stopped the assessment, and I reported to the nurse about The situation. We have her PRN pain medication and told her that I would continue my assessment when the medicine kicked, and she got less pain. And ahead into my other tasks.
Approximately after 40 minutes, the patient called me and asked me to help her to transfer to Bedside Commode. While helping her transfer, her pain got worse, and she started moaning and grimacing. After she went back to bed, I realized I could teach her about nonpharmacological pain management, deep breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques. I taught her about the importance of deep breathing and relaxation techniques, and I made sure that she understood by asking her to though me about if. She thought me about it.
After hours, I went to her room to check on her, assess her to complete a physical assessment, and assess the wound dressing and Jp drain. The patient looked more comfortable, and her mom was there to support her, and she explained to her mom about the deep breathing exercises we did and how that helped her out. And she also told me Start watching nonpharmacological pain management on YouTube and even share other practices with me. I felt I made a difference by using the little knowledge. It might look simply, but it is a big deal for the patient. I am proud of myself for seeing a smile on my patient face. I believe that I can make a difference.
Besides helping my assigned patient, my day went on helping other nurses, CNAs, and physical therapists who needed help. I worked a lot with CNA because I noticed they were struggling to answer many call lights. I know how it feels, and I decided to help them as much I could.