# 10
Coming from India, which is a developing country and where most things are done manually, I can clearly see the difference between a developed and a developing country. America is so high-tech that at times it freaks me out. Being a student in India, I hardly used technology at all, in most parts of India everything is still done manually, and there is limited use of technology. I believe technology is great, and through technology people have done things that our previous generations could never have imagined. Yet, I also feel there might come a point when technology could take over in such a way that we would not need humans to operate them. If only robots can be made to do everything why would humans be hired as robots could work much efficiently and at a faster rate.
After coming here I had to learn to use technology for everything, I had to write papers and most of my resources came from the internet. Having the opportunity to go to the hospitals for clinicals, I saw the use and importance of technology. Right from having IV pumps, electronic thermometers, electronic charting and so on, everything is technology based. On one hand it is good, because it is more accurate, it speeds up the process, it is more efficient, and there are limited chances of making mistakes. To be a good and efficient nurse, he/she does not only have to acquire knowledge from books, but also be well acquainted with all the machines and equipments used at the hospital. Due to technology we get quick lab reports, we can communicate with people instantly, and so technology is very helpful, saves a lot of our time and energy, and has increased the efficiency at work places. However, I feel that it creates a barrier between a patient and a nurse, and we lose the personal contact with our patients. Being a nurse you have to see that you work all the equipments perfectly and thus the attention shifts from the patient to the equipment in order to make sure it is working properly rather than seeing the comfort of the patient.
I would say that technology has both its positive and its negative aspects. It is good that technology has brought us thus far and helped us achieve a lot, but being a nurse I would like to keep in mind that technology should be controlled by humans and not vice versa, because mistakes could still occur and we should remember that we are taking care of humans and dealing with life and death.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Patience is a virtue!
#9
A few years back when my sister decided to become a nurse, everybody started asking me what I was going to do. Some advised me to become a nurse because they say I am very soft spoken and I have a lot of patience. At that time, I never really understood the relationship between a "nurse" and "patience." I remember thinking that patient's can not be so annoying or so demanding that you need to have a lot of patience. However, the relationship between a "nurse" and "patience” became clear to me this week at clinicals.
I had a patient on Thursday who had a right hip abscess, and suffered with a lot of pain when she moved. She could not walk, so used a bedside commode. But the problem was that she took 45 minutes just to sit up in bed. Nobody could pull her up because it would hurt her really bad. When I asked her to rate her pain while she was trying to get up at a scale of 0-10 she said 12. I knew she was having a lot of pain, yet she did not want to use attends and she was not able to use a bed pan because that hurt too. So I was there trying to help her as much as I could by holding her leg or positioning her. It took more than an hour just to get her up, and back down. She voided four times during my shift and I remember counting that 3 1/2 hours just to help her void. It was a little difficult for me and I knew how painful and frustrating it was for her too. But I understood her problem, and I wanted her to feel as independent as possible. I know it is difficult to lose all of your independence so suddenly and how emotionally and physically challenging it could be. In the end, before getting discharged she told me “thank you for being so patient with me, and I really appreciate it.”
Also, on Friday I had a patient with a left leg fracture. She could turn from side to side but could not get up. She was pretty independent and used a bedpan to void. However, I had to pull it out, and because she did not place it properly her attends as well as her sheet underneath used to get soiled. While I was there, she voided 5 times, and every time I had to change everything all over again. She felt bad for me and said that I would be happy when she was gone, but then I told her not to worry about it, and that I was there to take care of her to the best of my abilities and that is why I am there; she was so happy and appreciative.
These two incidents brought back the question I had in mind a few years back and I realized why it is so important for nurses to be patient and I am glad God has gifted me with this quality.
A few years back when my sister decided to become a nurse, everybody started asking me what I was going to do. Some advised me to become a nurse because they say I am very soft spoken and I have a lot of patience. At that time, I never really understood the relationship between a "nurse" and "patience." I remember thinking that patient's can not be so annoying or so demanding that you need to have a lot of patience. However, the relationship between a "nurse" and "patience” became clear to me this week at clinicals.
I had a patient on Thursday who had a right hip abscess, and suffered with a lot of pain when she moved. She could not walk, so used a bedside commode. But the problem was that she took 45 minutes just to sit up in bed. Nobody could pull her up because it would hurt her really bad. When I asked her to rate her pain while she was trying to get up at a scale of 0-10 she said 12. I knew she was having a lot of pain, yet she did not want to use attends and she was not able to use a bed pan because that hurt too. So I was there trying to help her as much as I could by holding her leg or positioning her. It took more than an hour just to get her up, and back down. She voided four times during my shift and I remember counting that 3 1/2 hours just to help her void. It was a little difficult for me and I knew how painful and frustrating it was for her too. But I understood her problem, and I wanted her to feel as independent as possible. I know it is difficult to lose all of your independence so suddenly and how emotionally and physically challenging it could be. In the end, before getting discharged she told me “thank you for being so patient with me, and I really appreciate it.”
Also, on Friday I had a patient with a left leg fracture. She could turn from side to side but could not get up. She was pretty independent and used a bedpan to void. However, I had to pull it out, and because she did not place it properly her attends as well as her sheet underneath used to get soiled. While I was there, she voided 5 times, and every time I had to change everything all over again. She felt bad for me and said that I would be happy when she was gone, but then I told her not to worry about it, and that I was there to take care of her to the best of my abilities and that is why I am there; she was so happy and appreciative.
These two incidents brought back the question I had in mind a few years back and I realized why it is so important for nurses to be patient and I am glad God has gifted me with this quality.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Last Day at Bethany Silver Lake
# 8
Days are passing by so quick and I can hardly believe that we are done with our Long term care. Its strange to think how in these 8 days, I have become so attached to the residents at Bethany. I did not know it for myself until the day to say "Good bye" came along. My days at Bethany had been very eventful and exciting. Everyday I met a new person, or learned something thing new about a resident that I was not aware of. My work comprised of giving basic care, feeding the residents, taking vital signs, checking blood glucose, giving medications, doing my physical assessment and it goes on. I gained a lot of knowledge by doing this and this also helped me build up my confidence but other than this I built great relationships with the residents. Though I had only one resident to care for, during my hours there I went about greeting and spending time and talking to most of the residents and getting to know them. I loved spending time talking to them and caring for them. On the last day I did not know it would be so difficult for me to bid them farewell. On Friday I made it a point to go and meet all the residents and take leave. Everything seems so much sweeter in the end. It was so nice to hear them say that they enjoyed having us there, or thank us to take care of ourselves, or even that they would miss us. Some of them thanked me for spending time to talk to them. When I told my resident that it was my last day, she was really upset but I told her that there will be others to take care of her, and she replied saying "but it will not be the same." Usually my resident does not talk very much and sometimes she could not even answer my questions and so I did not think that I built a very strong relationship with her, but when I heard her say these few words to me, I felt like though I could not talk to her very much, yet my actions and the care I gave her conveyed my message to her that I was there to care for her and it was so nice to see that she appreciated every little thing I did for her.
My experience at Bethany was great. At first I had no clue as to what to expect but everything turned out well and one thing I learned was that showing and making a person feel that they are loved and cared for can really do great things. On the last day I heard some of them talk whom I had never heard talk before, or someone who never listens to anybody, but listened when I tried convincing him, or someone who always talks in a different language and nobody understands her, speaks to me in English. Its funny to say that on the first day there I did not know that these residents would become such an important part of my life that I would actually say that I miss them.
Days are passing by so quick and I can hardly believe that we are done with our Long term care. Its strange to think how in these 8 days, I have become so attached to the residents at Bethany. I did not know it for myself until the day to say "Good bye" came along. My days at Bethany had been very eventful and exciting. Everyday I met a new person, or learned something thing new about a resident that I was not aware of. My work comprised of giving basic care, feeding the residents, taking vital signs, checking blood glucose, giving medications, doing my physical assessment and it goes on. I gained a lot of knowledge by doing this and this also helped me build up my confidence but other than this I built great relationships with the residents. Though I had only one resident to care for, during my hours there I went about greeting and spending time and talking to most of the residents and getting to know them. I loved spending time talking to them and caring for them. On the last day I did not know it would be so difficult for me to bid them farewell. On Friday I made it a point to go and meet all the residents and take leave. Everything seems so much sweeter in the end. It was so nice to hear them say that they enjoyed having us there, or thank us to take care of ourselves, or even that they would miss us. Some of them thanked me for spending time to talk to them. When I told my resident that it was my last day, she was really upset but I told her that there will be others to take care of her, and she replied saying "but it will not be the same." Usually my resident does not talk very much and sometimes she could not even answer my questions and so I did not think that I built a very strong relationship with her, but when I heard her say these few words to me, I felt like though I could not talk to her very much, yet my actions and the care I gave her conveyed my message to her that I was there to care for her and it was so nice to see that she appreciated every little thing I did for her.
My experience at Bethany was great. At first I had no clue as to what to expect but everything turned out well and one thing I learned was that showing and making a person feel that they are loved and cared for can really do great things. On the last day I heard some of them talk whom I had never heard talk before, or someone who never listens to anybody, but listened when I tried convincing him, or someone who always talks in a different language and nobody understands her, speaks to me in English. Its funny to say that on the first day there I did not know that these residents would become such an important part of my life that I would actually say that I miss them.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Nurse interview
# 6
Today in social issues class, we were introduced to 6 Christian nurses who had served in the profession for the last 20 years. It was amazing to talk to them and hear all of their experiences. Most of them had done a variety of things which made me realize that with Nursing we have so much to chose from. We don't always have to do the same thing all our life, we can always move around to different aspects of nursing and attain a broad spectrum of knowledge and experience.
The nurse our group was assigned to was a flight nurse. She told us all the experiences she had during the war times. When I had asked her about how she integrated her faith with her professional life, she said that it was not important to be a Christian to be a good Nurse. By treating each patient with dignity, respect, and keeping in mind that they were human beings and need to be treated with care was all that was needed. Also she told us the importance of meeting the basic needs of the patient which according to her has been diminishing with time. Sometimes we feel we are too busy to go and greet everybody or talk to them but we should keep in mind, a small act of going to our clients and greeting them or spending sometime with them can really change the way they feel about things and even themselves. Furthermore, in the past few days I have been returning from clinicals carrying everything from the Nursing home in my heart and mind. I do not want to continue doing this because it is imprtant to learn to keep professional life separate from personal life. Just as I cannot take my personal problems to my work place, so I should not with my professional life. Hence, in the class discussion I learned how to find a friend preferably of the same profession to talk about your problems and let it out of you before you go home. It makes you feel better when the weight has lifted from your chest rather than carrying it with you into your personal life.
It was great to talk to all the nurses and I learned some great values and they gave us some good advice that I would keep in mind while preparing to enter my career.
Today in social issues class, we were introduced to 6 Christian nurses who had served in the profession for the last 20 years. It was amazing to talk to them and hear all of their experiences. Most of them had done a variety of things which made me realize that with Nursing we have so much to chose from. We don't always have to do the same thing all our life, we can always move around to different aspects of nursing and attain a broad spectrum of knowledge and experience.
The nurse our group was assigned to was a flight nurse. She told us all the experiences she had during the war times. When I had asked her about how she integrated her faith with her professional life, she said that it was not important to be a Christian to be a good Nurse. By treating each patient with dignity, respect, and keeping in mind that they were human beings and need to be treated with care was all that was needed. Also she told us the importance of meeting the basic needs of the patient which according to her has been diminishing with time. Sometimes we feel we are too busy to go and greet everybody or talk to them but we should keep in mind, a small act of going to our clients and greeting them or spending sometime with them can really change the way they feel about things and even themselves. Furthermore, in the past few days I have been returning from clinicals carrying everything from the Nursing home in my heart and mind. I do not want to continue doing this because it is imprtant to learn to keep professional life separate from personal life. Just as I cannot take my personal problems to my work place, so I should not with my professional life. Hence, in the class discussion I learned how to find a friend preferably of the same profession to talk about your problems and let it out of you before you go home. It makes you feel better when the weight has lifted from your chest rather than carrying it with you into your personal life.
It was great to talk to all the nurses and I learned some great values and they gave us some good advice that I would keep in mind while preparing to enter my career.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
First Day of Clinicals
#3
Today was the first day of clinicals and it was pretty exciting as well as overwhelming. This was my first experience at a Nursing Home and I was a little nervous as I did not know what to expect. After finishing with orientation and looking through my resident's records, we were asked to shadow the CNA. While working with her, I visited many other residents and I realized how much they loved to talk. I felt as if they were lonely and wanted to sit down and talk their hearts out. Also, it was quite depressing because while visiting their rooms I saw their pictures pinned on to their clipboards. Pictures of when they were young and with their spouses who are now dead. It was sad to see that once a youthful person, full of life and excitement for the future is now dependent on others for their basic daily activities. It is sad to see how time has passed, leaving them at this stage. I know this is reality and I need to accept it, I've just never come into contact with all of them at once and so it was a little overwhelming. However, I hope my time at the Nursing home will teach me how to deal with these situations and have a great time just getting to know them and being there to help as much as I can.
Today was the first day of clinicals and it was pretty exciting as well as overwhelming. This was my first experience at a Nursing Home and I was a little nervous as I did not know what to expect. After finishing with orientation and looking through my resident's records, we were asked to shadow the CNA. While working with her, I visited many other residents and I realized how much they loved to talk. I felt as if they were lonely and wanted to sit down and talk their hearts out. Also, it was quite depressing because while visiting their rooms I saw their pictures pinned on to their clipboards. Pictures of when they were young and with their spouses who are now dead. It was sad to see that once a youthful person, full of life and excitement for the future is now dependent on others for their basic daily activities. It is sad to see how time has passed, leaving them at this stage. I know this is reality and I need to accept it, I've just never come into contact with all of them at once and so it was a little overwhelming. However, I hope my time at the Nursing home will teach me how to deal with these situations and have a great time just getting to know them and being there to help as much as I can.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
THE BIG DAY!
#2
WOW...we are already done with a whole month of classes and tomorrow is the big day...we start our clinicals. This is something I have been looking forward for, just being able to do all that we have been learning for this entire month. I am very excited to go, meet people, and do what I am here for but at the same time I am also a little nervous. I don't really know what to expect but I just hope and pray that God gives me the strength I need and hoping this to be a great learning experience for me.
WOW...we are already done with a whole month of classes and tomorrow is the big day...we start our clinicals. This is something I have been looking forward for, just being able to do all that we have been learning for this entire month. I am very excited to go, meet people, and do what I am here for but at the same time I am also a little nervous. I don't really know what to expect but I just hope and pray that God gives me the strength I need and hoping this to be a great learning experience for me.
Monday, August 31, 2009
I, Me, & Myself
Hello everyone,
My name is Priya and today is the first day of my Nursing classes and I am really excited about the program and yet I feel nervous and apprehensive about what llies ahead. I am hoping to give this year my best and heading forward towards the plan God has for me.
My name is Priya and today is the first day of my Nursing classes and I am really excited about the program and yet I feel nervous and apprehensive about what llies ahead. I am hoping to give this year my best and heading forward towards the plan God has for me.
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