Student reflection on an episode of care
Within your reflection describe the episode of care and how you assessed, planned, delivered and evaluated person-centred care.
During my place in this surgical ward, I was allocated to work in one of the bay under a nurse supervision. After the handover, the first thing to do is to do the safety checks in the bay you are allocated, introduce yourself to your patients and also gain their consent. After all this then you start with the medication round. During the handover we were inform that one of the patient was not feeling well during the night shift and so when we got him we had to check his observation done by the night nurse and we saw that his saturation was low and he also the time was sweeting profusely.
We had to quickly do a set of observation on the patient and we noticed that not only his saturation but his blood pressure and temperature too was high. We asked him and he said he was in pain and also feeling very hot and so we quickly put oxygen for him and also put wet towel on his head and also turn the fan on for him. We quickly then had to escalate this to the nurse in charge because he was scoring 5.
After escalating we came back and gave him his painkillers and his other medication. During all this time another patient was also complaining about his glass that he can not find after he came back from his dialysis. And it was his time for his medication he refused to take his medication and we had to explain him the consequences of him refusing his medication. He became so furious and we had to persuade him to take his medication which he did toke and after all the medication rounds we came and search through his bag and we found his glass for him.
What did you do well?
In a cardiothoracic ward, one of the main things that you know is your perimeters and how to escalate them properly when the need arises. What I did well was when we saw that his perimeters were not within his normal range I quickly escalated this to the nurse in charge and also him on oxygen before escalating it.
And with the other patient too was also explaining the consequences of him not taken his medication and also explaining to him which one should be attended to first.
What would you have done differently?
What I could have done differently for the other patient was to asked the HCA or any other team member who free and available to support and look for his glass for him before he gets furious.
Describe how you have begun to work more independently in the provision of care and the decision making process.
One of the qualities you need to have is to be able to work independently and during this placement in the surgical ward example whenever a a patient is brought from theatre to the ward after the handover the first thing to do is to post observation on the patient and during this you will looking after the patient and escalating any on usual changes on the patient to the nurse and better still if the need arises inform the doctors. To be able to work independently, you need to know how to prioritize you time and also make decision properly at will be in the interest of the your patients.
What learning from this episode of care could be transferred to other areas of practice?
What I learnt here is all to be on top of your perimeters and also escalating on time and also knowing how to prioritize your patient needs depending on situation, time and condition.