Dated: 02/10/2024
Time: 09:30 – 04:30
Title: Blood/Cardiovascular System/Infection Control/Personal Hygiene/Moving and Handling
At the early hours of the day, we looked at blood and cardiovascular system, I learnt that the cardiovascular System comprises the hearts, blood vessels, and blood. The heart pumps oxygenated blood to the body and returns deoxygenated blood to the lungs. The main components of blood include red blood cells (which carries oxygen), white blood cells (which Fight infections), platelets (which helps in clotting), and plasma (which transports nutrients, waste products). The cardiovascular system’s primary function is to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and to remove waste products and regulates blood temperature. I also learnt about the different blood groups and different types of blood vessels which includes arteries, veins, capillaries and their roles in circulation.
This learning is crucial to my development because understanding the blood and cardiovascular system is essential to providing holistic patient care. And by understanding the fundamentals of how blood circulates and supports body functions I can better monitor patients.
Moving forward, I will continue to enhance my knowledge of the cardiovascular system by engaging in clinical practice and applying what I have learnt to real life scenarios. I will focus on developing practical skills such as measuring blood pressure, understanding electrocardiograms (ECGs).
At the later hours of the day, we all went into the clinical area, where I learnt about infection control, personal hygiene, moving and handling. These are essential practices in healthcare. Infection control are procedures used to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. It involves various measures aimed at minimising the risk of infections such as hand washing, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning and disinfection etc. Personal hygiene plays a crucial role in infection control and as Nursing Associates we are constantly exposed to various pathogens. Moving and handling involves supporting patients to move safely, weather from bed to chair, turning in beds, or assisting with walking.
Hand hygiene is essential in breaking the chain of infection and preventing the transmission of microorganisms. And I understand maintaining a patient’s dignity while providing personal care is as important as the task itself. The moving and handling experience taught me that improper technique can lead to injuries such as back pain for both the patient and myself. It is not all about physically assisting the patient but doing so in a way that ensures safety for everyone involved. I also realised how crucial communication is during these processes to maintain the patient’s comfort and cooperation.
Moving forward, I will ensure that I consistently follow strict infection control measures especially hand hygiene to protect patients and myself. In terms of personal hygiene, I will focus on providing care that respects the patient’s dignity while also preventing infections or other complications. And for moving and handling, I plan to continue practicing safe techniques and using equipments such as hoists, slide sheets where necessary. I will also seek additional training or guidance to refine my trainings ensuring that I can safely support patients without causing injury to them or myself.
KSBs addressed:
K20: Know how people’s needs for safety, dignity, privacy, comfort, and sleep can be met
K30: Understand the principles of health and safety legislation and regulations and maintain safe work and care environments
S17: Protect health through understanding and applying the principles of infection prevention and control, including communicable disease surveillance an antimicrobial stewardship and resistance
S25: Meet people’s needs for safety, dignity, privacy, comfort, and sleep