Blog # 11
From a simple and practical standpoint, technology has many advantages to offer nursing. I for one, can hardly stand to try to read the doctor's handwriting (nurses to for that matter). Having the orders and progress notes on the computer would save me a headache and save them from double charting (they would otherwise have to read their charting to me again). At the same time, I can understand some hesitancy about the changes technology is bringing. Power outages become an increasingly serious and crictical problem, technology rarely works they way we want it to, and the list goes on. Despite these set backs, it seems inevitable that technology, and lots of it, is coming. So perhaps the best question is how we deal with technology we have. For the nurse, I would venture to say that most important thing to remeber is to never substitue patient interactions with technology. Although the technology helps, people ultimately need other people, not more power cords and electronic gaudets. Hopefully, with this in mind, nurses will be able to blend technology smoothly into health care.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Most Difficult of Patients
Blog # 8
For our last roation at the Med-Surge floor for this semester, I took care of a patient that all of the other nurses avoided. She had a history of being quit needy and was one of those patients that it seemed no matter how hard you worked, she could not be pleased. But the suprising thing to me was that she never displayed any disagreeable behavior for the entire two days I was with her. Sure, she did incessently call out for the nurse as soon as she was alone in her room, but when I answered her, she would thank me for helping and apologize for being such a bother. Many of the other nurses on the floor thought I was an extremely patient student since I spent pratically my entire shift in her room. But the truth is, I was paitent with a thankful client. This is no test of patience. Its like loving those who love you, somthing everyone can do. The true test comes when a nurse has to take care of a difficult patient who constantly complains about the job you do. A person who can provide the same compasionate care for this patient as he or she does for other grateful patients, is the one who really demonstrates patiences. When I worked in a nursing home, I had a little experience caring for patients who complain about and criticizes everything you do. Luckily, this patient had mental problems (I say luckily because I would hate to met a cognitive person who was that nasty for the entire six months I worked there). Even though I knew she had mental problems, it was still very difficult (nearly impossible) to provide the best care I could. After all, can you give your best despite how you feel? Perhaps to an extent, but there is no subsitute for that geniune love nurses can have for their patients. Its a difficult question and I am sure this will be one of my personal challenges as I progress further into the nursing field.
For our last roation at the Med-Surge floor for this semester, I took care of a patient that all of the other nurses avoided. She had a history of being quit needy and was one of those patients that it seemed no matter how hard you worked, she could not be pleased. But the suprising thing to me was that she never displayed any disagreeable behavior for the entire two days I was with her. Sure, she did incessently call out for the nurse as soon as she was alone in her room, but when I answered her, she would thank me for helping and apologize for being such a bother. Many of the other nurses on the floor thought I was an extremely patient student since I spent pratically my entire shift in her room. But the truth is, I was paitent with a thankful client. This is no test of patience. Its like loving those who love you, somthing everyone can do. The true test comes when a nurse has to take care of a difficult patient who constantly complains about the job you do. A person who can provide the same compasionate care for this patient as he or she does for other grateful patients, is the one who really demonstrates patiences. When I worked in a nursing home, I had a little experience caring for patients who complain about and criticizes everything you do. Luckily, this patient had mental problems (I say luckily because I would hate to met a cognitive person who was that nasty for the entire six months I worked there). Even though I knew she had mental problems, it was still very difficult (nearly impossible) to provide the best care I could. After all, can you give your best despite how you feel? Perhaps to an extent, but there is no subsitute for that geniune love nurses can have for their patients. Its a difficult question and I am sure this will be one of my personal challenges as I progress further into the nursing field.
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