I looked at my calendar this past weekend and realized that first semester is over in a week and a half after Thanksgiving! Good thing I checked. I can’t believe how fast this semester is going. When I think about what I’ve learned though, it makes sense. Every week I learn a new topic and it is amazing how much I’ve absorbed in the past eight weeks. Too bad I didn’t need any of it last week at clinical.
My patient was a sick young woman who has been in and out of the hospital for many years. Early in the morning, and by early I mean 7:45am, my patient was picked up by transport to get a procedure done. She was getting a feeding tube put in. I was allowed to go with her so I walked with her to the pre-op area where she was greeted by a new group of nurses who immediately started to take care of her. After her vitals were taken and she was just waiting to be taken into the procedure room I didn’t know exactly what to do. I can’t give medication, she had no wounds to dress, she didn’t need a bed change or a bed bath so, I started talking to her. I asked about what brought her to the hospital and what happened and she was very open with me about her past. Once she told me all about her medical history and even some personal history, somehow our conversation drifted. We started talking about the news, then high school, then television and somehow we ended up talking about Jersey Shore. Like, really talking about Jersey Shore. This then cascaded into a whole conversation about trashy television and how it’s just so addicting. Pretty soon, we’d talked about most shows on MTV (and even its affect on teens today!) and it was time for her procedure. I helped wheel her into the room, get ready and soon enough the doctor was in and he began leading the procedure. It took about 40 minutes. I looked at my watch halfway through thinking it was almost lunch time, but was disappointed when I saw that it was only 10 in the morning. I still haven’t gotten used to these early mornings. Once my patient was finished and wheeled into recovery I decided to return to my group (I didn’t think talking about TV while she was asking for pain meds and in agonizing pain was appropriate).
After lunch I visited her for the last time during my shift and she was doing much better. Especially, since she wouldn’t let me put the pulse ox pad on her finger because she was playing a game on her phone and needed to hold it with both hands. As I was leaving my patient asked if I was coming back tomorrow, but I said that we only come every other week for clinical. I told her that I really enjoyed meeting her and that I hope she goes home very soon. She said she agreed and that she really enjoyed talking to me and that I helped make the time go faster while she waited in the pre-op area. At this moment, I silently thanked Snookie. But seriously, I realized that all she needed that day was someone to talk to and I was able to provide that. It wasn’t what we talked about, but the fact that she just enjoyed having someone listen to her. I did nothing medical on Friday, but I left feeling like I made a difference. Nevertheless, after every week at clinical I’m just more confused about what type of nursing to go into. I love patient interaction, but then I also love being in the the procedure room and would love to assist the doctor. More clinicals are added to our schedules each semester. I feel this is where I get the most learning done and I really look forward to it, especially since time seems to be flying by…
