WEEK 9: ER

This week I did my clinical Observations with several nurses.They each had individual patients that they were assigned. There weren't a lot of patients being admitted in the beginning but it picked up after a while.

Things I learned this week:

• psychiatric room

• the scheduling

• the paramedics role

• the process of triage

   

  The BEST thing that happened this week was getting to see the paramedics roll in  a patient. The patient was yelling and screaming that she was in pain. It was like the real thing; what you expect an ER to look like.

  The WORST thing that happened this week was in the beginning there were no patients and all the workers looked busy charting. Also the security guard who had escorted us in told us that we just missed out on a patient that had bled all the way from MSU down to the ER. 

  Overall this week was: GREAT

   

   

  What I Observed...

  Technology
  • mobile X-Ray system
  • gernie
  • Butterfly Needle
  • Portable Ultrasound
  • Cardiac Monitor Display

  Diagnostic Procedures

  • Vital Signs
  • Triage

  Therapeutic Procedures

  • IV medication
  Diseases/ Disorders
• congestive heart failure
• multiple melanoma
• skin cyst

Medical Terminology

• multiple melanoma- multiple masses due to skin cancer

•   Congestive heart failure- body is unable to keep steady blood flow

  
  

  Other

  • it is possible to have 2 mechanical heart valves, multiple melanoma, congestive heart failure at an elderly age and only have the issue of not being able to go far distances to to trouble breathing.

     

     

    I.  I worked in the ER section, which is blocked off from the rest of the hospital and creates a U of patient rooms. I remained in this area the entire time while shadowing several nurses who was working on 1 patient each. They would check their vital signs, assess their medial issues, then assess patient medical history, then fill out the patients paper work. the first patient had come in with the paramedics due to an abnormal growth on her tail bone. She was transferred onto a patient bed where the nurses further assessed her condition. 
    II. All of the workers I saw in the back were female nurses or receptionists at the desk. They would work together each performing a specific procedure on each patient. For example, one would do the physical assessment and vital signs and then the other would administer medications. They communicated through the use of a dry erase board as well as an TV screen with each patient and the nurse who was supposed to be on duty at that time. There weren't too many patients so triage wasn't really an issue there were enough workers to cover ever patient. For safety they just made sure to follow bio hazardous precautions and disposal when it came to dealing with bodily fluids. The diagnostic procedures done on patients included basic vital signs with a physical assessment to conclude triage . For therapeutic procedures all they got to was discussing IV distribution .
    

    III. I was allowed to assist in a few situations. The first was assisting with getting supplies for the patient, then I was asked while the nurse was charting to go to the patient and ask a couple of questions about there medical history so the nurse could let the doctor know what precautions to take before he goes in with the patient. Lastly I was asked to take a patient to there next room where they will have a check up.

    IV. Overall I had a good experience. I was able to do a little more than just shadowing and learning and actually got a chance to interact. It wasn't a lot but it was the amount expected for someone who isn't certified in anything.