WEEK 12: Day Surgery

This week I did my clinical observations with a Nurse. She was on a surgical team that included a doctor, nurse, two surgical techs, and an CRNA. Together they were working on two patients in need of a colonoscopy and gastroduoenteroscopy.

• Things I learned-
• Members of a outpatient surgical team
• The duties of a nurse during outpatient surgery is to work with the anesthesiologist to prep patient for the procedure and during and after the surgery to write down everything that is going on.
• GDE (what they see and look for)
• The BEST thing that happened this week was how inclusive the surgical team I was working with was. They were actually trying to teach me and the included me in what they were doing as opposed to many other heath care workers who kind of avoid you.
• The WORST thing that happened this week was not getting to see a variety of different things. I saw the exact same thing on Monday as I saw on Wednesday. At least I got to see something but I wish I saw more.

What I Observed

colonoscope

GDE camera

• Technology-
• Colonoscope
• gasterduoenteroscopy camera

• Diagnostic Procedures-
• scope pictures
• Vital Signs

• Therapeutic Procedures-
• prescription pills for gastritis
• Diseases/ Disorders-
• gastritis

• Medical Terminology/ Abbreviations encountered-
• GDE- Gastroduoenteroscopy- stomach duodenum and intestinses exploration with cameras
• colonoscopy- inserting a camera in the colon throught the anus to take a look inside the body
• Other
• the surgical techs do more hands on than the nurses do.
• the prep procedure for the patient's admittance.

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  I. I worked initially in the Day Surgery Room ,but the procedure was done in the outpatient surgery room, where the doctor could observe the colonoscope images on a screen in front of hime. The surgical team consisted of an CRNA, nurse, two surgical techs, and a doctor. The procedure consisted of  inserting the camera in the anus for the colonoscopy or the esophagus for the GDE. The camera went through most of the GI track as far as the camera could reach. When they got as far as they could from the mouth they tried as far as they could from the other end. The reason they did both procedures was to see the entire GI tract. 

II.

There was one of every worker. I saw one doctors leading the procedure. The nurses were each assigned up to two patients and helped the other nurses with simple procedures.  The nurses did all the paper work and prep. The prep process included weighing the patient, checking for correct spelling and birth date, checking the procedure, go over the procedure, took prep and did not eat, ask for blood consent, consent to pictures taken for medical records, consent tot student observation, doctor bills separately from hospital, change into gown,go over allergies, get temperature, blood pressure, IV pick line and have the physician and anesthesiologist review the chart.

III.

 I was only allowed to observe. Although the doctor doing the procedure went over ever structure he encountered for me to know what I was seeing. There was only mild inflammation of the stomach which was the only abnormality he encountered for both patients both days. The patient was diagnosed by the physician who prescribed medications to reduce the inflammation. Pre-op the patients complained of abdominal pain but the source was not found in the surgery.

IV.
Overall I had a good experience. Educationally I was able to see the GI tract of a live person in real time ,but this was the only observation I was able to make. Everyone was interested in teaching me and had a positive attitude which made me have a positive attitude over the situation.