NRSG370 Clinical Integration: Specialty Practice

Find three articles from magazines, journals, blogs, online postings (most numerous), where the person writes about the meaning an illness has had for them. Preferably this will be from your area of specialty practice however this may prove difficult for some specialties in this case pick a specialty area that interests you where there is information available. Choose one article each from the following perspectives or points of view.

From the perspective of the person being cared for

From the perspective of the person closest to them (partner, parent, child, etc)

From the perspective of a health professional caring for such a person

Choose one of these readings and write a reflection on how it has changed your perspective or given you some insight into the meaning illness has for a particular person.

The day began by discharging one of my patient who had undergone a laparoscopic surgery to remove her ruptured appendix. The patient had recovered successfully and at that point, she was free to go home. Later in the day, a directive was issuedthat a patient whom for a while was waiting for a kidney transplant had identified a donor and the surgery had to take place the following day early in the morning. As a surgical nurse specialty, one has always to be alert especially since I had six patients under my care and the following day the number would rise up to eight.

Upon winding up the surgicalprocedure,I went through the checklist to ensure that everything was in place; little did I know I would be missing a pair of scissors. However, the patient was lucky enough as the doctor had not gone far with the stitching and was able to trace the scissors and remove them.

During that period of postoperative care,I was able to provide advice to the patients on how they should take care of themselves with the assistance of their family membersand created a therapeuticrelationship, which helped to learn a lot,regarding what the patient who required the transplant went through (Gastmans, 2018). Through that,experienceI learned that opening up could help in controlling the severity of illnesses. Talking about the condition helps one not to feel alone and assist in finding out solutions. Therefore, being a specialty surgical nurse is very important to determine what information is beneficial to the patient and which might worsen the illness(Mok, & Chiu, 2014)

The immediate step in postoperative care is tofacilitate wound healing, assist in controlling the mental status and the pain, and ensure airway protection. Postoperative care extends beyond sharing information because of the therapeutic relationship. It is recommendable that Iteach the patient about the potential side effects and complications that might arise and how they are to be handled. This procedure helps to mind the welfare of the patient by eliminating the chances of wound infection(Durmaz, et.al.2012).

Therefore, it is important that I take care of my patients in all dimensions to ensure quick recovery. These dimensions involve physical, emotional, and medical. Physical care involves ensuring that the patient stays in a clean environment. Emotional care, consists of reassuring the patient about recovery and also providing a anchor of hope and trust, while medical involves giving the correct prescription and at the right time. Moreover, going through the checklist after the surgical procedure is crucial and necessary

In the future,I hope to be as cautious as I was when in the surgical room as my due diligence saved a life. Moreover, withholding the information from the patient ensured that the patient built trust with the hospital services as well as me. Moreover, post-operative care is more important as it determines how well the patient is able to recover once discharged from hospital.

References

Durmaz, A., Dicle, A., Cakan, E., &Cakir, S. (2012). Effect of screen-based computer simulation on knowledge and skill in nursing students’ learning of preoperative and postoperative care management: A randomized controlled study. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 30(4), 196-203.

Gastmans, C. (2018). Interpersonal relations in nursing: a philosophical?ethical analysis of the work of Hildegard E. Peplau. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 28(6), 1312-1319.

Mok, E., & Chiu, P. C. (2014).Nurse–patient relationships in palliative care. Journal of advanced Nursing, 48(5), 475-483.