Reflections :)

WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FORMULATE A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND MAY NOT BECOME A GREAT NURSING THEORIST. BUT AS A NURSE WHO SELFLESSLY SERVE MANDKIND, WE ARE A NATURAL HERO. TO CARE IS OUR HABIT, OUR COMPASSION IS PRICELESS, THE STRENGTH WE POSSESS IS NEVER ENDING.

SPENDING  OUR LIVES IN  SERVICE TO OTHERS, 

WE CAN SOMEHOW SAY, WE MADE  A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES IN OUR OWN LITTLE WAY.
ALLOW US TO SHARE SOME EXPERIENCES THAT WOULD SOMEHOW

REFLECT THE MAR K WE HAVE LEFT IN THEM.

Being a nurse, I was able to give them advices with regards to their health in order to prevent, protect and maintain their healthiest status. By these, I was able to promote  health, educate them, be an advocate of health and be someone who guides them to healthy living. And I am glad to be that person who helps them to realize that being healthy and living another day with their loved ones is worth living for.

                                                                                                                               Joanne Rivera, RN

There are things in life that you simply don’t appreciate because it is what you have been doing everyday. With the concepts of Henderson’s Theory, these have been applied for many years and yet we still use it as a core in our profession. When I was still a Medical-Surgical Ward Nurse, I was driven by this theory, and during my rounds, I’ll do a quick mental nursing process just to identify the problems of my patient. I would then base it from the identified 14 human needs, checking if the patient is capable of doing activities of daily living, and evaluating if a patient can do it by his or herself. As a nurse, I am there to make sure that in one way or another, independence is achieved. For stroke patients, it is more on compliance at home and making sure that the environment is free from any form of dangers. We nurses must not ignore that we also have independent nursing roles, and that is being independent from the physicians. For instance, for patients who have distended bladder, we don’t call the attending physician immediately, but instead, we try our best to do nursing management such as hot/cold compress or stimulation of environment. In this way, you helped the patient in achieving its goal without any invasive measures.

Now as I became a head nurse, I made rounds everyday to all patients making sure if they have been satisfied with the kind of services that we gave them. Through this, I was able to encourage all patients and its significant others to communicate by expressing their emotions and opinions. And consequently, reflecting once again that I have applied this theory in my everyday work field.

                                                                                       Ma. Lourdes Laigo, RN

Outcome of Experienced that made a difference in the patient’s life.


A. CARING FOR A PATIENT WITH DIGNITY

This story is about a patient who was admitted in the ward with pnuemothorax, requiring a chest drain. As per Sheik Khalifa Medical City, (hospital I’m inn today) policy this procedure is carried out in Operating room or in Radiology department. The Doctor approached me stated that the patient required a chest drain to relieved his condition, to be performed at bedside which I discussed that intensive procedures to be done in OR / in radiology department, however the Dr.insisted  and did it at bedside, so everything was then prepared.Dr prescribed for paracetamol 500mgs prior to procedure which I disagree considering the procedure at bedside and patient should not suffer, insisted to give morphine 5mgs S/c instead, next there was neither consent nor time out signed and did not don sterile gown and gloves, called Drs attention explained that all health team should follow policy andprocedures, but refused, procedure was hold I immediately call the Consultant, who guided the specialist throughout the procedure. The patient was saved from pain, maintained comfort and potential infection.I made a difference in the patient’s life in that I used my authority, critical thinking and knowledge as a nurse to prevent malpractice by a colleague, by being   a patient’s advocate. Although the doctor was not happy with my intuition, he respected my judgement, that patient was grateful that someone stood up for him and did not endure severe pain, comfort and safety was then maintained.In this case, Virginia Henderson’s theory and Nursing process, was applied through proper assessment, correct judgment through critical thinking, knowledge and skills thus maintained good health, safety and helping client restore health.

                                                                                                                         Divina Digap, RN

       

A good nurse  does not think of the number of patients but the number of things he/she can do to his/her patients. Our service need not always be recognize. We  nurses,are bound to offer ourselves as a means of comfort to others. As I communicate  to my patients, i let them feel at ease that they would be able to express their concerns to me freely. This only means that I was able to gain their trust which is the most important factor for a nursing care to be rendered effectively.  In taking care of my patients,  I put myself in their shoe, so i would feel what they feel. In this way, i keep myself aware with their needs. But No matter how exhausting  the day is, a smile, and a  touch from my patients gives me comfort,  enough to suffice the meaning of my profession.  And a THANK YOU,,which suggest that I have made a difference in them.

                                                                                                    Mienalyn Lim Dammang, RN

A nurse assists the person in meeting his needs in meeting his 14 fundamental needs.

              When I passed and topped the Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination, I had brought great joy and pride to my family. Coming from a middle-class family, we had undergone and overcome a lot of struggles to send me to nursing school, for we are not well-off. It had been difficult. I felt bad for during graduation I was not able to bring home an award. So I promised that during the board examinations  I would do better. I had dreamed and wished pass and top the board examinations, but never knew that it would come true. Hard work, prayers and the support of my family and friends had paid off.  It has brought hope for a better future for me and my family. I am not yet financially stable, I had become independent from my family, which is a great help for my family. I am no longer a burden but an asset. They worry less about my future, for they know that I have a great path ahead of me. I also influence my family to be more health oriented and help them in meeting their health needs.

              For my friends and my school, I try to and had somehow become a source of inspiration for them. Every now and then, I visit my alma mater and meet with students especially those who are about to take the board examinations. I share with them my experiences as a nurse and as a student, giving them confidence and courage in entering the wonderful world of nursing. I try to impart with them that anything is possible, if they just put our hearts and minds into our endeavors, that they can make their dreams into a  reality. I share with them the joys of being able to help patients maintain or restore health or even a peaceful death. Being an ICU nurse, I tried to remind them the great tasks nurses face daily in life and death situations. I also talk with my teachers and mentors, sharing with them what i experience in the clinical setting. I continuously learn from them and I hope they can learn from me too.

                As an ICU nurse, I had been trained to work decisively, effectively and efficiently in life and death situations. I had tried to provide utmost care to the patients and support to their family. Most patients in the ICU are totally dependent to the nurse, being in severely-ill or sometimes, comatose states. At times, their lives and health depend upon the careful monitoring of the nurse and timely treatment of their conditions. I always need to be on guard for the patients are in unstable states and are at risk of developing life-threatening complications.

                   Sometimes, when I am on duty and the ICU is in full-house mode (13-14 patients),  I ask myself why I am a nurse, doing tasks such as morning care, bathing, oral hygiene, changing of diapers, suctioning, feeding, turning, titrating drips and inotropes, administering medications, and dealing with different body fluids such as vomit, stool, sputum, blood; things other profession need not go into. But when I receive  thank you from conversant patient , or a smile from an intubated patient, or a word of gratitude from their  relatives, I feel proud that I am a nurse. The financial reward (Philippine setting) may not be much, but knowing you made a difference in their lives is the greater reward, and makes sleeping at night a whole lot better.  It brings me great joy when I am able to endorse to the general wards patient who had once been in the brink of death.It gives me a sense of fulfillment when I am able to endorse to the next nurse on duty my patient in stable condition, or if not (GCS 3/15), at least still alive. Now, I even have a previous patient who is now my friend in facebook.

                  I had tried to encourage my patient to be strong and take part in their treatment, especially when the prognosis is good. But for those with poor prognosis,  I had learned to accept death and to deal with relatives who have the great challenge of accepting their loved one's passing. In my one year stay in the ICU, I assisted four patients in meeting their peaceful death. I had my fair share of experience with relatives who are hysterical, quiet, reserved, angry etc. I had learned to deal with different emotions and behaviors of patients and their relatives, and had provided them emotional support. I had provided spiritual comfort by inviting priests for annointing of the sick and spiritual healing of patients. Not everyone is given the rare chance of being a part in the person's most trying moments in life. But nurses are given this rare gift to be part of their life and even their death. We make a lot of difference. 

                                                                                                   Hazel Joy Jimenez, R.N