I am now, again in Education Centre 2, Royal Preston Hospital.
Virgin Media has not come to install our broadband yet, I spent £1 calling the customer service and they said the technician will come this Saturday btw 1-6pm. My hsemates and I will make sure we are only a few steps away from the door at that time, should they come and failed to see the doorbell and decided to knock the door instead.
I've just got back from my usual ward placement, as a "nurse shadow" in Chorley Hospital. And thank God today was my last day. It is not that I dislike being a nurse, just that I disliked being unoccupied. I walked up and down the Medical Assessment Unit (M.A.U) most of the time, because the nurses do not know what to ask me to do. I tried to really tail a nurse, but she was doing almost the same thing all over again, and while it is boring enough to do the same thing everyday, what more observing people do it.
But anyway, when they give me task to do, like serving meals, changing bedsheets etc, I do them happily (i think).
M.A.U is the unit the patients sent after being seen by A&E doctors (if they came from there) or after being referred to by a GP. In M.A.U, the patients will be assessed and transferred to the appropriate wards, Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Psychiatry etc, or they might even be discharged if they are well enough. So really, we get all sorts of patients in there, from diarrhoea to urinary tract infection to confusion in an old lady to a massive headache. It is interesting to read their clinical notes etc, and follow the ward rounds by the doctors, and see how doctors interact with the patients etc. But then again, I reminded myself that I should not be following a doctor, I am thr to shadow a nurse. And so when the doctors were doing their rounds, I was pushing an old lady to the bathroom, or changing a bedsheet, or just staring out the window because the nurse I'm tailing is going thru the medication chart.
There was a very old lady, came in with some kind of infection, and the doctor advised her son to consent to a "Do Not Actively Resuscitate" (DNAR). That means, shd the lady goes into a cardiac arrest, CPR will not be performed, seeing her fragile condition, the compression during CPR might just injure her more. So I really pitied her, she is not in palliative care just yet, just that she was very weak.
This morning, I went to her bed and stared at her, trying to figure out what she might be thinking or feeling. She saw me, and started mumbling. I cant really catch what she said, she didnt speak in full sentences, neither did she speak clearly.
"Thank you for everything.
When we first met.............
I love you very much........
I'll never see you again....."
Those were the bits and pieces I managed to catch, and I think she mistook me as someone else. But it was as if she was talking to a lot of people at once, as if she's seeing lots of people. At first she sounded like she was talking to her mother, and then to her spouse. I can't really make up what she said.
In the end, I patted her hand and walked out of the room, feeling very horrible seeing how a person's health can deteriorate to that extent. Sooner or later, someone we know, or perhaps we ourselves will be in that condition. Kinda frightening I hv to admit.
Anyway, since today is my last day, I have to give a feedback form for the nurse in charge to fill in, some sort of evaluation on me for the past 4 days. Guess what, she gave me a 3 out of 5 for everything! Haishh.. Give la 4 at least, I know I'm not up to a 5. But then....a 3 for evrything? :(
But nvrmind la, I know I did not really do well, because unlike in Malaysia, I do not know anything about the healthcare system here.
I really hv a lot more to say but I'll just stop here for now.
Gotta go back and prepare dinner.
Phew, I am a big girl now, preparing meals for myself, no more maid to do the cooking and washing for me. Hahaha...
-Because life is a test-
-AkMaR-
http://nur-akmar.blogspot.com
Virgin Media has not come to install our broadband yet, I spent £1 calling the customer service and they said the technician will come this Saturday btw 1-6pm. My hsemates and I will make sure we are only a few steps away from the door at that time, should they come and failed to see the doorbell and decided to knock the door instead.
I've just got back from my usual ward placement, as a "nurse shadow" in Chorley Hospital. And thank God today was my last day. It is not that I dislike being a nurse, just that I disliked being unoccupied. I walked up and down the Medical Assessment Unit (M.A.U) most of the time, because the nurses do not know what to ask me to do. I tried to really tail a nurse, but she was doing almost the same thing all over again, and while it is boring enough to do the same thing everyday, what more observing people do it.
But anyway, when they give me task to do, like serving meals, changing bedsheets etc, I do them happily (i think).
M.A.U is the unit the patients sent after being seen by A&E doctors (if they came from there) or after being referred to by a GP. In M.A.U, the patients will be assessed and transferred to the appropriate wards, Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Psychiatry etc, or they might even be discharged if they are well enough. So really, we get all sorts of patients in there, from diarrhoea to urinary tract infection to confusion in an old lady to a massive headache. It is interesting to read their clinical notes etc, and follow the ward rounds by the doctors, and see how doctors interact with the patients etc. But then again, I reminded myself that I should not be following a doctor, I am thr to shadow a nurse. And so when the doctors were doing their rounds, I was pushing an old lady to the bathroom, or changing a bedsheet, or just staring out the window because the nurse I'm tailing is going thru the medication chart.
There was a very old lady, came in with some kind of infection, and the doctor advised her son to consent to a "Do Not Actively Resuscitate" (DNAR). That means, shd the lady goes into a cardiac arrest, CPR will not be performed, seeing her fragile condition, the compression during CPR might just injure her more. So I really pitied her, she is not in palliative care just yet, just that she was very weak.
This morning, I went to her bed and stared at her, trying to figure out what she might be thinking or feeling. She saw me, and started mumbling. I cant really catch what she said, she didnt speak in full sentences, neither did she speak clearly.
When we first met.............
I love you very much........
I'll never see you again....."
Those were the bits and pieces I managed to catch, and I think she mistook me as someone else. But it was as if she was talking to a lot of people at once, as if she's seeing lots of people. At first she sounded like she was talking to her mother, and then to her spouse. I can't really make up what she said.
In the end, I patted her hand and walked out of the room, feeling very horrible seeing how a person's health can deteriorate to that extent. Sooner or later, someone we know, or perhaps we ourselves will be in that condition. Kinda frightening I hv to admit.
Anyway, since today is my last day, I have to give a feedback form for the nurse in charge to fill in, some sort of evaluation on me for the past 4 days. Guess what, she gave me a 3 out of 5 for everything! Haishh.. Give la 4 at least, I know I'm not up to a 5. But then....a 3 for evrything? :(
But nvrmind la, I know I did not really do well, because unlike in Malaysia, I do not know anything about the healthcare system here.
I really hv a lot more to say but I'll just stop here for now.
Gotta go back and prepare dinner.
Phew, I am a big girl now, preparing meals for myself, no more maid to do the cooking and washing for me. Hahaha...
-Because life is a test-
-AkMaR-
http://nur-akmar.blogspot.com
"Sooner or later, someone we know, or perhaps we ourselves will be in that condition. Kinda frightening I hv to admit. " - Yes, I can imagine dealing with the elderly who seem close to death would be very difficult. Yeah Allah, please spare us from such a condition.
ReplyDeleteI really dislike the DNAR thing though. I think doctors in the past would do everything to save a patient. Now I get the impression that they just want the empty bed for the next patient! Easy for me to say I know, but still... Does this not breach Malaysian Islamic Medical ethics? Maybe not all mat salleh stuff is suitable.
Glad your nursing experience has finished. Sounds a bit of a drag. I guess 4 days is probably the max time you needed to get a decent feeling for that side of your future health based profession will be (InsyaAllah).
3/5 and for everything.... hummm. I wonder what one wound have needed to do to get 4 or 5?
You should complain to Virgin Media. They might give you a rebate to compensate. Customer rights are stronger over there than they are here in Msia. They sure sound like a sloppy organisation.
Intechemisty.
Yes, the DNAR. I wonder about what Islamic Medical Ethics say abt it. I'll find out more. We had a session abt ethics in abortion the other day. I've just found out that abortion below 40 weeks is allowed here, even for a non medical reason. And muslim doctors are always trapped, for even if they refer the patient to someone else, who are willing to do the abortion, they still contribute, partly to the abortion. Thank God Malaysia prohibited abortion for non medical purposes.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of DNAR, I hv a feeling that it is not allowed, for a human life is considered sacred. Euthanasia and DNAR, they do not differ so much. And euthanasia is prohibited.
Perhaps there are other means to resuscitate the old lady, apart from CPR bcos I cant imagine doing a chest compression on her poor fragile ribs. They might just break and puncture her lungs instead.
I find the nursing experience quite a drag, 4 days, it's just too long. One or two days will be fine. Perhaps it'll be interesting to shadow a physiotherapist, or a paramedic, or radiolographer next time. But I'm unsure if i'll ever get the opportunity if I do not seek for it.
On the day we registered with Virgin Media, they said a £40 installation fee will be waived, bcos there was a stdnt promo. But when I called the customer service, they said I hvnt pay that fee. So I'll see if the £40 is deducted from my bank acc. If it is, then I shall complain. *I'm actually saving on my credit, trying to not complain.. Haha*