Post Operation

Learning Report

1.The nurse monitors the patient closely for signs of shock, hemorrhage, inadequate oxygenation and hypothermia. The blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation and breathing patterns will be closely monitored; it is the nurse's responsibility to carefully document each vital sign in the patient's record.
2. I learned how to access the patient when they come out of surgey. I also learned/ observed the order of the patient's assessment, so they can be released from the post-op area. 
3. The best thing that happened was that all the mornings surgeries  had finished so the floor was very busy. 
4. Nothing bad happened.
5. Week result: Was great. When I arrived on the floor I was introduced to a nurse and she told me to sit there while she assesses the patient and talk to the patient when she awakes. When the patient did she was very happy to see me and the nurses with bright smiling faces. It eventually led to us transporting the patient to the day-stay unit where I got to follow my mentor to tell the family about the surgery and how it went. Which was really cool cause I only get to see that done on the ER shows I watch on T.V. 

Learning Experience

1. The technology I observed was the charting and the examining of the patient. The nurse would ask the patient a question and the patient would respond and then the nurse would put in the chart. Then once she was done the nurse called the day-stay area to see if there was a room ready for that patient. 

2. For diagnostic procedures there was one patient who's oxygen level was at 92, but the nurse I was following she likes to have her patients a little bit higher than 92. So in result of that, she kept assessing the patient and kept him there a tad bit longer to see if his oxygen level increased. 

3. For therapeutic procedures each person when they have gotten out of surgery , and they start becoming talkative and alert they are giving the choice of a popsicle or ice chips. 

4. One patient had shoulder surgery so he was given a air pump for his sling to keep it elevated at a certain level and a certain degree. 

5. No medical terminology 

Journal 

    When I arrived on the floor there were rows of little stations that had monitors and nurses station to go. One patient was already out of surgery, and was talking to a nurse who was sitting next to her. At the nurses station they were reading the computers and calling doctors and the OR to see the status on patients. Everyone was really nice and open to talking to me. 

   The teaming skills were great. When the mass of morning surgeries came out it was like a team effort of helping get this patient here and this patient hooked-up and this patient off to day-stay and this nurse telling the family. It was really a family effort. Which I liked a lot. They were smiling and laughing and they were really talkative to me and really getting to know me and what I have learned being in this class. 

   I followed two nurses which was really cool I thought. I thought it was cool because each nurse is different and handles their patients differently. The first nurse I followed really talked a lot. Kinda about her life and such. I mean her and the patient were talking but the patient was really jut going "uh-huh and uh-huh". The second nurse I followed really talked to the patient but made conversation with the patient, and really got to know him. (well for the short amount time). There was a true difference. Both nurses were great don't get me wrong but the second one really took teh time to explain everything, showed me stuff on the monitor, and things like that. 

   I learned how on this unit when it gets busy you really have to help out. Also, you are only with this patient for a short amount of time but they are in your care so you have to make the best judgment call on their health. For example, with the nurse who wanted his oxygen level higher. It's how you practice and how you care for that patient. Each patient has a different history and a different procedure done, and each of those patients are different so you can't treat them the same. 

   I had a really good time on this unit. I learned a lot, and I got to be a bright smiling face when a patient woke up. I got to help out and I learned a lot about the patients and how to treat them differently. I would love to work on a unit like this. BUt, I think that short amount of time with that patient wouldn't be enough for me. I like to see the whole process through, and just passing the patient on to someone else just isn't my role. I had a great time. I hope I can go back.