Tuesday, January 27, 2015

MH Blog due: 1/29

Learning Report
1. The nurse I followed was responsible for one patient and to make sure was not having a reaction to the blood. She also began to prep the patient for surgery.
2. I learned that patient identification is exaggerated in the hospital.  
3. The best thing that happen was getting to see a nurse check on a patient who was getting a blood transfusion.
4. The worst thing that happen was just he waiting around for something to happen or having to fell unwanted and annoying to the staff for asking if I could shadow them.
5. The “worst” was not a mistake.
6. Bad, the staff didn’t want to teach and I had to struggle to get the opportunity to watch someone take vital signs which is still boring.

Experience Record
1. I observed a nurse give a blood transfusion to a patient who was about to go into surgery. In order to do this she had to scan the wristband to get into the computer to insure patient identification.
2. I came a little late, but the patient was diagnosed with a ruptured/rupturing uterus. She had profuse bleeding and was in need of surgery to remove her entire uterus.
3.  She was given a blood transfusion due to the excessive amount of blood lost. The nurse had to check on the patient after 15 minutes to make sure the blood does not have complications.  Everything was working fine so she increased the rate of transfusion.
4. I observed a women who was in a lot of pain due to her uterus rupturing. Her doctors wanted to get the entire uterus removed as soon as possible.
5.  Endoscopy means looking inside the body for medical reasons using an endoscope, an instrument used to examine the interior of an organ or cavity of the body. Anesthesia is an insensitivity to pain induced by the administration of gases or the injection of drugs before surgical operations.

Experience Journal
I.                    My first impression was they are too busy to teach me. The first thing she did was give me a giant binder on endoscopy. I was full of brochures and pictures only 10 percent was interesting. I saw a new technology of having to scan the wristband of a patient in need of blood. The nurses were charting on the COW (computers on wheels) after giving care to each patient.
II.                  The nurse I followed took vital signs several times before and after the blood transfusion. She did this in the case of her body rejecting the blood the nurse could see her vital signs getting worse. She also made sure to clean the thermometer and disposed of the soiled clothes the patient bleed on. I also got to see a young patient get emitted, however the family spoke Spanish. Luckily there was a nurse that spoke Spanish and was able to communicate with the family.
III.                I learned that patient identification is a very important in the health care field. I observed the staff checking wrist bands and asking for verbal certification. I didn’t hear a lot of medical terminology but I did hear terms like endoscopy and anesthesia. I did read a lot on the endoscopy and saw an x-ray of a foreign object and pictures from the endoscopy of that object in the patients body.

IV.                I felt I had to fight to get to see something I’ve seen already, but it was at least better than reading about endoscopy. I realized that I do not want to go into the day surgical unit. It has no interesting features that would make me want to continue in this felid. The staff seems to treat me as a nuisance getting in the way of doing their job. 

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

MH due: 1/15


Caitlin Woods                                                                                                                             due: 1/15

Memorial Hermann entire

Learning Report
  1. I observed a radiology tech:
    • Setting up a sterile tray
    • Prepping the x-ray machine
    • Getting the patient prepped for the X-ray
    • Confirming patient’s info/ consent
  2. I learned:
    • How to go over patient consent
    • How to take x-ray pictures and transport
  3. Best thing that happened was I got to see a doctor give a shoulder injection. Normally, all I get to see is generic procedures or nothing at all. 
  4. The worst thing that happened was the radiology staff including techs, doctors, and nurses got in trouble for misplacing an important paper with names of who is working and their numbers.
  5. There was miscommunication when the nurse thought a new list would be posted the next day, so she threw it away.
  6. Good, the staff was very willing to teach and explain what they were doing.

Experience Record
  1. Technology I observed was an x-ray machine being used to see the shoulder joint. They then used their computers to chart and save their patients scans to their files.
  2.   The patient had already had this exact procedure a year ago and had been diagnosed at that time. She had pain in her left shoulder preventing her from raising her arm.
  3.  The tech got the patient a warm blanket to keep her comfortable while she waited. When the doctor started by cleaning the skin and injecting a numbing medicine. He used a small needle to insert the drug that will lessen her pain which will allow her to gain better range of motion.
  4.  I observed a woman who could not raise her arm without extreme pain. The tech also has the same thing and has under when the same procedures.
  5. The staff did not use a lot of medical terminology because they were mostly technician that id not have to study that in college. I did hear the use the term sterile and cc.


Experience Journal
When I first walked in the receptionist told me to go to the 4th door on my right to the x-ray room. I was hesitant to go in because it looked like an ordinary small room, and I didn't want to walk in on someone in the middle of an exam. Once I open the door I notice how big the area was with rooms branching off the main space. The nurses and techs were huddled in a group talking about day care for their kids. I was amazed by all the big machines and their ability to see beyond flesh.

I witness a team meeting about the misplacement of an important paper that had who was working when and their contact number. The doctors were angry at the techs due to the fact that they just got chewed out. I think they were looking for someone to blame, and that feel on the lower level. This doesn't surprise me in the least; some doctors like to sit on the high horse.

Before anything happen the tech confirmed the patient’s identity and made sure she knew what she was here for. Then she covered any complication that could occur, and had her sign. Then when the doctor arrived he went over the same things as a safety measure. I learned that you have to inject little medication then push it down and repeat. The alternative of injecting all the medicine at once would be painful.


I truly enjoyed this section of the hospital. I thought it was very excited to use all the machines and you get to work with doctors. Event tough he were a little stressed out with the incident before, he started cracking jokes soon after. He has a special cap that doesn't mess up his hair and special glasses to protect his eyes from the radiation. Imagining and radiology looks like a possible career I could go in. the high stress of the OR it not worth my sanity.


Monday, January 12, 2015

GC January 12th

            Today I was in Rehab with Joselyn. We were kept really busy because we had to refill everybody’s mug with ice water and pass out snacks. It took longer than normal because we had to ask each patient what snack they wanted which was difficult when I had to repeat myself over and over.  The residents seemed to be extremely happy when we gave them ice due to the fact their ice machine had broken down a few days ago. I was expecting to talk to Mr. T, but when I went into his room he was gone roaming around the facility. I was disappointed I didn't get the chance to talk to any of the residents for more than a couple of minutes. Hopefully I will get time next week.

GC January 8th

I was schedule for physical therapy with Ines. Overall I think today was one of the better days at Grace Care. The staff seemed more talkative and willing to let us help with a few things like throwing the ball and following a patient with the wheelchair in case they needed to sit down. Michelle and Michael are my favorite PT’s because they can be very sassy at times and always cracking jokes. They treat the patient with respect and do not pity them. There was also a new physical therapist that moved from another Grace care to be closer to her home, and she seems super sweet and truly cares for her patients.

Medical Minutes- "heartless man"

Caitlin Woods                                                                                                                   Due: Jan 13
Medical Minutes

Meet the world's first HEARTLESS man who is able to live without a pulse

Summary:
A patient is suffering from amyloidosis which is causing his heart to fail. His name is Craig Lewis and is 55 married to his wife Linda Lewis. He was told he had only 12 hours to live or have his heart replaces by a device that would circulate his blood. Mr. Lewis consented and after the surgery became the first made to live without a pulse.
The minds behind this revolutionary device are Dr. Billy Cohn and Dr. Bud Frazier who work at the Texas Heart Institute. This artificial heart uses blades to move the blood to the rest of the body. Due to the continuous flow there is no pulse that can be detected even with an EKG. This article also reverences a short film about this new medical advancement.
This device was tested on almost 50 cows. Where the doctors would take the entire heart and replace it with their pump. The discovered the calves awoke like any normal day nothing had changed except the sound of his heart. Dr. Cohn said you could listen to her chest with a stethoscope and all you could hear is a hum.
Reaction:
            The creation of this new device can lead to more transplant patients living longer. Now they do not have to wait for someone else to die in order for them live. However, I seem to have mixed feelings regarding ethics. Are doctors playing God?  Now, if your heart is failing; all you need to do is get another machine put in you. When do they draw the line?
Learning points:
            Turns out I do not need a heart to live
            You have to go through a lot of testing animals before going to humans
Use/Application:
            I personal will not use this information to better my life because I do not plan to lose the function of my heart. However, I realize that the medical field is always changing. New things are being made to extend the life of all humans. Others can use Dr. Billy Cohn and Dr. Bud Frazier device to create even newer and better versions to keep people living longer.
Medical Terminology:
1. dialysis- medical procedures that removes waste or toxins from the blood and adjust fluid and electrolyte imbalances by utilizing rates at which substances diffuse through a semipermeable membrane.

2. amyloidosis- a disorder characterized by the deposition of amyloid (abnormal protein)in organs or tissues of the human body.