Head Toe Assessment Research Paper

Wow!! I have had two very exciting and educational days in practice this week and getting a chance to see different areas of nursing that I have not yet been exposed to. I am hopeful that the remainder of this rotation will continue to provide me with great learning opportunities. I am appreciating the feedback that has been provided by yourself. You come from a different nursing back ground than my previous instructors and I'm enjoying your knowledge and insight.

Thursday was my first time in the OR, to be honest I was excited to have this opportunity but, I was pretty nervous at the same time. I was unsure if I was going to be able to handle watching a surgery. Once I was in the OR the scrub nurse explained everyone's roles in

the role. He talked to me about what to do if I started to feel faint and asked me if I had a history of fainting. I don't, but then I started to feel pretty unsure maybe, I would faint? The pt was quickly put under and I was surprised to see them tape her eyes shut. Once the patient was prepped and draped, the surgeon began to make the incision this was probably the most difficult part for me to watch. Once he was through the tissue and had exposed the small intestine it got easier to watch and I was pleasantly surprised there was little to know smell. I was happy that the pt was completely covered and that I could only see her abdomen as it seemed easier to detach myself. The nurse seemed keen on teaching me and kept me informed on what was going on during the surgery. Where possible she tried to include me in small ways, which was kind of a nice feeling. I felt a sense of inclusion during the procedure as the nurse and the surgeon where testing my knowledge and asking me questions that pertained to the patient. I was pleased with myself that I was able to answer almost all of their questions. Even though I was able to answer the questions I found it to be nerve racking as I was worried that they might judge me for not knowing something. I asked her about the charting as I was curious about what gets charted during a surgery. I was surprised to learn that they don't chart much unless something abnormal happens. I found this to be interesting as when you are working as a maturity nurse with a mother in labor there is constant documentation happening. The nurse explained to me that there is a standard method for each surgery and it is assumed that certain things are going to take place during that surgery and the surgeon will follow up with a formal dictation of everything that took place.
Friday another eventful day!!

Caring for a pt with a chest tube and uncontrolled pain. I learned a lot that day. I have been reflecting on your tips about my head to toe assessment and I have decided I am going to change the order in which I do things. However if I would have been able to do the chest tube assessment on my own, I would have made it a priority assessment when I initially went into to the pt's room to do my safety check I would not have waited to assess it during my head toe, of course I would have reassessed. This is another reason it's so great that as students that we have the chance to work with so many different instructors as nobody has ever suggested that I could make changes to the way I do my assessment, so thank you! I think I was able to take a small leadership role in asking Harley to give my pt his 0800 meds when I was unable to leave the med room, and knowing that it was more important for the pt to get his Dilaudid, than for me to practice the skill; I asked Harley if he could give the med if my instructor wasn't back within ten minutes. In the past I have felt like if I can't do everything within my scope for my patients that means I'm not doing a good job, but I'm trying to be more mindful that it is okay to call on a team member for

help.
Reflecting back on when we were drawing up the Dilaudid and I got confused about the procedure, partly because I was thinking of it as though I was drawing up morphine. Really illustrated and solidified the importance of the double check for me. I enjoyed that we were able to work through it together, but it just shows how easy mistakes can be make.
I have enjoyed that you have been asking questions of me and putting me on the spot. Even if I don't know the answer for fear of looking stupid I know I won't forget next time. I feel like when I'm put on the spot it challenges me and pushes me to be a better nurse.