My Clinical Experience

This week I got to spend another day in the ED. Although the day didn’t consist of too many patients my nurse and I kept busy. The most exciting part of the day was when I got to start an IV. The patient I started an IV on was a retired OB nurse and all I could think was “oh great, don’t mess up.” She was very patient with me and could tell I was nervous. She gave me a few tips along the way and I conquered putting in my first IV. After it was all over I was glad that she was the first person I got to start an IV on because she knew how I felt at one point in time. While I was down in the ED I got to learn more about the paramedics that work at St. John’s. At first I thought they were paramedic students, but I later found out they work along

Before the day ended we admitted an elderly woman whose family was concerned about her. They thought she had a mini stroke a few days before and she was now not acting her usual self. The patient was 96 years old and as sweet as could be. I was curious to see what state the patient would be in when she came in, but surprisingly enough she was alert and oriented to what was going on. Before my clinical day was over I learned more about the patient’s situation. Her family wanted to move her to an assisted living facility and this was there first step. I had never been on this side of things, so it was interesting to see. My grandmother had been in an a nursing home for most of my childhood, so to see what her daughters were going through made me think about my dad and how he must have felt. I can only imagine how hard it is to decide to put your loved one in a nursing home, but sometimes it is the families only and last choice. Seeing patients like this remind me that nursing is such an amazing career. We are there for patients and families at their most vulnerable times. Nurses can make a huge impact and that is why I love what we do. So, to end this paper I had a great day in the ED and I am excited to see what next weeks clinical holds for me and the rest of the