Millions of people go to the hospital each day whether it’s an emergency or an appointment. One day I found myself in this very situation. I didn’t think it was necessary until I got to the hospital. It was on Christmas day that I was on my way to the New Ulm, Minnesota E.R. for this unidentifying thing on my leg. Although it had been irritating me weeks before I had never decided to take action until my Aunt Tess a RN took a look at it. She had then told me I absolutely had to go to the E.R. as it was a possible infection that could travel to my heart in time. I was very hesitant to go but just knew I had to. When it was done I felt much better once the swelling, hotness, and redness went down. Little did I know it was not done yet and this thing would become a prolonged issue. The next Christmas came along and I was again in the E.R. in Mason City, Iowa where I was given a different antibiotic. This antibiotic had an ingredient that is commonly found in antibiotics but I was allergic to the ingredient, without knowing. Weeks went by and Winterfest was quickly approaching. The day of the Winterfest dance I woke up bright and early so I was ready for the day. As the Saturday went on I began to notice a rash like redness all over …show more content…
my skin. I honestly thought nothing of it but as we were on our way to the E.R. the hot rash began to cover my face, arms, and legs. That day I had the most awesome doctor who figured out that I was allergic to sulfa and gave me medicine to quickly reduce the rash that had covered my entire body, before I knew it I was able to go to the dance. That made me a very happy girl because I thought this was over and was no longer covered in a rash.
This was still not over after an entire year went by I was continuing to struggle with it. On a day after school a month after the Winterfest ordeal, I found myself at the Urgent Care in Mason City. They tried draining it the now pimple like thing without cutting it open. After four different doctors one being out of state none of them could quite tell me exactly what this was on my leg. I was so fed up with going to the E.R., not knowing what it was, and it time and time again showing up at inconvenient times. I had lost all hope assuming I would just have to deal with this all my life but at least it would no longer be a surprise to
me. Approximately two and a half years later this may be the end! The second month of summer 2k15 on a day I was closing at work the abscess on my leg itched like any other person would I itched it. The next morning I woke up with an exceptionally swollen leg and slightly swollen eye. I began to freak out thinking, “What could possible be wrong this time around?” My mom and I took a drive to Urgent Care as soon as it had opened, we waited and waited to finally be called on. We were soon called on the doctor checked it and sent me on my way to the E.R. where hopefully they would put me out of my misery. Once my doctor had checked it out he told me it would have to be cut opened and drained. Anxiety had officially set in, I was gonna have to be cut open. Luckily I had another amazing doctor and RN. For a week I was gonna have to pack this hole now in my leg and tape it everyday. Thankfully though I had my moms work nurse do that all for me, after all she is the professional. Millions of people go to the hospital each day for me it was always an emergency having to go there again and again over the course of two and a half years. Although I do not know yet whether this challenge has been overcome yet I’m almost positive that it has come to an end. I know this isn’t the worst thing that could happen to someone but I often found myself over the prolonged period asking “Why me?” In the end I have learned never give up and be thankful because it could all be much worse. Now I feel like I can overcome anything like, I can handle it physically and emotionally. As I went through this I began to realize it may seem bad at the time and you may think you can’t handle it but in the end you realize you can. This could be applied to many things in life that you just think “there is no way I will be able to overcome this” but it is honestly the best thing once you do overcome it.
This weekend I was paired up with a nurse from the floating pull. It was a very interesting experience. For the first time since the beginning of the semester I can say that I was faced with a lot of critical thinking situations. I spend the day running around reminding my nurse of things he forgot or task we had to finish. It was already 2:00 pm and I still hadn’t performed an assessment on a patient, at this point I remember what Mrs. McAdams had said before “ we are in the hospital to help but our main priority is to learn and practice our skills” so I made the critical-thinking decision to tell my nurse that I needed to at least complete an assessment and since we were about to discharged a patient I could performed a final assessment on him before going home. I performed my assessment, had time to document and helped my nurse with the discharged. This weekend was a very challenging clinical for me but I also learned a lot. I learned to managed my time better, be proactive in my clinical experience and I also found my voice.
Something as simple as taking a walk around the facility can prove to be a battle with patient X. From the day I met patient X it was noticeable that she was lacking her memory. Patient X could no longer tell me her name and everyday it would be different struggle, but for that day it was getting her out of bed to take a walk. From the moment I walked in and introduced myself, patient X could not provide me with her name. Patient X constantly asked if I was her baby, and when dealing with an Alzheimer patient, it’s always best to go along with what that patient is saying. As I got patient X up and out of bed, she started to become violent and resistant. Patient X took forty-five minutes to simply get out of bed and dressed, and that was the very beginning of the battle that would consist all day.
I have recently started working as an interpreter at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Through this job, I have become my patients' voice. The experience has made me live their pain, feel their sadness, and revel in their willingness to heal; reinforcing, in my eyes, that we are not treating disease but the patient as a
Oddly enough, my relationship with medicine began at an early age, as a twelve year old asthmatic, living in a house with two dogs (that I insisted on having). As a result, whenever I got sick, my respiratory situation was quick to decline, which inevitably led to frequent trips to the local emergency room. In one particular situation, I was admitted to the ICU with a pnuemothorax. While I do not recall the names of the doctors or nurses who cared for me over the next several days, I have come to recognize that their anonymous efforts may very well have saved my life. Naturally, this is not something immediately recognized as a child, but there is no doubt that I was walking a thin line between life and death.
A visit to the doctor is never an exciting moment for any child. The thought of syringes with sharp needles, the sight of blood being drawn, and unknown machines creates anxiety. As I waited to see my pediatrician all of these thoughts came to mind, terrified of what she could possibly do to me. I was next to see her, with every step my palms drenched in sweat and my heart raced faster. Expecting the worse, I wondered what she would say about the rash on my back or what she would do about it. When she took a look, she quickly made a diagnosis of pityriasis rosea. Unfamiliar with this skin disorder, I began to think the worst; maybe I caught it from someone or that, it might never go away and I worried it was contagious. My doctor assured me
while, being as he was rushing to Cooper Hospital to see my mother. At this
While sitting around your house, watching television, you notice that you have been scratching your arm and in between your fingers for a little while. After taking a closer look you notice something that you assume is a rash and just ignore it. The next day however you notice that the rash has spread and that you think you see burrows in your skin. Then it hits you, the weekend that you spent away on vacation in that not so expensive hotel to save a couple of dollars has now cost you more money in the long run. You must go see your doctor to be treated for scabies!
“Mitchell! It’s time!” my mom shouted from down the stairs. Nearly in tears at this point, I slowly walked down the stairs, stalling time with every step I took. Dreading this walk toward the kitchen table, I absolutely would rather be anywhere in the world than sitting at the kitchen table doing this. I took my time pulling the chair out and taking a seat. The pad was already on the table along with all of the necessary equipment. I tried telling my mom I didn’t need this, but the pain in my leg knew that was a lie. I knew that in only a few minutes all of this worry would be behind me, but the sight of the syringe and tourniquet were making me sick to my stomach. All of my focus was on the needle as it rested in my mother’s hand.
This event was the first major clinical event where from the initial observation something serious could have occurred due to the bleeding and the fall, in which I was directly involved. I was panicked initially but knew what action to take so a hit the staff assist button. What stood out to me is how quickly everyone fell into their roll and cooperated as if rehearsed, which through their experience it was. I feel that this was a normal situation requiring the rapid action of multiple nurses that demonstrates how one person will have to take control of a situation and direct everyone so no one is doing the same task or assuming other people are doing something important. Like how in an emergency you need to directly point out someone to call
In our lives we face multiple challenges. It makes you feel like tomorrow won’t come or that the sun won’t shine again. We wonder when the pain will stop or if the hardest days of our lives will be the last. At a very young age, my journey of hardest days were just about to start for me. This journey of mine began on the day I took my first breath on this beautiful earth. Seconds after that moment, life handed me my first challenge.
We have learned about lung sounds, bowel sounds, heart sounds in lecture and I got to listen for them on a real person today and it was different than the sim lab and neat. I also got to put an IV in today and when we were in sim lab we lectured over that and practiced. I was very nervous before entering the room, but the patient was grateful enough to let me a, student, stick her so I made sure when I entered that room my nerves could not be seen. When I practiced in sim, even on the arm, I was super shaky. Giving the IV today in clinical my hand was steady, and I stuck her once and I went a little too far through the vein, so my preceptor told me to back out a little and lower the needle toward the skin then advance and I got a flash of blood.
I had no idea that a simple trip to the local supermarket would result in a trip to the emergency room. This was definitely a tragic day that I will not soon forget. I have always been cautious about the safety of my children, taking every step to be sure I do what I can to keep them out of harm's way. Unfortunately, on this day, I did everything I could and it still did not make a difference.
Day two: on arrival to 3N at 530 am our clinical instructor handed as the RN patient report to see if anything had changed from yesterday. My second day was less stressful than my first because I had an idea of what is required. I was assigned to stay the same patient. I was more comfortable providing patient care and medication administration without feeling much pressure because I got to review my patient’s medication over the night before my second day. On my second I was also a little bit more settled than my first day, I was able to spend more time caring for my patient. I had completed safety check on my patient and witnessed the dose of insulin and heparin with another RN nurse before administering, double checking medication and
And that was the day I got good news, I was going to get my stitches out! As I was laying on the bed in a bright yellow room, I felt a cold tool against my foot. That is when the doctor stated “Ok, we are now going to start taking the stitches out”. That was the moment I started freaking out. My mom, grandma, and a nurse all I had to hold me down in order for me to hold still. Once the three of them had me under control, that is when the doctor could actually begin. As I was being held down by three people, I could hear each and every snip and feel the cold metal brush against the bottom of my foot once in awhile. “All done now”. When I finally heard those three words, it felt like it was the biggest relief of my life. After we got home, I took off my sock to look at my foot where I had the stitches. The area around the spot was red and kinda warm. But right where the stitches were at, I noticed my skin was lighter there and then seen that there was a part that looked like a
I began taking advanced placement classes to challenge myself, to be the best I can be. Although it was difficult to maintain good grades, practice 10 hours a week for the swim team, and working a part-time job, I enjoyed the push and the outcome I received at the end. Due to wanting to be in the Medical field, I took Honors Anatomy and Physiology in order to learn more about the human body; prepare myself for the memorization and the use of note cards. All the information felt like my head was bottled up, I wanted to enjoy my high school years, because “they pass by so fast, make the best of them” my brother would constantly say to me but failed to mention if I really wanted to do what I loved, I had to let all that go and focus on school; which became my biggest responsibility. There were times where I just wanted to take the easy way out and drop the class, but I knew no good would come from that; instead I balanced out my schedule by prioritizing my time between school, practice and work.