Reflective Essay: A Career As A Nursing Assistant

So what is good patient care? Well a patient should always be treated with respect. And when voicing their concerns and complaints listened to carefully. They also should be showed empathy, which is the ability to identify with and understand their feelings and situation. While being shown compassion, which is seeing through the eyes of the patient. It is just being there for them when they are feeling their most vulnerable.

I have been a Nursing Assistant for a few years. I have had a bad day every now and then, like most people. When I notice myself becoming frustrated and rushed with a patient I think to myself this is someone’s grandparent. How would you like your grandparent treated this way? Nothing frustrates me more than see patients rushed through exams. That is just horrible patient care.

For the

most part my time sent at clinical this semester I observed great care when it came to patient care. But, there was one intendances were I stopped and thought to myself, yikes! While another time where I thought I finally get to learn and do something. I know some people may not think that earning how to do something or even something more efficiently is not really patient care, but they would be wrong.
One instance that I observed that displayed questionable patient care was when I was assisting a technologist with getting a patient from the cart to the x-ray table. The patient had fallen off a ladder. He was able to walk, but he still needed assistance because he said his body was stiff and sore. The technologist and I both were both holding each one of his forearms, just so he felt a little more stable. As we were walking him to the table he started to become upset because he felt she was rushing him. He told her a few times to slow down and not rush him. That he was stiff and in pain and could not move very fast. He had said to her a few times, “now just a minute” and “to slow down”. After about the 4th time of him telling her to stop rushing him, she backed up from him and said “well I just won’t touch you then” and walked over to the table. I finished assisting the patient to the table and we proceed with the exam.
Needless to say by the end of the exam the patient was aggravated and upset. He felt that he was being rushed and his concerns were not being meet. As well, he had every right to feel that way. I felt the situation could have been handled differently. All she had to do was listen to his concerns about being rushed. I know at times we all get over whelmed with a work load. But patient care and safety comes first.
I have had a wonderful learning experience also.

There were two technologists that took me under their wing. One at the hospital and one at the urgent care site. They both always let me do the exams. I even got to do exam that we have not covered in class, with guidance of course. They gave me the attention and guidance that I did not receive from other technologist. Not because the others were unhelpful. I believe it was because some people have the ability to teach while other don’t. These two technologist just have the ability and patience to teach others.

I have heard a few times throughout the program, you will find the technologist you want to be like and the one you don’t want to be like. Well after my first clinical experience I defiantly know what I want to be like and not be like. I want to be the technologist that takes time to listen to the concerns of the patient. I will be the technologist that takes the time to listen to the concerns a patient maybe having, not just rush through exams. While also being that technologist that shadows the student letting them get some experience. Instead of the other way around. Overall my experience was

great.