Field Visit: the Role and the Reality - Essay Example

"Field Visit: the Role and the Reality" is a delightful example of a paper on care.
It is an accepted fact that nursing is a demanding job, since caring for the patients is expected 24/7. They assist patients in doing things that they can and assist them more in doing things they cannot. Nursing is equivalent to caring, and it is every nurse’s job to ensure the maximum comfort the patient can have. During the field visit, I did not expect that nurses are also “required to be able to make independent decisions” (Mills and Fitzgerald, 2008, p.16) in several cases.

Personally, that is a tough thing to consider since it will definitely put more weight on my shoulder during my execution of the job. This is not to say that I would rather be irresponsible, but to make decisions where health and lives are at stake is not an easy feat. I have always thought that doctors do most of the decisions when it comes to the conditions of the patients. On a positive note, I find the challenge a good opportunity to strengthen my decision-making skills and sense of responsibility. I find it also a good way to use more of what I have learned, and not merely rely on executing medical orders.

This observation may appear trivial, or too naïve for some. My standard belief in the role of a nurse started since I was a kid. Every time I encounter nurses who are asked more than the basic questions, they most often say, “I will check with the doctor.” This is most probably because, in the past, only doctors evaluate, diagnose, and treat the patients. I have learned that nowadays, part of the nurse’s random duty is to assess and determine the patient’s condition (Mills and Fitzgerald, 2008, p.16-7). This is especially true in the rural healthcare facility I visited where doctors or specialists are not around all the time (Podhostnik, 2001, p.98).

 Communication Issues

Communication issues between the staff and within staff-client interactions did not occur often. However, there was a major miscommunication incident I observed between the staff during the changing of the shift. An elderly patient who underwent patella surgery was supposed to be with a catheter until proper measurement of urine was completed. The next nurse on duty removed the catheter upon completion of the urine monitoring. The previous nurse instructed to remove the catheter only when the patient is already comfortable with minor movements, even if urine monitoring is already done. It appeared that the patient still has trouble moving due to the surgery, and would rather keep the catheter rather than use the bedpan. Interestingly, no other nurse noticed that the catheter was removed until the patient needed to urinate again. It took 5 nurses to help the patient use the bedpan. For staff-client interactions, most of the communication issues occurred with elderly patients who insisted on talking to the doctor first before following the nurse’s instructions. I can relate to this because from personal experiences, elderly patients sometimes require more explanation, and sometimes pacification, before acquiescing to medical orders.

The riskiest practice I have observed among the medical staff in the healthcare facility I visited is the lax turnover during nursing rounds when changing shifts. This practice can easily put to risk the safety and comfort of the patients under their care and the job execution of their colleagues. (Meade, Bursell, and Ketelsen, 2006, p.59). I would recommend having “a point-person who will be in charge of the turnover of medical information during changing shifts” (Brault, St-Louis, Emed, and Kaddis, 2009, p.271). A rotation of this responsibility can be scheduled among nurses. The point-person will ensure that each next-shift nurse is given proper orientation on the conditions of the patients.