Working at the Hospital - Essay Example

I carried on with dressing the wound on his leg and followed the required procedure. The right procedure has to be followed to reduce or minimize the risk of infection from harmful microorganisms. It was during the redressing that I realized the patient was in pain. Upon asking if he felt any discomfort, he confirmed my suspicions. Upon further inquiry, he said that he did not want to make any fuss. I later did what was best for him. I gave him some morphine that would have to be taken orally.

Thought

            Having done the procedure before, I thought that it would be easy and fast. The thoughts I had were directed to the patient. I believed he was in some kind of discomfort due to a lack of a pain relief drug. This made me want to find out if my fears would be confirmed. As he confirmed them, it did not feel right and upon further query, he said the reason he did not say anything was to avoid making a fuss.

            The introduction of morphine into his system enabled me to continue dressing the wound. This was after thirty minutes since it was the right amount of time required for the pain relief drug to kick in. After that, he ascertained that he no longer felt the pain. He was, therefore, very appreciative.

Feeling

After finding out the suffering the man was going through, especially after a week full of pain, I felt sympathy for him. The fact that he was willing to take the pain while I was dressing him told me a lot about the man he was. It was hard to imagine why he would not tell me about the pain. After giving him the morphine and relieving him of the pain, I felt relieved. I felt that I had let him down and I owed him the professional courtesy of relieving him of the pain that he felt throughout the procedure. The feeling of helplessness overwhelmed me when I learned of his cancer at the beginning of our meeting. Professional courtesy is the most important thing in any occupation (Draper & Tennenhouse 2011).

Evaluation

            Things went on smoothly and perfectly after the introduction of the pain-relieving drug. He confirmed to me while dressing his wound later that he could no longer feel the pain he was subjected to. I had my professional judgment to thank for that piece of thinking. I could not go against my ethics as a nurse to ignore the pain he felt. Furthermore, it was my job as a nurse to relieve any discomfort that a patient faces. It was important for both our sakes to have the introduction of the pain relief drug.

Analysis

            Using hospital guidelines and protocol, I realized that it was my job to do what I did. This is by having the patient confide in me, and the steps I took to help him out. The nurse must know the right protocols and hospital guidelines to follow in such cases. This is for the sake of the patient, the nurse involved, and the hospital the patient is being kept in. If they do not realize this, the hospital runs the risk of getting a bad reputation for not taking their patient's feelings into account while in their sick state (D’Antonio 2010).

Reframe

            If I find myself in a position similar to the one I was in, I would ensure that I make it easier to help a patient in need. I will be quick at it too. I would do that by confirming with the patient well beforehand to prevent further embarrassment they may be subjected to. I would also make it a priority to make them understand that it is their right to get good treatment in whatever hospital they may end up in for whatever reason. This is what every nurse should do (Schneider 2010).

Future Action

            To ensure that every patient that comes into my care gets what they deserve. That is the right treatment. I will act well within my professional ethics and ensure that they are served, and treated well. Having learned a lot from this experience, it is impossible to not realize that there are a lot more people in similar positions every day. Therefore, getting to put patients’ needs ahead of everything else makes everyone go home happy (Lucia & Palmier 2009).