What I Learned In My Clinical Experience
1. Describe a situation that you had in clinical that was directly related to content you discussed in one of your classes. Address whether what you experienced was congruent with what you have learned in class, or whether there was incongruency. If there was an incongruency: Why do you think the difference exist? When theory and practice are not congruent how does it affect the care your patient receives (in your particular situation)?
a. One thing that was the same in my clinical experience was the roles that the different surgical personnel had. The surgeon performed the surgery. The surgical technician helped out the surgeon. The scrub nurse made the sterile field, and she handed the surgeon the different instruments he requested. …show more content…
The anesthesiologist administered the anesthesia and monitored the patient. The circulating nurse documented and helped out with anything that was need.
2. Reflect on nursing roles you observed and on your clinical performance this week.
a. One big role that I observed was a teacher. I have never been in an operating room before, so the nurse that I had at the very start of the day was very helpful in orienting me to the room. She also educated me on where I could or could not be, and she educated me on what would cause a break in the sterile field. Also, that same nurse was with someone she was training. If the trainee missed something that she should have done, the nurse educated her on those things that were missed and what to do better to prevent those small mistakes.
b. Another role I observed was a communicator. Throughout the entire experience, the entire personnel on each case did a great job of communicating to each other. The time-outs before surgery was a great way of communicating to make sure that the correct procedure happened to the right patient.
3. List 5 objectives for your next clinical. Evaluate your accomplishment of last week’s objectives and include any revisions needed for the future. Discuss your clinical skills and learning objectives with the RN at the beginning of each clinical day.
a. Five objectives for my next clinical
i. After the experience, I hope to be able to explain the procedures that I observed in the post-conference. ii. I hope to start one IV next week if my nurse permits me to. iii. I want to provide safe care to the patients. iv. I hope to observe diligently throughout the procedures.
v. I want to be able to pick up on the different HIPAA regulations that were followed throughout my experience in endoscopy.
I was able to complete the objectives that I set for this week’s clinical. I introduced myself to my nurses. I recognized the titles of the personnel in the OR during a typical case. I was able to identify the positions that the patients were placed in. I watched and observed the procedures being perform. I was able to observe my nurses in the holding area, the operating room, and the recovery room.
4. What was your most beneficial learning experience in clinical this week?
a. The most beneficial learning experience from this week’s clinical was watching the surgeries themselves. The laparoscopic cholecystectomy was especially beneficial for me because I was able to see some internal structures of a live person. I’ve seen a liver and the sides of the peritoneal cavity on a cadaver in the anatomy lab. However, today was the first time for me to see the liver of a live patient. The color on the liver was so bright pinkish-red, and it made my jaw drop when I first saw it. The size of the gall bladder was different than I expected. It was much smaller than I imagined, which surprised me.
5. What was the most difficult/challenging learning experience you had in clinical this week?
a.
The most difficult learning experience from today was related to the tracheostomy. This procedure was performed on a ten year old little girl. Even though the nurse said she had many more problems related to her airway, it was still sad to see. When I was told that I was going to be watching a tracheostomy, I imagined a middle aged, maybe elderly patient. However, when I showed up into the operating room, it was ten year old little girl. That was definitely difficult because it made me think about all the stress that the family have to go through and how that would have affected my family if the same thing had happened to me.
6. Evaluate teaching that you carried out during this clinical experience, the methods used to facilitate learning environment, etc.
a. I was not able to teach in this environment because I was not very knowledgeable about any of the surgeries that were occurring. However, my nurse did this for one of the patients. He made sure the patient and the family knew what was happening. To facilitate the learning environment, my nurse made the environment quiet. He also asked questions at the end to make sure that they were not confused about anything.
7. Select one question each week from Question for Reflective Practice on the following page and write a brief
response.
a. As the situation was taking place, I was thinking about…I was concerned about…I was feeling…
i. As the first patient was being prepped for surgery after he was brought back to the operating room, I was thinking about how nervous I was to watch a surgery. I was concerned about fainting during the surgery, but once it began, my nerves calmed down. I was feeling worried about the consequences of breaking the sterile field, which made me super conscientious about where I was and what I was doing so I wouldn’t even get close to breaking the sterile field. Even though I was nervous, concerned, and worried, my nurse helped me through it by reassuring me that everything was okay. As the day went on, I became more and more excited for the next surgery. I did not know what to think about the laparoscopic cholecystectomy when I was told I could watch it. However, once it began, it became my favorite surgery of the day by far.
a. One thing that was the same in my clinical experience was the roles that the different surgical personnel had. The surgeon performed the surgery. The surgical technician helped out the surgeon. The scrub nurse made the sterile field, and she handed the surgeon the different instruments he requested. …show more content…
The anesthesiologist administered the anesthesia and monitored the patient. The circulating nurse documented and helped out with anything that was need.
2. Reflect on nursing roles you observed and on your clinical performance this week.
a. One big role that I observed was a teacher. I have never been in an operating room before, so the nurse that I had at the very start of the day was very helpful in orienting me to the room. She also educated me on where I could or could not be, and she educated me on what would cause a break in the sterile field. Also, that same nurse was with someone she was training. If the trainee missed something that she should have done, the nurse educated her on those things that were missed and what to do better to prevent those small mistakes.
b. Another role I observed was a communicator. Throughout the entire experience, the entire personnel on each case did a great job of communicating to each other. The time-outs before surgery was a great way of communicating to make sure that the correct procedure happened to the right patient.
3. List 5 objectives for your next clinical. Evaluate your accomplishment of last week’s objectives and include any revisions needed for the future. Discuss your clinical skills and learning objectives with the RN at the beginning of each clinical day.
a. Five objectives for my next clinical
i. After the experience, I hope to be able to explain the procedures that I observed in the post-conference. ii. I hope to start one IV next week if my nurse permits me to. iii. I want to provide safe care to the patients. iv. I hope to observe diligently throughout the procedures.
v. I want to be able to pick up on the different HIPAA regulations that were followed throughout my experience in endoscopy.
I was able to complete the objectives that I set for this week’s clinical. I introduced myself to my nurses. I recognized the titles of the personnel in the OR during a typical case. I was able to identify the positions that the patients were placed in. I watched and observed the procedures being perform. I was able to observe my nurses in the holding area, the operating room, and the recovery room.
4. What was your most beneficial learning experience in clinical this week?
a. The most beneficial learning experience from this week’s clinical was watching the surgeries themselves. The laparoscopic cholecystectomy was especially beneficial for me because I was able to see some internal structures of a live person. I’ve seen a liver and the sides of the peritoneal cavity on a cadaver in the anatomy lab. However, today was the first time for me to see the liver of a live patient. The color on the liver was so bright pinkish-red, and it made my jaw drop when I first saw it. The size of the gall bladder was different than I expected. It was much smaller than I imagined, which surprised me.
5. What was the most difficult/challenging learning experience you had in clinical this week?
a.
The most difficult learning experience from today was related to the tracheostomy. This procedure was performed on a ten year old little girl. Even though the nurse said she had many more problems related to her airway, it was still sad to see. When I was told that I was going to be watching a tracheostomy, I imagined a middle aged, maybe elderly patient. However, when I showed up into the operating room, it was ten year old little girl. That was definitely difficult because it made me think about all the stress that the family have to go through and how that would have affected my family if the same thing had happened to me.
6. Evaluate teaching that you carried out during this clinical experience, the methods used to facilitate learning environment, etc.
a. I was not able to teach in this environment because I was not very knowledgeable about any of the surgeries that were occurring. However, my nurse did this for one of the patients. He made sure the patient and the family knew what was happening. To facilitate the learning environment, my nurse made the environment quiet. He also asked questions at the end to make sure that they were not confused about anything.
7. Select one question each week from Question for Reflective Practice on the following page and write a brief
response.
a. As the situation was taking place, I was thinking about…I was concerned about…I was feeling…
i. As the first patient was being prepped for surgery after he was brought back to the operating room, I was thinking about how nervous I was to watch a surgery. I was concerned about fainting during the surgery, but once it began, my nerves calmed down. I was feeling worried about the consequences of breaking the sterile field, which made me super conscientious about where I was and what I was doing so I wouldn’t even get close to breaking the sterile field. Even though I was nervous, concerned, and worried, my nurse helped me through it by reassuring me that everything was okay. As the day went on, I became more and more excited for the next surgery. I did not know what to think about the laparoscopic cholecystectomy when I was told I could watch it. However, once it began, it became my favorite surgery of the day by far.