Mixmatched thoughts.

18th of August 18:00

Part four

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This post is going to be a bit untidy and full of mix matched points and information, as that is how I am feeling today. This is has been my final week of placement for a couple of months and I have been attending different insight visits to other parts of the hospital, however the places I have been are closely linked to the type of patients we have on the ward.

Yesterday I attended the “cardiac catheter suite” this is a place where cardiac angioplasty’s are performed, (GO HERE FOR MORE INFO >>>
http://www.heartsite.com/html/ptca.html)
stents put in to the heart, pace makers fitted and other wonderful cardiac related procedures.
I absolutely loved it at that place, the team were amazing and taught me all I needed to know. The surgeon was surprisingly friendly and the patients were well treated and looked after and made to feel completely at ease. I never knew I found cardiac issues so interesting, I was in awe by the brilliant things I saw and how amazing modern medicine really is!
I know it is not just me who thinks that place is brill, due to the mass amount of thank you cards that were plastered to every wall in the reception areas and the relaxed look on all the patients faces.
Another bonus was that I got to wear scrubs (theatre wear) all day and white crocs! It is like wearing your pjys all day however not quite as fetching!

Patients turn over is quite remarkable the patient is pre op assessed by the nurses, booked in, procedure performed, then discharged four or five hours later when they are feeling better and are safe to go home. Also the suite does not work past 7 and is not open on weekends! Even more of a bonus!! All in all I learnt loads from that visit and even did my own research when I arrived back home! I think cardiac might just be my “thing.”

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Today I shadowed a specialist stoma nurse, so that I could get a good idea of what they did on a day to day basis. Today was an interesting day filled of tears, happiness, gratefulness, hope, and grief. (by the patients of course!)

Here is a link to loads of information on stoma’s and other relevant issues, I could explain what they are but it would take me at least 2000 words! HaHa! (http://www.bupa.co.uk/individuals/health-information/directory/s/stoma-care)

A brief over view of my day;
A patient in her early 50’s had just been diagnosed with liver and colon cancer and had to tell her children that she was dying, whilst a man in his late 20’s had secondary cancers and was on chemotherapy fighting for his life.
A man got his independence back, and a woman got told her cancer had been successfully been exercised. (removed)
Days like these really make me feel awful about myself! They really put things into perspective, like that I really should not moan about such trivial things. Like who has borrowed my straightness and not put them back?! AGAIN! 😀

I also had a deep conversation with a nice man, who I later found out that he was a senior consultant! See! There are nice doctors out there!
I have just said it but I will say it again, I have once again learnt loads from today and feel like my areas of knowledge are growing!

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Finally I have just read at article in the latest version of the Nursing Standard, about the first ever hospital where all patients have their own room, and I found myself becoming quite angry.
Yes fine people need their space and sometimes even prefer it, and yes I suppose it will make infection control a lot easier to control but they forgot to mention the negatives of this idea!
What about acutely ill patients that need watching, they are usually in bays placed near the nurses station so that they are always in view. If they were okay in bays, don’t you think HDU (High Dependancy Unit) would contain 12 cubicles rather than bays
And what about elderly patients that are at risk of falls? Put them in a side room and they will be out of sight and very possibly out of mind! Oh well… at least their rooms will be MRSA free!

Also what about children? On a children’s ward, without their family with them, Im sure that they are going to want to sit in a big empty room and stare at blank white walls.
Okay some of you may think it is a good idea, but I have come across a lot of patients who refuse to be put in a cubical as they are frightened or because they enjoy seeing other human beings!

Plus it will take up so much more space and cost loads more money. Personally I would like to see it stay the way it is and keep people in their jobs! We need more staff not less! & specialist nurses are so under rated, they work really hard yet still have to prove their job is worthy otherwise face redundancy. It is such a shame!

Phew! Rant over! Let me know your opinions guys!

Anyway I am going for some dinner now!

Blog tomorrow, M xoxo