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CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

The quality of communication in healthcare has an important impact on patient-healthcare relationships, patient satisfaction after receiving care, and patient safety during the process of care. Although communication between the patient and the care members are natural element of diagnosis and treatment, it is not easy to define or scientifically measure it. Therapeutic communication is one key I learned to utilized during the period of my clinical days.

 

To better serve my patients, I made use of active listening and making face to face contact when communicating. On my third week of clinical, my assigned patient gave me some experience I think I can use as I move on in my study to become a nurse. Over this period, we were not assigned to many patients but to one patient to better take good care of the patient. I had the opportunity to listen to my patient about the knowledge he had of his disease and some steps he has been taken to manage the disease. For this specific patient, I can say he was very intelligent about his condition as compared to the others I had over subsequent times. Actively listening to my patients helps me to decide what kind of message they need during their care. As my goal being patient centered, I spend all the time being with my patient to better know them and help serve when necessary. Empathy was made use of to encourage my patient to speak about their health concern and open up about any issue that can hinder their healing. Another improvement I made during my clinical experience was incorporating the patient education skills learned in seminar to look up for information on one source when my patient requires some kind of teaching during their hospital stay.

 

Perfectionism come by continually practicing what has been learned. Throughout the semester, I have learned to improve on my skills content and increase in how to therapeutically communicate with my patients. There were also circumstances where I was also faced with challenges in my schedule. Through the action of Stop, Think, Act, and Review I overcame the situations. To speak of the areas where I still need growth in the future in my practice, first, I will talk about limiting too much detail when communicating with my patients. I feel like I put too much information that might be less important to my patients. Limiting some unneeded information can give me some additional time to focus on other priority that can help other patient. Yes, spending more time with my patient is necessary but when assigned to more patient in the future I can limit those and work on other patient.

 

 

 

 

HEALTHCARE TEAM, PATIENT AND FAMILY COMMUNICATION

HEALTHCARE TEAM, PATIENT AND FAMILY COMMUNICATION

 

Health care delivery members and patient communication is a complex process. Clinician-patient communication is a critical component of medical care. One most significant communication issue during consultation and admission is the breaking of bad news such as initial diagnosis and end of life transition to the patient and their family at large. The news disseminated to the patient has a significant correlation to the patient’s psychological adjustment to illness.

 

In the video, the patient was getting ready to be discharged but had to take her scheduled walk. The patient was accompanied by the charged nurse and the husband. After returning back to the patient assigned room, the nurse took time to explain certain concept to the husband as they were getting ready to go home. The communication was focused on the patient. The nurse and the patient kept eye contact. Good body gestures were utilized by the nurse. The patient asked, it will get easier, won’t it? The nurse responded, that’s what we’re working towards. So, if you both look at the board here, it is spelled out.

 

The nurse took some time to explain to the family and patient why pain medication was administered an hour before the walk. When patient was out of bed, the patient sits on the edge to make sure she wasn’t dizzy from the medication. And stand for a minute to make sure she was ok before she starts walking. The nurse explained medication to family and patient. The time to take to medicine, purpose of the medicine; to prevent blood clot, why it necessary to walk patient as they are going home. The nurse was also getting printed material necessary for the patient before they leave the hospital.

 

One important thing that came up was both the patient and the family missed the doses for the medication. The nurse was happy it was pointed out and she went through with them until they understood everything about the medicine. Patient teaching was highly utilized by the charged nurse. Right medication dose can impact patient recovery.

BIGGEST COMMUNICATION CHALLENGE

Over the many times at the hospital, one biggest communication challenge faced is a clear interaction mode from my patient. Why is it a challenge? Most of my assigned patients were sleeping during the day because they had complained of insomnia. They could not get enough sleep during the night to keep them awake and active throughout the day. It has compromised the rate they respond to certain questions. It has slowed the feedback mechanism from patient. Although most of my assigned patient were looking healthy, it takes longer time from them to give the real answers because their circadian rhythm was distorted by the night shift workers. They were roused up during deep sleep to assess their vitals and also draw some blood for lab and test.

One contribution I have made to this challenge is not realizing quickly what the patient went through before the start of my shift. I was thinking they has the same amount of sleep in my absence. I had at the back side of my mind that all other things being equal they should be able to function during the day. Although I asked as part of my morning assessment, I think one thing I can do to overcome this challenge is to go the patient room wake them up and give them some time to get their self-ready before I begin to ask and or begin anything I came to their room to do. Doing so can make them even feel more comfortable and respond more quickly. Though I was not trying to rush my patient through anything I did but I think they still deserve more time to respond. They really do need more time to get their mind and body awake to give feedback as required.

NESTOR HALL AUDITORIUM

Nestor hall a classroom block with the first floor designed for students’ activities at the Columbus State Community College. For the purpose of this blog, the focus will be on the first floor. This great and spacious auditorium is divided into two lounges. Visiting the west side of the lounge were a groups of student’s surrounding tables with their books and laptops. This cohorts were sharing ideas, pertaining to either a particular lecture materials or labs. Both verbal and nonverbal communication skills were observed at this lounge. Some form of spoken words was used by the people in the groups. There was some form of unity in the groups. It looked like there were reasons for the people meeting at that moment. At every point in time one can see and tell somebody in a group is looking up words or something that is altered but sounds unfamiliar on their laptops and phones. At certain points in time, there are little to no talking at one group where most members are busy trying to think about what they said or came up from their conversations.

 

However, people converge at the west side of the lounge to play table tennis and certain computer games. For this area, one can say it has no strict rules on how people presented themselves. Some people were gathered around the computer games and others busy playing table tennis. People gathered around the computer game were busy, with each opponent trying to overcome the other. Most form of communication skills observed from this area were nonverbal, mostly action related. They were busy pushing their game controllers, trying to overcome the opponent. Others were busy communicating with their phones. Some had headphones either listening to something on their phones, tablets and even the computer. People were socializing easily. People were much open speaking to somebody in the room.

Introduction

Patrick Awere, originally hail from Ghana-West Africa. Having relocated to the United States of America to further my education in 2014. I hold an Associate of Science degree from the Columbus State Community College with honors. I am currently enrolled as a student of the Ohio State University, College of Nursing. I hope to impact lives in positive ways in my career field as a nurse. My dream in the health care is to become an anesthesiologist. I like playing and watching soccer on my leisure time. Also not to left out, I like traveling to new places for aesthetic reasons. Over the years, I have worked with Luxottica Optical manufacturing.