I watch numerous drama TV shows set in the medical field like Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Doctor. Currently on Grey’s, Dr. DeLuca has been very emotional and not getting enough sleep, so he has not been in the right state of mind to be dealing with patients or working with his peers. He has made inappropriate outbursts towards other doctors and in front of patients. He also has been getting too attached to his cases and just needs to take a step back to gather himself and rest up before he makes any major mistakes or killing a patient. Along with communication issues in the working environment, it is also very important for a medical professional to take care of themselves, physically and mentally; otherwise, it can affect the patient’s outcome and prevent growth within the facility.

I really enjoy The Good Doctor being based around an autistic doctor because it allows society to see that a disability does not have to stop someone from doing a good job in life, especially when taking care of other people’s lives. When Shaun Murphy was trying to begin his work at his current hospital, the biggest discrepancy was his inability to communicate with anyone because they knew that communication is such a large part of being a healthcare professional. Like a lot of autistic people, he has had to learn how to not be so blunt and forward with patients and how to be sympathetic during emotional situations. I find him very funny, but people like him are why I want to become a psychiatrist, to be able to help people do the best they can and be comfortable. Shaun also does not know how to deal with stress in an appropriate way and that can be difficult to not only him, but his surrounding peers. He is definitely a different type of person, but that does not mean he cannot learn what is socially acceptable.

In class we have learned that it is important to be an active therapeutic listener for our patients and I think I do a pretty good job at making my patients feel stress free and comfortable. For some people, communication comes naturally, but everyone always has something to improve on to make a better experience for patients and visitors. I think it honestly just takes experience to be comfortable with different types of communication, but you cannot be a shy person or afraid to adapt to your surroundings because you will be challenged with multiple different types of communication scenarios. From translation needed to handling a hostile conversation, it is hard to work your brain to think instantly about an appropriate reaction. Overall, I think this communications class and experience in clinical has helped a lot of us understand how hard the real world of nursing is and how much practice it will take for us to be the best we can be once becoming a nurse.

So far this semester, I think I have done a great job adjusting to my surroundings in a new hospital and new types of patients, but I think my biggest communication challenge has been with my nurse and the rest of the staff because I feel out of place at a hospital that I am not used to. Even though I love the environment, it is still hard to get to know the staff and ask them questions when you are not there all the time, but they are surrounded by students all the time, which I am sure gets annoying on the job and can make me uncomfortable because I do not want to bother them. The patients are not too difficult to communicate with because I am used to working on a medsurg floor, but not specifically a cardiac medsurg floor, so instead of me teaching the patients something new, I am constantly learning from the patients about new cardiac terms and techniques. I think I do a very good job communicating with my patients, even when I do not know what to do, I still figure it out in the heat of the moment to make their experience with me trustworthy. I can honestly say at the hospital I normally work at, I am very open with the staff and patients and I am confident in my decisions as a PCA, especially to ask nurses questions that can help me in school.

I would say I contribute to my challenge because I do not speak up when I should, but to me I like to keep my mouth shut and just watch when I am not comfortable with my surroundings and I know I am at the bottom of the totem pole. I could overcome this by just asking my nurse and PCA questions when I do not know, but it takes time to be comfortable with what is going on and who you are looking up to. I know they are used to helping us because it is a teaching hospital, but I know what it is like to catch someone at a bad time and they give an attitude because they are tired or frustrated or overwhelmed and the last thing they need is a student asking them more questions that I can find out from a chart or on the computer. I think I will be more comfortable talking when I am more comfortable with what I am supposed to be doing on the floor by myself, but for right now I ask my instructor many questions because I am used to her personality and I know she is specifically there for me and the other students.

With this being our actual first semester in the hospital, there a lot of emotions going on in my head, but I feel confident in myself and how I interact with my patients because they are just normal people that need your help. It’s basically a safe place to carry on a conversation with a stranger while knowing that they need your help and are already trusting you with their life. It’s crazy that a lot of patients come in and just know that you are wanting to help make them feel better and that you will be there for them (that’s a lot of trust in a stranger), but that is why I chose the job to help put a smile on someone’s face and it feels even better when they are appreciative of everything we do for them.