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I think the biggest improvement I have made throughout clinical this semester is improving my confidence in the hospital setting.  At the beginning, I walked in feeling anxious and unintelligent.  I would convince myself that I did not know as much as other students in my clinical group and that my patients thought I did not know what I was doing.  However, after using proper communication skills, I got to know my patients and it relieved my stress.  I learned that by gaining your patient’s trust, you as the nurse will feel more comfortable as well.  Once I got over my nerves, I realized I have already learned so much in nursing school and I do have the knowledge to help these patients.  I was on a geriatric floor and I learned a lot about communication with the older population.  I quickly realized how condescending it makes the patients feel by using terms like “sweetie, honey, etc.” as other nurses did this and the patients responded with unsatisfied looks on their faces.  Something I would like to improve on is my communication about awkward topics and my communication during situations that could be awkward (giving a bed bath, placing a catheter, etc.).  I never want my patients to feel uncomfortable.  I need to relax more because I have learned how to deal with these situations in this course.  I just need to apply the techniques in my practice.  If I do not seem awkward or uncomfortable, my patients will respond in the same manner.

I chose to watch an episode of Grey’s Anatomy for this blog assignment.  The patient to healthcare communication was quite different than what I believe is realistic.  In the episode I watched, one of the doctors began dating their patient (which is clearly not allowed).  They were flirtatious during his stay at the hospital and the actions were reciprocated by the doctor.  However, the lead surgeon did display proper communication.  She discussed with the patient his options for surgery and the possible outcomes without getting too personal.  Once she realized the fellow doctor was beginning to have a romantic relationship with the patient, she expressed her concern and removed her from the case.  Although in the real world the situation probably would not have progressed as far as it did on the show, it was nice to see the lead surgeon display proper communication techniques and take proper actions.

I believe that my biggest communication challenge thus far in the clinical setting is interrupting the patient when the nurse advises me to do something.  For example, last week, every time I entered my patient’s room they were sleeping.  I had to wake him up in order to complete my head to toe assessment, take vital signs, encourage him to go for a walk etc.  I felt extremely rude and like a bother because I had to continuously wake up the patient.  However, every time I did so he did not seem to care at all.  I felt uncomfortable on how exactly to wake him up and what to say once he had awakened.  In the future, I need to remember that they are used to this.  I know now to use a soft tone and give them time to wake up and complete whatever task necessary.  It is important that they know you are interrupting their rest for a reason.

I chose to observe people and their communication at the library.  The most common type of communication I witnessed was nonverbal.  Almost every person I observed was using some sort of technology (laptop, headphones, iPad, phone, headphones, etc.).  People were texting and emailing.  Although the library is a quiet place, I did witness one group of people talking and working on a project together.  I realized that this has became uncommon.  Most of the group projects I have worked on in college have consisted of us communicating through group chats.  As I watched them use verbal communication, I noted that it seems to be much more effective.  It is easier to bounce ideas off of each other and ask questions.  In the future, I plan to reach out to members in my group and organize meetings because I believe we will be much more successful that way.  However, I am still thankful we have the option to use technology to communicate because it is convenient and accommodates to everyone’s schedules.

Hello!  My name is Maddie Ward and I am a second year nursing student at Ohio State.  I am extremely open to try all types of nursing, but as of right now my goal is to become a midwife.  I chose nursing because I have always been fascinated with the medical field and I love how broad the field is.  My desire to become a midwife is due to how passionate I am about women’s health.  On campus I am involved in a social sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, and our philanthropy is Breast Cancer Education and Awareness.  I am also the secretary for the volunteer nursing club, NSPIRE.  I love to workout in anyway.  However, running is my favorite and I ran my first full marathon last summer!  I also love to travel.  I have been to 8 countries and 11 islands!  I am looking forward to this class and am excited to learn about how to better my communication skills.

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