Lovin' Learning
It’s a great fall night. My fake fire place is on (I don’t have to clean up ashes), and I have a Yankee vanilla candle fumigating my recently cleaned apartment. I love the smell of vanilla and pine sol. Ah…and I have my balcony sliding door open to let a little fresh fall air in as I wrap up the evening. I have clinical tomorrow. Only three more weeks left of my rehabilitation rotation, so, I want to share with you a few things I’ve learned.
I have learned how important it is to patients that you listen to them. For those of you who know me outside of the blogging world, you know that I love to talk. I’m not quite sure why. Truthfully, I think it may be part of the way I process life experiences. I very much follow the continuum theory which says (and I paraphrase) a person must process or compartmentalize phases of life before s/he moves on to the next phase of life successfully. That’s my best guess to why I like to talk so much. Despite my love for talking and storytelling, I have learned that listening is not only therapeutic for patients, but it is a fundamental part of patient care. If you don’t listen and begin developing your thoughts about the situation too soon, you will miss very important information that is instrumental in taking care of your patient.
Also, I have learned to never ask a patient why. For example, why did you not take your medicine? This is contrary to my way of thinking. I always want to know why someone did what s/he did or did not do, and I always want to know why something works the way it does. Why? Why? Why? It’s my favorite question. I think that’s the most effective question a person could ask. Answering a why question tells you so much information without having to ask multiple follow-up questions. For example, if the patient answers, “I did not take my medication because I can’t afford it right now, and I don’t have insurance because I lost my job” after I ask a why question, then I already know a lot. I know the patient does not have a job and as a result may have some emotional issues along with financial stressors that I could address. Also, I know I’m going to have to figure out a plan that meets his or her medical needs while somehow adhering to or working around our insane health care policies. Look at that. All that information just because I asked one why question. Okay. I’ve made my point. I know Larry King would agree with me. Why is his favorite question too! I understand that asking someone why may come across as judgmental. I can go with that to an extent. So, in the medical setting, I will avoid asking why questions. Instead, I will say, “You know we all forget things sometimes. I forget to take my allergy medicine sometimes. It happens. Is there any particular reason you were unable to take your medication?” So in summary, you ask the patient why in code. By the time I graduate, I will be both a nurse and a diplomat. J
I have also learned how to administer/insert shots, insulin injections, IV, Foley catheters, etc. Oh and I can assess any system you want. It’s your choice. Cardiac? Respiratory? Abdominal? Neurological? HEENT? Musculoskeletal? Of course, I may not know what to do with my findings after I assess you, but I still have time to learn.
Whit's Words of Wisdom: Never stop learning.