What? As this was our last journal for our first Acute Care rotation, I did not write about events in specific but simply reflected on my journey over the past couple of months while giving a few examples where it applied. The main themes of this journal consisted of therapeutic communication, time management, anxiety, and collaboration.
So what? During our first few clinical days, I would feel extremely anxious and afraid of the unknown. My biggest fear was having clients direct their frustration or other strong feelings at me, and not knowing how to address it. This fear related to my lack of confidence in my ability to provide therapeutic communication. Most of this anxiety came from the fact that English is not my native language. I …show more content…
However, on November 18th, I felt confident at the end of the day because I was able to do all of my care efficiently and on a timely fashion. Upon reflecting about time-management in my previous journal and openly accepting the feedback from my clinical instructor, I finally learned how to prioritize my care by planning, anticipating, and delegating (Patrick, Freeman, & Painter, 2015). For instance, even though I know that charting is just as important as giving an injection, I learned that I do not have to worry about documenting every detail meticulously because some of it was not relevant. Also, carrying extra supplies in my pocket has become a habit of mine to avoid unnecessary interruptions in my care. Lastly, I learned how to be more assertive and asking when I needed to use the accu-chek, a chart, or vital sign machines, for example, in a way that demonstrated respect for other people’s needs and …show more content…
I had never been to St. Paul’s prior to this; I had never given medications, or worked closely with other health care professionals such as physiotherapists, wound care teams, physicians, LPNs and RNs. It was my first time performing a dressing change on a client rather than on a piece of paper as we practiced in labs. Thus, I am now comfortable in my own skin, I have made mistakes but nothing that came close to causing any harm; mistakes such as in charting, in time management, communicating, and forgetting supplies, which at times made me feel incompetent and unfit. Although these feelings might not have been realistic as I am only a student, they have motivated me to be the best I could be, thus I essentially learned how to embrace my anxiety and my ability to cope with the unknown. I still have so much to learn and by following the CNA’s Code of Ethics, and the SRNA’s competencies, and openly accepting and implementing peers and instructor feedback, I will find the guidance I need to become a good student nurse. Ultimately, I can confidently say that this clinical rotation has only reinforced that nursing is indeed what I want to be doing for the rest of my working
So what? During our first few clinical days, I would feel extremely anxious and afraid of the unknown. My biggest fear was having clients direct their frustration or other strong feelings at me, and not knowing how to address it. This fear related to my lack of confidence in my ability to provide therapeutic communication. Most of this anxiety came from the fact that English is not my native language. I …show more content…
However, on November 18th, I felt confident at the end of the day because I was able to do all of my care efficiently and on a timely fashion. Upon reflecting about time-management in my previous journal and openly accepting the feedback from my clinical instructor, I finally learned how to prioritize my care by planning, anticipating, and delegating (Patrick, Freeman, & Painter, 2015). For instance, even though I know that charting is just as important as giving an injection, I learned that I do not have to worry about documenting every detail meticulously because some of it was not relevant. Also, carrying extra supplies in my pocket has become a habit of mine to avoid unnecessary interruptions in my care. Lastly, I learned how to be more assertive and asking when I needed to use the accu-chek, a chart, or vital sign machines, for example, in a way that demonstrated respect for other people’s needs and …show more content…
I had never been to St. Paul’s prior to this; I had never given medications, or worked closely with other health care professionals such as physiotherapists, wound care teams, physicians, LPNs and RNs. It was my first time performing a dressing change on a client rather than on a piece of paper as we practiced in labs. Thus, I am now comfortable in my own skin, I have made mistakes but nothing that came close to causing any harm; mistakes such as in charting, in time management, communicating, and forgetting supplies, which at times made me feel incompetent and unfit. Although these feelings might not have been realistic as I am only a student, they have motivated me to be the best I could be, thus I essentially learned how to embrace my anxiety and my ability to cope with the unknown. I still have so much to learn and by following the CNA’s Code of Ethics, and the SRNA’s competencies, and openly accepting and implementing peers and instructor feedback, I will find the guidance I need to become a good student nurse. Ultimately, I can confidently say that this clinical rotation has only reinforced that nursing is indeed what I want to be doing for the rest of my working