Blog Reflection

While volunteering at Kaiser Hospital i used critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity to complete all aspects of my capstone projects. While volunteering at the hospital we used critical thinking because while volunteering with nurses i have to think like a nurse as well and thats exactly what my mentor made me do while volunteering with her. Communication is a very important part of nursing especially in the recovery room because every time you assist a patient it is required to work as a team. With team work you need to learn how to communicate with coworkers to make sure everything goes smoothly with the patient and they are sent home happy. While assisting patients collaboration is a key aspect as well. As a nurse you need to know how to collab with coworkers and once again work with your team and the patients as well. In the career of nursing there really isn't any creativity at all but if something ever goes wrong and you need to think of an other way to assist the patient creativity can come in handy.

Through out my volunteering at Kaiser i've gained experience personally, socially, and intellectually. From volunteering and talking with my mentor i personally realized that this is my career of chose for my future because i have a love for the nursing career now. I've also realized that nursing also is very social. If you are not social or have any intellect at all with your team and coworkers you will not be able to work smoothly. Nursing is all about working with the hospital staff.

While volunteering i did face one problem. My mentor was assisting and caring for a patient right after her hip replacement and they just simply could not raise her body temperature. This is not good because for one the patient is not comfortable and two there could be something wrong because she just came out of surgery. After a lot of warm blankets and socks the patients body temperature finally increase and the patient was fine. Everyone was relieved that it was only a minor encounter that thy could fix pretty fast.

Kaiser Volunteering / Nurse Shadowing: The Third Session (#2)

On our last two hours of volunteering Christina and I were shown one last thing which was located on the same floor as recovery room. It was where all the patients waste are disposed after the patient is let go:) This is not surprising to me because as a nurse there is a lot of "dirty" "gross" work involved. But, just like everything else you just have to get used to it and do your job. After that we went back to the recovery room and chatted with the PACU nurses about their experiences while in college and there first years as a nurse. They told us that the First year is always the hardest because they were just not adjusted to the job yet. She even said that she thought she didn't want to be a nurse anymore because of the horrible patients ect.. but, she fought through it and now loves her job! This talk and my experiences of volunteering at Kaiser made me realize that this is the career path that I 100% want to take on in my future! I loved volunteering for kaiser and i will definitely visit my mentor again and especially to eat their yummy food that they bring!

Kaiser Volunteering / Nurse Shadowing: The Third Session (#1)

Today was our last day here volunteering at Kaiser hospital. Today we volunteer for 5 1/2 hours. I was kinda of sad because i knew i would miss the staff that Christina and I bonded with while at the hospital but i knew we would be able to come back whenever because they liked our company. Once again all the nurses and our mentors brought food for everyone to enjoy while we were waiting for patients to be sent to the PACU. It was kind of a slow night compared to the last time we volunteered. Today our mentors brought us to where all the medical tools and gear are stored. I was surprised how much tools that they actually go through in a day. There is also a special routine on how they sterilize some of the tools but most of the other things they use are disposable for sanitary reasons. Without these tools and supplies they would not be able to perform anything or assist a patient at all.

Kaiser Volunteering / Nurse Shadowing: The Second Session (#1)

This was my second time volunteering and Christina and I volunteered for 4 hours. This time we volunteered during the usual hospital hours so it was a lot different and shorter from the last time we volunteered. This time we got a tour of the second floor which is where the radiology rooms are. This is where patients go when they are in crucial need of getting an x-ray, cat scan, and MRI before they rush into surgery. If the patient for some reason cant move from their gurney a radiology nurse can bring a portable x-ray machine to the gurney. This time the nurses, hospital staff, and our mentors were not working at a slow pace because the hospital was very busy during the day. I really like how they work as a team while assisting patients and how well they worked together. When they were finished with their patients you could tell how they were happy and felt accomplished because everything went smooth and nothing went wrong.

Kaiser Volunteering / Nurse Shadowing: The Second Session (#2)

During this time there was so much more work to be done and there was much more patients that our mentors had to assist. While we were volunteering we got to meet more staff and interact with them as well because it wasn't an on call shift. After they were done all the nurses and our mentors went on a lunch break. I thought this was really funny because they all brought food to have a little potluck at lunch. I really liked that because it showed me that the nurses are super close because how much they have to work together while at the hospital. After that we were brought to the room where the blankets and sheets are warmed up. This is to make sure that patients are comfortable while they are being assisted in the recovery room. They even gave Christina and I warm blankets when we napped on our on call shift which, was really nice.

Kaiser Volunteering / Nurse Shadowing: The First Night on call (#5)

After watching our mentors through out the night, i realized it would take a lot of time and learning for me to become a nurse. My mentor made the job look so easy but i knew it probably took time and patience for her to become that good at nursing. All my mentor did was check the patient for any vital signs, give them pain medication, and make sure that they are comfortable. After that, the nurses watched over the patients and monitored them to make sure they were stable and made sure that if they needed any more pain medication they would give it to the patient. Through out the rest of the night, more patients were sent to PACU and Christina and I continued to observe our mentors and the patients. We also continued to watch the monitor to watch recent surgeries. Christina and i also got to learn how to use the special machine for medications. This machine/elevator sends out medications from pharmacists directly where the patient is that needs it. It also shows evidence that no drugs are stolen by nurses or patients which used to be a problem within hospitals before this machine. This is a new machine within new hospitals today so nurses/pharmacists don't physically have to go out of there way to get the medication them selves. It saves time and its a really smart invention for hospitals. After playing with the medication machine, I ate hospital jello with Christina and decided to take a nap in a hospital bed because I have been up for almost more than 20 hours.

 

Kaiser Volunteering / Nurse Shadowing: The First Night on call (#4)

After Christina and I finished eating and talking in the staff lounge room we headed back to the PACU (recovery room). While we were in the recovery room, we waited for patients to come out of surgery because after the patients surgery is finished they are sent to the recovery room to be cared for by nurses. While the nurses were preparing for the patient to come, Christina and I got to watch the surgery being done on the patient that shortly would be sent to PACU. We watched it on a monitor. Every room in the hospital that performs surgery has a camera installed to show the nurses what kind of surgery is being done to the patients and when the patient will be sent to the PACU. This lets the nurses know that a patient is coming in and means that they need to prepare for that patient. It was something very new for me to see so i thought it was very interesting how fast the patients are sent to the recovery room right after surgery. Christina and i got the chance to watch a hip replacement on the monitor and i was shocked. It did not gross me out. I thought it was very interesting how calm the surgeons were and how they finished the job so efficiently. Next thing you know the lady that was being worked on was in the recovery room right after her surgery and was cared for by our mentors.

Kaiser Volunteering / Nurse Shadowing: The First Night on call (#3)

Christina and I came back to the hospital after getting some food and went straight to the staff locker room to put our things away so we could go eat. We went to the staff lounge where we ate, talked, and watched TV. While we were in the staff lounge we also met a doctor and other employees that work at the hospital and were introduced to them as well. While we were eating, the people we met asked us questions on why we wanted to pursue in the career of nursing for our future career and we discussed the positive and negative aspects of being a nurse. We discussed the process of becoming a nurse and how difficult it can be at times but in the end it is worth it because the benefits that the job provides. They asked me what my college plan was and i told them i will be attending the College of San Mateo for my prerecs and then transferring to a university that provides a good nursing program. After talking about the Career of nursing with the hospital staff it made me realize that this is my career of choice and it made me excited for my future.

Kaiser Volunteering / Nurse Shadowing: The First Night on call(#2)

Tonight me and Christina's mentors were on call till 8am so, we decided to stay the night to see what goes on during an on call shift. While our mentors were on call and assisting patients we observed and also waited for patients coming out of emergency surgery. It was very interesting to see how immune the nurses are while working in the middle of the night and assist and watch over the patients and are very alert at the same time. While i was watching the nurses assist the patients, i realized this is a career i definitely want to pursue in because the nurses take pride in what they do and love their job as they care for patients in need. I believe nurses set a sense of comfort in the hospital. If it wasn't for nurses there wouldn't be anyone to care for the patients at all. While we were observing the on call shift it was very quiet and slow. Overall the nurses assisted about 3 patients while on that shift. After that Christina and I went out to grab some food to help us get some energy for the rest of the shift.

Kaiser Volunteering / Nurse Shadowing: The First Night on call (#1)

Friday, March 27th, was my first full day volunteering at the PACU (recovery room) at Kaiser hospital in Redwood City. Right when i got to the recovery room i was introduced to all the staff by my mentor, Kim. After i was introduced to the staff, Christina and I followed our mentors around as they gave us a tour of the whole floor which the recovery room was located. This floor included operating rooms and the pre/post anesthesia care unit. The most interesting thing i saw as i was being toured by my mentor was the new advance technology they had because it was a brand new hospital. My mentor also showed me the Negative Pressure Room where patients go if they need to be quarantined. Patients that have caught deceases such as Ebola or Swine Flu are sent to this room to be fully isolated from the other patients. The nurses and hospital staff are specially trained to work with patients in this room because it can be extremely harmful if the decease spreads else where.

Interview

1. Why did you choose to go into the career of nursing?
I decided I wanted to be a nurse when i was little and my brother was hospitalized. While I was in my brother's hospital room the nurse came in and i observed everything she did to care for my brother. From then on i was immediately interested in nursing. 

2. What skills are required for this position?
Patience, communication, compassion, and being calm under pressure are all very important key skills to obtain while becoming a nurse. 

3. Do you have a passion for nursing?
yes i do have a passion for nursing, although some patients and their families can be tough to work with, at the end of the day that doesn't matter because the joy of caring for my patients is a great feeling. 

4. Why is nursing important in our society?

I believe that nurses are basically the backbone of hospital treatment. They not only make 

sure the patient is comfortable, they provide medication and most importantly let the doctor 

know changes in the patient's status that needs attention. The quality of the nurse's care 

has a big impact on the patient's experience. Without nurses i believe that death rate in 

hospitals would increase and we don't want that in our society. 

5. What benefits do you acquire from being a nurse?

There are tons of different benefits that come with the education/career of nursing. The first one would probably be that there is so many types of nurses, with a nursing degree there are so many different jobs out there for you, you just have to explore and see which fits you the best personally. Other benefits depends on which company you work for. In my case, i work for kaiser and some of the benefits include medical and dental coverage, pension, and 401K.

6. Is a flexible schedule required for nursing?
I think that nursing is a great career for people with families or a busy lifestyle because you can make your working schedule fit to your personal needs but, the first year starting out as a nurse and being on call requires a lot of flexibility.

7. What education requirements does it take to become a nurse?
I studied anatomy, physiology, biology, chemistry, micro biology, statistics, and nursing courses to receive a Bachelors degree in nursing. 

8. Is it difficult to become a nurse? Explain.
Of course it is difficult! I would say the most difficult part is getting through college and the first year of nursing because you don't really have the hang of everything yet.

9. Are you happy with your choice of career? Explain.
I wouldn't choose any other career other than nursing!

10. Do you enjoy the hospital atmosphere? Explain. 

I think sometimes it can be a little depressing but other than that i love my coworkers and the nice patients i care for on a daily basis. So yes i enjoy it!