Long-Term Videography Analysis

Ability to show empathy and understanding for the patients – By working alongside residents from a variety of backgrounds I was able to see from other’s perspective and showed strong empathy for any personal or cultural concerns associated with their care. This skill will allow me to form better and stronger interpersonal relationships with patients and allied health team during training.

The compassion and care that Jersey College of Nursing has engrained in me runs deep within me and serves a guiding light. During my clinical experiences, I was determined to apply the training I have received at Jersey College of Nursing. It is my goal to make the lives of others more pleasant by means of a simple greeting or question such as “how is your day today?” I have learned what it really means to be a nurse; it is much more than the physical healing of a patient. An excellent nurse is aware of the mental, spiritual and physical needs of both her patients and her fellow

The first day, I have arrived at the Ambulatory Care office I was a bit nervous because I did not know what they would expect of me. Mr. Price first professionally greeted me and shared with me the Dallas VA mission statement, to fulfill President Lincoln's promise “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans.” Mr. Price then provided me with a nametag and a projected itinerary for this week. During the first week of my service learning, I was taught how to properly answer telephones, greet patients, and schedule appointments. By performing these tasks, I was able to enhance my medical terminology and communication skills. Although I was not directly exposed to patient care, shadowing a healthcare manager allowed me to witness the actions that occur behind the scenes that make a difference in improving the quality of care that patients receive.

Prior to walking in, my expectations for what I was about to partake in and experience were all over the place. I didn’t know whether to expect the absolute worst types of situations going on such as people being rushed into medical rooms or the most basic situations such as patients waiting for a strep throat test. I did expect to see a wide range of patients in terms of race, class, age, and gender. Contrary to the patients, I didn’t expect to see a wide range of race, class, age, and gender within the staff. I expected to see mostly female nurses, and male doctors, majority being Caucasian and middle age. I didn’t expect there to be that much security or any type of possible crime that could go on within a medical facility. I expected the waiting area and facility to be very large, large enough to accommodate a lot of patients at once. Lastly, I expected that taking our field notes would be a challenge because writing notes down in front of patients would be awkward and during interviews it would be hard to conduct a good interview while writing the whole time.

Through the many trips that my family has taken to the hospital due to various reasons, I have become fond of the hospital and its many wonders. After all the things that the medical field has done for me and my family, I decided to contribute to my local hospital to volunteer and help out those who pay visits to the hospital. Through my exposure to various clinical populations, I want to improve my ability to serve others in this capacity that can guide me towards the medical profession in the future.

I began volunteering at the Hospital for Special Surgery, to get an overview of what is is like to work at a hospital. Volunteering at a hospital was an eye opening experience, because I got to encounter how physicians, and medical staff communicate, and listen to their patients. These two skills are essential to understand patient needs, and therefore make the right decisions in diagnosing diseases. My role at the hospital was to provide snacks, beverages, and aid kits to patients, families, and medical staff. I have witnessed families that stayed up long nights, because they had loved ones undergo surgery. Any person that has a loved one undergo surgery becomes worried and scared, because of the uncertainty that lies ahead. However, the imperative skills that I have learned and exceeded on was my communication skills. Communicating with these families, and patients was exceedingly important, because you have to place yourself in their shoes to understand the situation they are in. I met young patients, as young as 5 years old, that were in the hospital for days recovering from surgery, or undergoing

In class, we learned that doctors are often very specialized and are only concerned about one specific part of a patient’s body. However, PAs are able to spend ample time communicating with patients and assessing their illness as a whole. Jessica Swartz said that she loves that she gets to take care of a patient throughout their entire hospital stay and is able to develop a trusting relationship with many of them. During lecture, Mrs. Hontz stated that many PAs in family practice are able to take care of their patients from birth to death, which allows them to form lasting relationships with them. I look forward to the many interactions that I will have as a PA, which will hopefully show my patients how much I care about helping them feel their best.

Attending a First Aid course improved my confidence in emergency situations and competence to provide relevant care. I teach first aid to small groups in school as CPR training and awareness will increase chances of survival from heart attacks. My mother's illness has inspired me to complete two online courses on Cancer and Abdominal Anatomy which required efficient time management. As I have found, the ability to work as a team is essential for the role of a doctor. Effective teamwork was crucial in the Drill Team during my time as an Air Cadet and it was this which led to victory. I play Basketball socially to unwind and have been committed to Tennis, competing in several Tennis tournaments. Doctors must be diligent, resilient and empathetic, skills which I am beginning to develop. I have found that doctors must commit to lifelong learning and I believe I have begun to acquire the necessary academic skills to pursue such a demanding profession. I have learnt that the role of a doctor extends far beyond treating disease to giving patient

Giving myself time to read up on nursing experiences, attending more clinical practice labs, participating and watching these duties in the health care setting will allow me to develop a secure level of confidence the next time that this type of situation may occur. Staying in the room allowed me to experience the feeling of support while looking past social norms and how they are challenged. I met my personal values, and I believe that one should respect another person`s privacy. This understanding allowed me to be there to support the resident during her time of need. In the article `starting out` by Jane Schulz, a nursing student shares her experience of helping her colleague assist an elderly patient with daily care. Observing the compassion and care between nurse and patient from fundamental tasks, she took away a valued lesson of how our support and caring methods affect an individual. My relation to this story allowed me to reflect on the effects my care and supporting actions had on our patient.

In the professional setting, knowing the patient through his or her diagnosis, name, history of present illness, laboratory results or reason for staying in the hospital only contributes to the manner of physical care of the patient. However, recognizing the patient 's spiritual needs such as emotional support, mental positivity, and intellectual understanding of his or her situation gives a better assessment, as well as a trusting relationship between the nurse and the patient, as per personal experience. In the ward, it is evident that most of the staff nurses spend their time doing documentations, preparing medications, following-up laboratory requests, as well as reading through the patients ' charts to affirm the physician 's order. Throughout the duration of our shifts as student nurses, I see that the most that the staff nurses get to be conversant with the patient is when certain procedures (such as feeding through nasogastric tube, taking

Working on floor as an Assistant & Companion has been my favorite part working as a Banner volunteer. I have grown in my people skills tenfold through talking to patients and I have overcome my shyness. In addition to my personal development, I feel that I have made a genuine difference in my patients'lives. People in hospitals are sick, worried, and just plain lonely. By talking to them, I feel that they get to vent or just feel appreciated.

Over the course of my volunteering I had many patient interactions and before escorting them out of the hospital I could see how the doctor affected their behavior. Many patients after being treated are still scared and unsure of what is happening, the doctors and nurses are very patient and encouraging this helps ease their worries. Even after I escort them out sometimes they still ask me what I

Here I have conversed with patients to influence them to feel good in the Hospital, sometimes I offer dinners or tea, or occasionally help the doctors and other staff in the Hospital.

Whether the patient wants to discuss a tragedy in their life or their favorite television show, that conversation will be the most important thing I do during that shift.  Giving of myself to others gives purpose and meaning to my job.

During my time there, I shadowed a pediatric doctor. While I was asking him questions, he was called into an emergency surgery, and I was unfortunately not old enough to watch according to the hospital restrictions. So as I was waiting around, a PA swooped me up and let me shadow her instead. I was embarrassed to admit to her that I was not aware of a PA’s responsibilities to the hospital. Throughout the rest of the day, I followed the PA into patient rooms and recovery rooms. I was able to observe how the PA interacted with patients with such a reassuring and caring attitude that I had not seen with the previous physician I had met. I not only respected her compassionate personality, but I related to it.