On our first group clinical we were told we should handle ourselves with dignity and respect. We are there to help and most importantly this was THEIR home. Our first group clinical was in extended care.

That is right. It is their home. This is where they eat, sleep and enjoy their lives.

We are there to cater the their needs. To help them when they need to be helped and to listen to what they want.

We had a few issues that came up in regards to this. People were doing things for their own convenience, not for the right of the residents. I wanted to share a few things to remember when your time comes in a setting like extended care.

• Protect the residents privacy. This means using curtains when appropriate, closing doors when necessary and always make sure the resident is covered up! How would you feel if your behind was exposed for the world to see? If you are taking the resident to a bath/shower room, cover them with a sheet to make sure nothing is exposed.
• Do not give injections in the dining room, or through clothing for that matter! Most residents are wearing clothing that requires some sort of removal in order to give an injection. Please take them away from the dining room in order to do this. They do not need everyone else to know they require injections (most are insulin) and they do not need to be exposed in any way to others. AND like I said before, do not do it through a shirt because you did not have time to take them away from the dining area or any other public place.
• Respect the facility. Take turns. There are a large number of residents living the facility, and each of them require some level of care. There is usually a rush for the baths/shower. Be respectful of your co-workers and wait your turn.

Ok, so these are my few pointers for today. All come from real experience. I will share more as a remember. As much as they may sound silly, they do happen!

My son, who is 5, was talking about when he gets older and things he was going to do. Then, he got really sad. When I asked him, why he said that I was not going to be there when he was 13. I asked why and he said “cause you will be dead.” Well, this threw me off. I guess he did not get the concept of years. To him, being 13 was many, many years away.  So, I had to reassure him mommy would be around for hundreds of years lol.

Funny how kids see things….

This made me think of the first time as a nurse I had to go through having a patient pass away. It is never something you get used to. It is never something you are prepared for. AND each time I cry.

I was on my third practicum when it happened. It was not something they initially thought was going to happen while the patient was in the hospital, but over the days the patient deteriorated. It was hard for me to work with the patient, knowing what could happen at any time.

Even worse was the fact that the patient had no family. I did not want the patient to be alone, if I could help it. If I was around and free, I made sure I spent time with the patient. The patient did end up passing away when I was there. Now, having had many more patients pass away, I don’t always remember each of their names, but I do remember the first one.

It was emotionally very hard on me. Even now it still is. I guess I am sensitive to these things, and  I think that is ok. To me, it’s part of being a great nurse, when you can show emotion to your patients as well. I am not just at work to do my job. I am there to make a difference for my patients, and I truly show them I care.

So, for all you who are just heading out there….You will encounter similar things. Just remember, it’s ok to cry.

As you know, I am on maternity leave right now. My third baby is now over 5 months old! Time goes by so fast! But, I have to say I love this age much more. He was a difficult newborn, I look forward to the older baby months!

I am due to be back at work around December. I had a part-time line which I resigned, so I am casual. I have the choice to head back to Delta on the medical floor or to Surrey on Orthopedics. AND just the other day I was talked to about a new job! This one is in a 13 doctor medical clinic. A LOVELY Monday to Friday, 9-5 job! They are looking for a position, but for me casual is what I want. So, they would love to have someone fill in. Where in nursing can you find days and hours like this?! NOT often.

I was asking what kind of things do the nurses do. Well, assisting with simple procedures, injections, blood pressures, dressing changes etc. Well, sounds great!! So, this one for me sounds like it  may be worth while and I will be looking into it closer to my time to return to work. I want something that works well for my family….and 12 hour shifts are NOT that.

I took my nursing so that one day (when my babies were old lol) I would have something to return to. Now, I just want to work when I want, in order to keep up my skills, but put my family first. I love that this clinic lets you do that. The person who recommended me just works one day a week!

So, as I sit at home with my new baby, I keep thinking about the future. The one year off really goes way too fast. I LOVE being a nurse, and want to still have that in my life for sure. It’s my ME time…somewhere where I can have adult conversation lol.

The nursing station is behind Plexiglas-glass windows, but it is not sound proof. Constantly there is someone at the window asking for something or repeating themselves as it is part of their behaviour. This is why before I said working in mental health can be draining! Lol.

It is like being home with my 5 year old who is always asking “Why?”. I know this is their behaviour and it is not their fault. There is also nothing I can do about it. You learn to tune things out and get your work done with someone always peering at you through that window.

To many clients smoking is important. They count down the the minute when they can have their next cigarette. Then right at that time, there they are, at the window

Violence can happen in this field as well. A lot of the residents take medications to help control this, but there is still the occasional outburst. You learn to watch for trigger points for each person, so you can help them avoid getting to the point of acting out.

Most of the time it was the residents who would fight with each other. I guess living together, they are family, and we all know family fight. Certain ones you would know to keep away from the others. Personality clashes!

This field to me was very interesting. Most of the patients had been sick most of their lives, always living in a facility. I was told to read all their charts and histories, so I would better understand them. I felt sorry for a lot, as many had no family involved.

So if you can handle being followed, talked to constantly, answering the same questions over and over, then maybe this is for you. The physical work is MUCH easier I enjoyed my time at this place. It was a valuable learning experience, but I found out I am not as assertive as I would like to be, and being in this type of facility made me nervous at times. And, I want to be a confident of a nurse as I can when I work for my safety and the patient’s

I remember the first time I heard the word orthopedics. I had no idea what it meant. That is when my great knowledge of medical combining terms came in! I was able to figure out it referred to bones. This is the second unit I worked on.

I decided once I was confident in my surgical nursing skills, I would try something a bit different. The orthopedic unit was right beside the surgical one, but the patients were different. The unit deals with patients who have had surgery on their bones. Most commonly we see total knee and hip replacements.

I had heard that the unit was considered “heavy”. When I started orientation I figured out why. The patients require a lot more assistance when it comes to mobilization. Our main priority is to make sure they are able to mobilize on their own before discharge. Well, this is true for most cases.

As you probably figured, this unit has patient’s that are elderly a lot of the time. So, we create a plan that is best suited to each patient’s own abilities. We want then to be independent as much as they can, but we are there to help them reach that potential after surgery. And, I have to say patience is huge!

Just think if it were you having major surgery to replace a bone, and what it would be like to move or walk afterwords. It would take a lot of time  to do simple things. You cannot be rushed and you need to take your time, as it can be painful.

The unit can be heavy when it comes to the patient’s who are not able to mobilize and need your help to do any sort of care. Overall, it is a great floor to work on. It has a lot of the same skills as a surgical floor does. This is the unit I will be returning to once I am back from mat leave.