MHKH Report
Responsibilities:
- Go to Cardiopulmonary Dept. and follow a nurse or respiratory therapist.
- Went to ICU with RT, was instructed to take a few vital signs.
- Learned about ventilators and different types.
- No more to do with RT after a few patients so I went with another ICU nurse.
- Nurse had me check if feeding tubes were working.
- Learned about a CBC or complete blood count.
- Learned that Cardiopulmonary Dept. works very close with ICU.
- Learned how to check if a feeding tube and ventilator are working and it was freaky.
- Learned about an ethics case in ICU.
- Got to take some vital signs.
- Learned how to check feeding tubes and ventilators.
- Got to see an x-ray of a patient.
- The RT had nothing else to do so I couldn't keep learning from him.
- Seeing the ethics case.
The rotation was pretty awesome because of all that a person gets to see and learn from both Cardiopulmonary and ICU. It was a great week.
Technology:
The ICU has a lot of ventilators and feeding tubes that are going on most of the patients. There is a crash cart that is in the center nurse station just in case a patient flat-lines. There is a plethora of EKG's all around the department. There was a portable x-ray machine on the department.
Diagnostics:
The RT deals with a lot of ventilators and making sure that they work and that they are used properly. He and the nurses monitor vital signs, check medications, and constantly check up on the patients.
The ICU has a lot of ventilators and feeding tubes that are going on most of the patients. There is a crash cart that is in the center nurse station just in case a patient flat-lines. There is a plethora of EKG's all around the department. There was a portable x-ray machine on the department.
Diagnostics:
The RT deals with a lot of ventilators and making sure that they work and that they are used properly. He and the nurses monitor vital signs, check medications, and constantly check up on the patients.
Therapeutics:
If a patient gets restless or agitated when a ventilator is being put in they will be given sedatives. Medications are also drip fed to patients who are asleep or sedated. If a patient is about to pass away then the nurses make sure they are as comfortable as possible.
Diseases/Disorders:
There was a patient who was a long time smoker who just happened to have contracted pneumonia. There was also a patient who was in the ICU with COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Med Terms/Abbreviations:
A few that I heard were CBC or complete blood count which counts all white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in the body as a test to see if there is an infection due to higher white blood cell count. Another I encountered was a PEG or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy which is pretty much a feeding tube for a patient.
I. Environmental Assessment:
The Cardiology Dept. on 1st floor seems kind of small but it feels comfortable. There is the hustle and bustle of some nurses here and there. The nurse I talked to said that the department was actually really slow and since RT's work under the CP department I was sent to an RT in the ICU. The whole ICU was alive with electronic buzzing from EKG"s and ventilators.The place smelled of sanitizer. There is a cleaning crew around the clock to ensure that the environment remains sterile. The RT was really cool and nice and the nurses were also great. ICU provides care for patients in critical condition, keeps them under close surveillance, and checks on patients every 15 minutes to an hour. The ICU uses EKG's, ventilators, feeding tubes, drip feeds, and crash carts just in case.
II. Observation:
The RT and Nurses are rather formal people, but nice nonetheless. They get in, work on a patient and then they are out. New machines and equipment is coming in and the whole department is excited. The staff is quiet but they all work very well together. Phones are used often if something is needed from pharmacy or any other department. There is a fire door just in case and an extinguisher. There is a crash cart within the vicinity of every room if it's needed. Therapeutic services offered are sedation for restless and agitated patients, medications to stop pain, and a patient who is close to passing will be made as comfortable as possible. Diagnostics that are performed are checking ventilators and feeding tubes to make sure they all work properly, taking vital signs on patients every 15 minutes to an hour, and check medications.
III. Knowledge:
On the unit I actually learned a lot about ventilators, what they're used for and when. I learned how to check if a ventilator and feeding tube are in properly by using a stethoscope to check if the ventilator can be heard in the body and the feeding tube as well. Some abbreviations learned were CBC or complete blood count that measures both white and red blood cells and platelets and how white blood cell count indicates an infection. There was also PEG or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy which is a feeding tube. New learned skills were learning how to check that a ventilator and feeding tube were all in place.
IV. Evaluation:
Overall this unit was a really cool and educational unit that was pretty hands on with the RT.I think that the way that CP works closely with ICU is a great thing because it gives us more options on who to follow and what we can learn. This unit is an awesome place to learn how to deal with certain patients, their needs, end of life needs, and ethical cases.
If a patient gets restless or agitated when a ventilator is being put in they will be given sedatives. Medications are also drip fed to patients who are asleep or sedated. If a patient is about to pass away then the nurses make sure they are as comfortable as possible.
Diseases/Disorders:
There was a patient who was a long time smoker who just happened to have contracted pneumonia. There was also a patient who was in the ICU with COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Med Terms/Abbreviations:
A few that I heard were CBC or complete blood count which counts all white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in the body as a test to see if there is an infection due to higher white blood cell count. Another I encountered was a PEG or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy which is pretty much a feeding tube for a patient.
I. Environmental Assessment:
The Cardiology Dept. on 1st floor seems kind of small but it feels comfortable. There is the hustle and bustle of some nurses here and there. The nurse I talked to said that the department was actually really slow and since RT's work under the CP department I was sent to an RT in the ICU. The whole ICU was alive with electronic buzzing from EKG"s and ventilators.The place smelled of sanitizer. There is a cleaning crew around the clock to ensure that the environment remains sterile. The RT was really cool and nice and the nurses were also great. ICU provides care for patients in critical condition, keeps them under close surveillance, and checks on patients every 15 minutes to an hour. The ICU uses EKG's, ventilators, feeding tubes, drip feeds, and crash carts just in case.
II. Observation:
The RT and Nurses are rather formal people, but nice nonetheless. They get in, work on a patient and then they are out. New machines and equipment is coming in and the whole department is excited. The staff is quiet but they all work very well together. Phones are used often if something is needed from pharmacy or any other department. There is a fire door just in case and an extinguisher. There is a crash cart within the vicinity of every room if it's needed. Therapeutic services offered are sedation for restless and agitated patients, medications to stop pain, and a patient who is close to passing will be made as comfortable as possible. Diagnostics that are performed are checking ventilators and feeding tubes to make sure they all work properly, taking vital signs on patients every 15 minutes to an hour, and check medications.
III. Knowledge:
On the unit I actually learned a lot about ventilators, what they're used for and when. I learned how to check if a ventilator and feeding tube are in properly by using a stethoscope to check if the ventilator can be heard in the body and the feeding tube as well. Some abbreviations learned were CBC or complete blood count that measures both white and red blood cells and platelets and how white blood cell count indicates an infection. There was also PEG or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy which is a feeding tube. New learned skills were learning how to check that a ventilator and feeding tube were all in place.
IV. Evaluation:
Overall this unit was a really cool and educational unit that was pretty hands on with the RT.I think that the way that CP works closely with ICU is a great thing because it gives us more options on who to follow and what we can learn. This unit is an awesome place to learn how to deal with certain patients, their needs, end of life needs, and ethical cases.
GC 1/29/15
The LTAC is associated with several Federal Government programs like the Older American Act which made the government put some more focus on the aging and elderly community to comprehensively provide care and other services. There was also the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 which was also known as The Federal Nursing Home Reform Act that was to provide protection of patient's rights in a nursing facility and regulated Medicare's participation in the nursing home. It makes sure that no patient is given more medication than needed and that anti-psychotic medications are given to patients who truly need them. In some cases an ombudsman is assigned as a public advocate who is assigned by the federal government to seek out instances of maladministration and violation of patient's rights.
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