Friday, April 30, 2010
Coming to an end...
This course has been beneficial in that I had the opportunity to see management in a different light. I had the opportunity to view committees in action and really see how the process really evolves. My clinical experience was an opener.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Wrapping Up---almost
The end of the semester is almost here. I just participate in a community intervention project in another course, and only have the Change paper to finish up. It was really cool to go out into the community and make a visible difference in people's lives...papers and postings are important, but they get tiresome after awhile and it was neat to put all of that knowledge to use! I still haven't really jumped on the bandwagon for this blogging thing, but it serves as a unique forum; a little different than the Blackboard DB we use I suppose. The Change Project Paper. I vacillated for awhile on my Change paper topic; I had one I was really excited about, but then my preceptor had to go out on extended sick leave and I wasn't able to complete it. Next, I planned on implementing a second topic at the High School with the students there. That didn't work out because after I placed 5 phone calls with voicemails and sent 6 emails (literally), the Health supervisor for the DISD still did not make contact with me. Finally, I found a preceptor who was willing and able to meet with me for the interview, etc. My change project ended up being something I helped to design and implement where I work; something I was doing on the side and I didn't make the "change project" connection with it at first. It is a new Nursing Assessment flowsheet for the Extended Recovery patients we receive on the floor. Instead of having the same amount of paperwork for a patient we care for for 3 hours as one that we have for 3 days, we now have a shortened form that saves time, money, and the nurse's charting load. I am very proud of it and very happy with it; we all worked hard to design something that would work well for everyone and it has!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Looking ahead...
As the semester is ending, I am focusing on completing all outstanding projects and assignments this week. I have noticed that I have been meeting other students in the workplace with similar goals and that has beetn inspiring.
This week I sat down with my supervisor to discuss posting and introducing evidenced based practice articles on the unit. The idea didn't seem to go over as well as I had hoped. I thought that if nurses really understood the purpose behind the policy they may see more value in it, and be more apt to follow it, rather than just dismissing it because...
This week I sat down with my supervisor to discuss posting and introducing evidenced based practice articles on the unit. The idea didn't seem to go over as well as I had hoped. I thought that if nurses really understood the purpose behind the policy they may see more value in it, and be more apt to follow it, rather than just dismissing it because...
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Meeting c the Chief
Hello cohorts...
Today I had the opportunity to sit down and talk WITH my chief nursing officer at her invitation. She had set up meetings to hear staff ideas and concerns. The one thing that I would really like to comment on is how this course and our discussions help prepare me for that conversation, in that it was positive and very professional. I am still riding high and all inspired from our conversations about being a professional and getting involved in politics at all levels. I am reminded of the nurse who courageously invoked safe harbor, and was HEARD. I took a dose of my own advice. And I came prepared considering all that we had discussed about what we could and should do to make a difference where we could in our profession, especially, when had the ear of a power player. I thought about the references that were cited throughout our conversations, about the importance of getting involved, not being apathetic, and in general, just being professional. I took all of that today with me to this meeting. I went prepared with my ideas and suggestions considering our most recent discussions 'efficiency vs excellence' and 'changing technologies.' Having had the opportunity to shawdow my preceptor and be apart of committee meetings, I was prepared to offer solutions and with valid rationale or at least, what I thought was valid. I came with a dream list of what I thought would make our unit more efficient. Then I demanded one single thing, a COW(computer on wheels) that worked the entire shift. I explained how a working COW was essential and the greatest stressor and source of inefficiency which translated to a certain level of customer dissatisfaction on our unit. And you know that really matters to administration.
I remembered one of the statements I made earlier in one of our discussions about administration being more concern about the bottom line than they were about nurses, trying to squeeze every drop out of us. I don't know exactly what is going to come down the hill, but I really felt like my welfare and my ability to perform mattered to administration. I felt like I had a 'voice' and was heard.
Thanks you guys because I took yawl with me. And I am really glad I had an opportunity to think intellectually about those kinda issues that affect our day to day professional lives. Because of those topics I went in prepared to affect change and not just to moan and groan helplessly.
Today I had the opportunity to sit down and talk WITH my chief nursing officer at her invitation. She had set up meetings to hear staff ideas and concerns. The one thing that I would really like to comment on is how this course and our discussions help prepare me for that conversation, in that it was positive and very professional. I am still riding high and all inspired from our conversations about being a professional and getting involved in politics at all levels. I am reminded of the nurse who courageously invoked safe harbor, and was HEARD. I took a dose of my own advice. And I came prepared considering all that we had discussed about what we could and should do to make a difference where we could in our profession, especially, when had the ear of a power player. I thought about the references that were cited throughout our conversations, about the importance of getting involved, not being apathetic, and in general, just being professional. I took all of that today with me to this meeting. I went prepared with my ideas and suggestions considering our most recent discussions 'efficiency vs excellence' and 'changing technologies.' Having had the opportunity to shawdow my preceptor and be apart of committee meetings, I was prepared to offer solutions and with valid rationale or at least, what I thought was valid. I came with a dream list of what I thought would make our unit more efficient. Then I demanded one single thing, a COW(computer on wheels) that worked the entire shift. I explained how a working COW was essential and the greatest stressor and source of inefficiency which translated to a certain level of customer dissatisfaction on our unit. And you know that really matters to administration.
I remembered one of the statements I made earlier in one of our discussions about administration being more concern about the bottom line than they were about nurses, trying to squeeze every drop out of us. I don't know exactly what is going to come down the hill, but I really felt like my welfare and my ability to perform mattered to administration. I felt like I had a 'voice' and was heard.
Thanks you guys because I took yawl with me. And I am really glad I had an opportunity to think intellectually about those kinda issues that affect our day to day professional lives. Because of those topics I went in prepared to affect change and not just to moan and groan helplessly.
VN Educators
Hello Everyone...
I have considered the idea of becoming an VN educator, but of course most places require a BSN. I taught Health Science Tech Ed at a local high school and it was fun, challenging in many ways that had nothing to do with content, nevertheless, fun. I do enjoy teaching, just as much as I love learning new things. I was trained as a VN in the Army and when I became a civilian LVN, I soon realize the differences in the training. I remember having to become IV certified in order to start an iv or to push iv medications that I had been admininstering for some time. There were big differences in what I had been doing in the US Army compared to what the Texas BON scope of practice allowed me to do. I would consider the idea of becoming a VN educator, but probably not anytime soon.
I have considered the idea of becoming an VN educator, but of course most places require a BSN. I taught Health Science Tech Ed at a local high school and it was fun, challenging in many ways that had nothing to do with content, nevertheless, fun. I do enjoy teaching, just as much as I love learning new things. I was trained as a VN in the Army and when I became a civilian LVN, I soon realize the differences in the training. I remember having to become IV certified in order to start an iv or to push iv medications that I had been admininstering for some time. There were big differences in what I had been doing in the US Army compared to what the Texas BON scope of practice allowed me to do. I would consider the idea of becoming a VN educator, but probably not anytime soon.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Progressing with change project
Hello,
This week with my preceptor has been interesting. I had the opportunity to monitor a walk through/inspection with my preceptor's boss. She is from the corporate office which is located in Florida. Basically, she wanted to see how the flow of the endo center was going and monitoring the profits as well as ensuring the guidelines of the policies and procedures is being followed. As I stated earlier, I am doing my project on infection control via surveillance screening of elderly patients specifically nursing home residents. This was also on the top of the list for corporate due to the department of health implemeting their policies and produres for the center recently. Amongst surveillance screening we are also ensuring that the staff are following infection control guidelines by ensuring the techs are cleaning the scopes properly and also replacing parts of the scopes that are now labled disposable. We are also monitoring the nurses that interact with patients to see if they are washing their hands and/or using the available hand sanitizer throughout the center.
I have read quite a few outpatient surgery journals and in almost all of them addresses the issue of infection control. I don't understand why infection control would be a big factor in healthcare facilities. As healthcare workers we know the outcomes of not following the guideline of infection control, would you not want healthcare workers to use sterile equipment,needles ect...it is sad that some healthcare workers makes most of us look bad by not following the rules. The endo centers have gotton so bad the government has given them funds to implement infection control procures to ensure patient safety.
This week with my preceptor has been interesting. I had the opportunity to monitor a walk through/inspection with my preceptor's boss. She is from the corporate office which is located in Florida. Basically, she wanted to see how the flow of the endo center was going and monitoring the profits as well as ensuring the guidelines of the policies and procedures is being followed. As I stated earlier, I am doing my project on infection control via surveillance screening of elderly patients specifically nursing home residents. This was also on the top of the list for corporate due to the department of health implemeting their policies and produres for the center recently. Amongst surveillance screening we are also ensuring that the staff are following infection control guidelines by ensuring the techs are cleaning the scopes properly and also replacing parts of the scopes that are now labled disposable. We are also monitoring the nurses that interact with patients to see if they are washing their hands and/or using the available hand sanitizer throughout the center.
I have read quite a few outpatient surgery journals and in almost all of them addresses the issue of infection control. I don't understand why infection control would be a big factor in healthcare facilities. As healthcare workers we know the outcomes of not following the guideline of infection control, would you not want healthcare workers to use sterile equipment,needles ect...it is sad that some healthcare workers makes most of us look bad by not following the rules. The endo centers have gotton so bad the government has given them funds to implement infection control procures to ensure patient safety.