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DESCRIPTIVE PHASE:
Clinical Experience:
I spent a day at the Westerly Senior Citizens Center, where
older adults can come and go at their leisure, spending the
day or just a few hours, participating in a variety of activities.
They can shuffle board, shoot pool, play cards, take range
of motion (ROM)/exercise classes, Tai Chi, woodworking/weaving,
or just visit and eat. Lunch is available for purchase. The
senior center clientele are mostly mobile, with some using
walkers or canes. Many take a bus to the center while others
drive. I chatted with the older adults, took their blood pressure,
participated in a competitive game of shuffle board, a ROM
type exercise class, and a relaxing Tai Chi workout. Another
student and I also attempted to do our teaching presentation
here but were relatively unsuccessful.
Outcomes Achieved:
- Begin to assume the role and functions of a professional
nurse providing wellness and illness care to older adult
clients ~ explained how exercise raises blood pressure
immediately following performance, but lowers resting blood
pressure. Explained some benefits of exercise.
- Organize self and others ~ organized and prepared
for teaching presentation.
- Stay within the scope of the student role and practice
level ~ Got a lot of practice taking blood pressure!
- Is self-motivated and enthusiastic ~ Participated
in all events as able/invited.
- Apply knowledge of age-related changes and pathophysiology
to nursing care of older adults ~ Having spent time
with my Directed Study client as well as other clients,
helped me see and understand directly the process of physiological
aging.
- Knowledgeably prepared for each clinical experience
~ I was prepared for assignments due during the clinical
experience.
- Accurately formulate nursing diagnoses, client outcomes,
and nursing interventions in designing nursing care plans
~ Performed each for the Directed Study.
- Write insightful and analytical journals ~ Wrote
journal entries.
- Demonstrate professionalism by caring for older clients
knowledgeably, and with sensitivity, confidentiality and
with respect ~ Provided care for non-ill clients at
senior center.
- Professionally and responsibly represent URI and the
CON ~ Arrived on time and looked professional, provided
care within student scope.
- Discuss application of research findings to various
client situations ~ Researched ways to prevent flu and
attempted to present our info. A few clients took a few
minutes to discuss prevention hints with us.
- Utilize appropriate resources to validate nursing care
practices ~ researched information for teaching presentation
using CDC guidelines.
Reaction:
We were completely independent at the senior center, without
CNA's or nurses to follow, without a set schedule, and without
patients needing ADL assistance. We were responsible for creating
our own learning opportunities. So we took initiative to learn,
and to teach. We provided the older adults with fresh faces
and opportunities to teach us. They seemed to enjoy this give-and-take
with us, open and eager to learn, and were excited to share
their knowledge. We participated in their exercise classes
and they taught us how to play shuffle board. We took numerous
blood pressures, offered tips on how to naturally lower blood
pressure through diet and exercise, and looked up drug information
in response to their questions. How refreshing to be with
relatively healthy and independent older adults, who were
there because they wanted to be!
REFLECTIVE PHASE:
Strengths:
- Took initiative and created learning situations.
- Worked independently (no guidance from employees).
- Kept busy (took blood pressure when not involved in activity).
- Answered questions as able.
- Learned new and interesting information.
- Had fun!
Weaknesses:
- Poor communication with employees.
- Lacked assertiveness to initiate flu prevention presentation.
CRITICAL PHASE:
We had a tough time rounding up an audience for our flu prevention
presentation. We should have advertised beforehand with posters
specifying topic, date, time and location. We also could not
find a place to set up the presentation items that was acceptable
to the clients . We should have discussed this issue with
the director before our arrival. We were also quite rushed
with our Directed Study assignments, because many of the clients
were eager to participate in the center's next scheduled activity,
card playing. We should have clarified individual client schedules,
and planned our interviews accordingly.
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