clinical

Clinical on 1/13/10 to 1/14/10 1800 to 0700

WHAT: I met with our night house supervisor and ask her if she would be willing to let me follow her for 90 hours. She agreeded and asked if I wanted to start right then. I let my family know I would not be home untill the morning and started my clinical hours. I am glad my instructor approved my plan or I would have just wasted 13 hours. I guess it was not wasted I did get a feel for what she does.

We did a lot of running around getting material and supplies for the different units. I even got to go buy diapers for our pediatric unit because we were compleatly out in the whole hospital.

We made rounds and checked on all of the units to see if they needed anything.

It was a pretty calm night. I hope next time we have some admits so I can accomplish one of my goals.

SO WHAT: Well since I am editing my post I thought this might be a good place to put that I was able to accomplish my goal of learning how bed assignments are made for admits. Fist the patients diagnosis and aquity level is evaluated. Then staffing is considered. For example if a patient has a stable medical diagnosis that did not require the ICU the medical unit under the med/surg umbrella would be considered. It the medical unit was full or there was not enought nurses to cover the additional admit another unit may be considered. If the diagnosis is not contagious and the staff and room is avaiable the patient may be admitted to the orthopedic unit. If the patient must be on the medical unit a nurse will be called in even if it is just for one patient.

NOW WHAT: Sometimes I have complained about getting a medical admit when I was working on the orthopedic unit. Now I have a better understand of when and why they do it I do not complain. After all we can not turn a patient away just because our 12 medical beds are full.