Wednesday, May 22, 2013

More cardio


Every day that I spend in the hospital, I find new things to be amazed over. Sometimes it's heart surgery, but today it was the simple way the nurses prevent pressure ulcers on patients' heels by setting them on water filled gloves. They were ashamed of us seeing this because they saw it as primitive, but we thought it was so creative! In the states we 'float' heels by placing a pillow under the patient's calves, but here, they don't always have extra pillows for every bed bound patient so they come up with these nifty ways to reach the same goal for their patients. I need to sit down and make a list of things to take back to my unit for our patients. It's refreshing to see a different take on patient care than the one I've been raised with for the past few decades.

Speaking of interesting things, we had a patient on Friday that was admitted to the CICU who was actively having a heart attack when we were on the floor. He was intubated, sedated, and had an incredibly unstable heart rhythm. We thought he was going to make it through through the transfer to the floor, let alone through the next few hours. So when we entered the unit today and his bed was empty, my stomach dropped. Thanks to the hard work of those nurses and doctors, he not only made it through that shift, but he was walking around and talking today! It's patients like that who inspire me to be a nurse and to work in the hospital. I'm so glad that he's doing o much better, and I hope he continues to improve.

The doctors and nurses at the military hospital have been such wonderful hosts to us. They have truly taken the time to explain details for every patient, situation, or diagnosis, and have been more than willing to take the time to answer every question we ask. They have definitely made our experiences in the hospital so memorable and I can't thank them as much as they deserve. Today, for example, the doctor and head nurse in the CICU took the time out of their days to go through every patient with us and explain the intricacies of cardiac patients and EKG monitoring.  The doctor quizzed us to assess our knowledge levels and help us learn. I learned never to give nitrates to patients with a posterior inferior MI or aortic stenosis and I learned the specifics definitions of sustained and unsustained ventricular tachycardia. The doctor in the pacemaker OR showed us a variety of different pacemakers and ICDs and their evolution though the years, letting us handle and examine their extras. In addition, he also showed us the different types of guide wires used when implanting devices into he heart, which was riveting. It was neat to be able to handle the different wires and devices for us hands on learners. There are so many things I've gotten to do here that I never would have gotten the chance to do back in the states!

Other than the intensive cardiac lesson today, it's been a pretty chill day. I went to Cafe Torino for a few hours to do homework before dinner, and as soon as I finish the, I have to work on my presentation for Friday and start packing. It's crazy how time flies! I keep wishing I had just a few more days here in this city. I don't want this to stop! I still love the sunset and the people. So, to maximize my time for the next few days, I'm going to try and do most of my work tonight so that I can go to the Cafe Torino party tomorrow,  cruise the Danube Friday, and enjoy the farewell party on Saturday. That being said, it's time for me to start packing! Goodnight everyone!
See you soon!
Jess

No comments:

Post a Comment