Thursday, April 23, 2009
Its been 3 and a half weeks being in the geriatric ward..I quite enjoy nursing geriatric patients as sometimes they are quite cute..This 3 weeks of posting has allow me to see the holistic nursing care for geriatric patients..From following dr's rounds, to making the changes, referring the patients to medical social worker, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, dietitian and following up with what they wrote, communicating with the family and nursing homes to assessing and ensuring that the patients and their family will be able to know how to take care of the patients and have bought the necessary equipments to take care of them when they are discharged. I am still in the process of learning how to manage the patients and I think there is a lot more to learn besides nursing care but also the paperwork stuffs such as night census, trendcare etc..
Went back to the hospital on Monday to meet up with Jillian as she wanted to meet all of us and our preceptors..After which, my preceptor brought me to visit the geriatric clinic and geriatric rehab centre in the hospital and introduced to me the various activities that are available for geriatric patients who are discharged. I was particularly impressed with the geriatric rehab centre where there is a section which is made such that it looks exactly like a home environment with many gadgets that cater particularly to the elderlys. There are things like a long stick with clipers to allow elderlys to pick up the rubbish from the floor without having to bend down, specially made utensils which help patients who had stroke before and are unable to bend their elbows and fingers to eat. There is one particular gadget which I find it very intersting. It is a long stick with a small square mirror attached to the end of the stick and it was placed in the mini bathroom..My preceptor took the stick and asked me what I think it is for..without using my brain I took the stick and tilt it upside down and put it near my face..I told her that it was a mirror for us to look at our face.. my preceptor told me not to hold it near to my face..then she explained that the mirror is not for me to look at my face but for the elderly patients with diabetes to use as many times these patients did not realise that there may be a cut in their foot until the wound worsens due to their diabetic condition..hence the mirror allows them to check on their feet everyday for any cuts or wounds..-.-" I guss there is still a lot more things that I have to learn in geriatrics haha..
