like shooting stars

Friday, August 06, 2010

It's been a year since I graduated and started my career as a staff nurse. I have learnt that ‎"Being a nurse isn't about grades,it's about being who we are. No book can teach you how to cry with a patient. No class can teach you how to tell a family member has died or are dying. A nurse is not about the pills,the IV's and charting. It's about being able to love people at their weakest moments and being able to make a difference in their lives.

Im glad that I have chosen this path at least up till now. I can't say that I'll definitely stay long in this career but until this point of time, I have not regretted my decision. After a year in geriatrics, I have decided to move on to general surgery for a change. Some people told me its a good decision as exploring into different discipines allows me to have a better idea of what I really like before settling down to specialise. Some say it's always good to learn different things in life while some felt that the longer you stay the more you will find love in the discipline.

This one year in geriatrics, I have learnt to see things in a different persepective, to learn to love the elderlys more and to understand them better. In the past, taking care of elderlys to me merely means feeing them during meals, changing their diapers, turning them 2 hourly and serving the never ending long list of medications. I would not say that I am a good nurse who excels in taking care of the elderlys. I am still learning till this point of time. However, this one year has given me the chance to understand the real reasons behind turning the pts 2 hourly, cutting the food into small pieces and feeding them mouthful by mouthful (sometimes may even take up to half an hour of your time) or pacifying the demented pts who wanted to leave the ward in the middle of the night.

The multi-disciplinary meeting held every week has given me a chance to see how holistic healthcare can be. Through discussions with the different therapists, msw, dietitian, drs and nurses, I have learnt that taking care of an elderly is not just about the medical and nursing aspects. It also comprises rehabilitation, social and financial aspects of the pt and his/her family. I enjoyed working with the geri drs who I would say are really nice.

Just like what a registrar told me before, nursing an elderly is different from nursing an ordinary adult. An elderly requires more of your attention and patience compared to an adult. You will get to love it if you reaches your heart out to them. Its indeed a valuable experience I have gained.

Being in general surgery for almost a week now, I'm still not in the position to comment much about this discipline. GS is very different from geriatrics is all I could say. GS is more direct and only focuses on the problem that the pt is admitted for. Not even to mention about the incredibly high turnover rate. I'm glad that the GS ward that I went to has good teamwork. Nice colleagues who are always there to help and guide me has helped to allay some of my fears in adapting to a totally different discipline.

I miss my days in geriatrics but at the same time I do enjoy learning about the surgical aspects of nursng care. :)

Labels: Random Thoughts