ServiceService is integral to the role of a nurse. |
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Therapeutic ConversationIn
the Nursing 220 geriatric clinical at Orchard parks, we recorded a
therapeutic conversation with one of the clients. I believe that
therapeutic conversation is essentially the spirit of service because
it is a gift of self with the specific intention of improving the
client's well-being. As opposed to regular social conversation, the
therapeutic conversation is client-focused, using empathy and
therapeutic techniques to move the client towards a pre-determined
goal. The therapeutic conversation is a professional way for me to
demonstrate my spirit of service and I plan to use it with the children
I care for at summer camp as a medical assistant.Looking back at this analysis of our conversation, I realize the berth of information you can gather as assessment in a conversation where you make the patient priority. I remember this conversation and my preconceived goal was to help her work through feelings and produce a feeling of generativity in her life review. However, now looking back at this conversation, I realize I also gathered information about a medication side effect, her medical plan for the day, her support network and her mental status. All useful information for me to use in supporting her total healing. The conversation also aids her to relax and heal. There is so much that be accomplished from simply listening. Teaching Projects Nutrition, Bipolar/Depression and Lyme diseaseThese are three teaching projects I have done during my nursing career at PLU. The Nutrition project was aimed at older adults and was catered to their specific needs. The Bipolar/Depression project was given to inmates at Western State Hospital during our mental health clinical. The Lyme disease project was created for a community health clinical to educate the public.Teaching projects demonstrate a willingness of the nurse to go the extra mile to improve the life of another by giving them the power to make informed choices. It is really a reflection of the Chinese Proverb "give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." The nutrition project was the first teaching project I completed and is quite regimented and precise. As a senior nurse when I do teaching, it may come on the fly from teaching sheets on the floor or online. However, it is up to me to deliver the teaching in a way that the client feels empowered and more comfortable in their self-care. Homeless Connect eventHomeless connect is a volunteer event put on by cities around the united states. It is an event in which multiple resources for the homeless are collected all in one site for the day. Homeless people can come and get dental care, legal advise, health care, clothes, haircuts, etc. As part of our community clinical hours our class volunteered with the medical aspects of the event. I gave flu shots, vaccines and escorted people through the health care section which gave physical exams and a month of prescription drugs free.This event taught me some really important truths about our health care system. For instance, when I asked a man when was the last time he had visited a doctor, he stated "three days ago" in the ER where he was transported after a dangerous high blood pressure event. He was stabilized and received just three days worth of blood pressure medications. This man has no insurance and he is therefore doomed to a life returning over and over again to the emergency room for temporary stabilization of his chronic illness. These are the patients I will see in the hospital and for whom teaching and compassion are so important. Further DevelopmentI wish to continue volunteering with homeless connect. I feel that this is a very effective event at reducing homeless and increasing people's quality of life. I wish to also use my Spanish speaking skills to provide volunteer care in a free clinic. SeaMar clinic in Tacoma is just such a place. At work after graduation, I plan to continue to work on my therapeutic conversation skills and bed manner to put my patients at ease. This is a tough skill to master but through watching other nurses and asking for suggestions, I can improve my style. |
My Service Activities -Many of these service projects have been accomplished through participation with Delta Iota Chi, the nursing students organization at PLU.
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