Some thoughts on long term care-Blog#5

Being able to be involved with some of the residents’ lives at Cascade Vista has proven to be very rewarding and eye -opening for me. While some are just in transit, and will move back home once they heal, others live there permanently. I always wondered how my upbringing in Asia might affect the kind of nurse I am, and already I see how it has influenced my perspective concerning long- term care. In Asia, homes are multigenerational. In a typical household, usually three or even four generations are represented. It is not usually an option to split apart. This perception of a family unit being larger than an immediate family has stuck with me. Also, a large part of the Vietnamese culture is about giving reverence and respect to the elderly. In Vietnam, the aging process is greeted openly by most since it has its advantages. An elderly person usually has the say whenever a discussion or argument presents itself, merely because their belief is that with age, comes wisdom. Their roles increase as they age not necessarily with work status, but in family and friend circles. Their advice is considered valuable and is usually implemented. I have witnessed “ageism” upon returning to the United States, and personally do not know what to make of it. This elderly generation is certainly the “lost generation” or “forgotten” one. I have not seen a number of visitors come through at Cascade Vista in the days that we have been there, and it saddens me. I also have found it ironic that most of the staff there are of Asian descent. I would like to utilize this reverence that my childhood instilled in me for the elderly in this career. I think about how I would want my Grandmother to be treated, if she had dementia and was in a home. With the uttermost respect and dignity, as this is what she deserves. Asking the residents about their past also works to instill a sense of automatic respect in me, since most of them led fascinating lives through war, political changes, the feminist movement, etc. It is good to remember that most of these clients had a rich, full past and to remember to try to make their present life as rich and full as possible by providing excellent care and a listening ear.

The halls of Cascade Vista- Blog#4

Waking up while it is still dark outside seems unnatural at first. Driving along the empty streets of Kirkland at five-thirty in the morning is a surreal experience. We are just starting our third week of clinicals. What an experience so far! This has been the best part of nursing school . Arriving at Cascade Vista, I was feeling a little unsure of what to expect, and nervous about the duties I had once assigned to a patient. Cascade Vista seems like a pleasant establishment, compared to other long term care facilities I have seen. I met my client at lunch, and not much talking was done since hear head was slumped into her nap and she was fast asleep. The nurse there kept coming by to try to wake her, but she kept saying “I’m tired!”. So I let her sleep, even though her food was getting cold. Throughout the first day we were able to get acclimated to the facility by exploring it, meeting some of the residents and attending the morning exercise class. This was the perfect icebreaker, it was wonderful to see how some of the residents responded to having young people around and seeing them enjoying kicking a big purple ball around! We also were able to observe a stage four wound being cleaned by one of the nurses. This experience thus far has really shown me how much of nursing will be learned on the floor through observation, as opposed to concepts in the classroom. The second day of clinicals it was such an experience to go into my client’s room and gently wake up her and be greeted with a broad smile! And this is why I am going to love my job! My client is as sweet as can be, I try to think about what she was like before the onset of dementia, but it doesn’t matter because she’s still got so much personality to her. I love being able to practice my skills with her, and have a human response which adds a completely different element when compared to the skills lab. This clincal experience has only just begun and already it has been so rewarding. It has been significant in boosting my confidence in my abilities to be a good nurse, it has allowed me to witness and participate in different forms of wound care, med. administration, a dental visit, physical rehab and so much more. Numerous people I have talked with that have been through a nursing program told me that they dislike long term care clinical the most, but so far I think it’s been wonderful! It makes me think it only gets better….

South of the Border...Mexico City through the eyes of the Seniors- Blog#3

Today we heard from some of the senior students about their trip they took with Professor Morgenroth this past summer. It was so inspiring! They shared photos and stories of their amazing trip. It seemed like God really blessed their journey as they were able to get all of the funds they needed for the trip, and get into the country with most of their medical supplies successfully! Hearing about their work with the local church and their outreach in the community was so wonderful. I appreciated all of their honest insight into how flexible they had to be, even with cutting hair at one point! It seemed like all of them were able to have experiences that would not occur in the United States, simply because of all of the red tape. Some of them stitched up patient’s heads, some rode in an ambulance to trauma scenes. I’m sure it was so valuable for them to see how health care systems in a third world country like Mexico operated. All of them mentioned how they came back with a greater appreciation for the system in the US, including its resources. Hearing about their pioneer trip was such a great reminder of why I am doing this. They visited our class about a month into I was beginning to feel slightly stressed with the amount of reading we had, and all of the expectations that are put on us, but hearing from the seniors reminded me why I am doing this- in order to work in places like Mexico, and provide medical care. Thank you to the “pioneers” of the senior class! You guys are incredible!

Practicing on Dummies- Blog #2

The skills lab had quickly become my favourite place during the long hours of the nursing school week. I look forward to Thursdays and Fridays because it allows us to practice everything that we had learned throughout the past couple of days and apply this knowledge practically. I appreciated that we started right away- that we “jumped right in” to the whole process because I am a very hands on tactile learner. While the simulated environment of the skills lab is excellent, it was hard to imagine that we would soon be performing these skills on live human beings as opposed to the dummies that lay lifeless in the skills lab beds. The first skill, hand washing, was the most nerve- wracking for me. I look back and smile when I think about how nervous I was to have someone watch me during this routine that I had been implementing my whole life (maybe not as thorough, but same idea!). The skills lab is where my confidence has grown, through the encouragement of the faculty and seeing that I am perfectly capable of performing these skills. I am able to put physical action into understanding the material that we learned throughout the week in caring for patients.