Shannon Olsen

Professor Blaise, Professor Holt

Adult Health I

7 November 2022

How I Made a Difference

            Jumping into my first ever patient care experience, clinical immediately became a very intimidating and challenging experience for me. The first few weeks of clinical I felt like I had no purpose being there because it felt as though I had nothing to offer to any of the patients, and all their needs were being fulfilled by the nurses and CNAs on the floor. Being in this patient care setting I felt as though I was not helping and actually getting in the way of the staff on the floor. After learning more about nursing skills in my classes and labs, I became more open to helping out with the patients’ basic needs and applying what I have learned. I learned throughout my clinical experience that I have been making a difference in my patients’ lives, even in small ways. One of the patients on the floor that I was assigned to was an older male who was admitted after having several laminectomies (spinal surgery that helps relieve pressure from the nerves). The nurses, CNAs, physical therapists, and provider for this patient were working with him to make progress in his mobility and independence. When I was initially assigned to conduct a full health assessment on this patient by my clinical instructor, I was nervous to meet him as it was only the second week of clinical. I entered the room and smiled and introduced myself while also performing hand hygiene. This patient greeted me with a big smile and expressed to me how happy he was to talk to someone new in the building, which made me feel more confident as well. The patient expressed how he missed his family/friends, and how he gets into depressive moods when he is alone for too long. I took this conversation into consideration throughout my shift and made sure to check up on this patient frequently even just to talk to him about my day and ask how he was doing. I made sure to do a full health assessment and take this patient’s vitals as well. This patient frequently expressed how grateful he was to have such wonderful nurses helping him with his progress, which made me feel good about my health assessment. I talked to this patient about family, favorite foods, and any non-invasive topics that he wanted to chat about while he was eating his dinner. This patient and I ended up talking for hours about random topics throughout the shift. Even though I did not help this patient with transfers, a bed bath, brief changes, or anything related to his health problems; I helped this patient improve his mood and feel more comfortable with his stay at the hospital. Being at any healthcare center for too long can really take a toll on someone’s mental health, so even double checking with your patients just to chat can really make a difference in their daily life during their stay.