Neuro making a lasting impression
Another month has gone by and another placement successfully completed. This was the last of my compulsory placements before doing my licencing board exam next week and it was definitely the most challenging in all perspectives, mentally, physically and emotionally. It sure was a rollercoaster of a ride.
The first week was very frustrating to say the less and I found myself very pessimistic. I'm not usually like that but it was more that I had no idea what to do with my patients. We were not given a history of the patient and expected to treat them. It was also a very overwhelming environment because it was the head trauma ward. The oldest patient in there was in their early 50s, on average most were in their 30s. The stories that came with the patient were so heart breaken and to see the families come in every single day was almost too much. Many of the patients have not re-learnt how to speak yet and if they did, their speech is unclear. I now have a greater appreciation of communicating with your eyes. Oh, and the thumbs up and down sign.
By the end of the second week I was feeling comfortable and started to really enjoy the placement. Thank goodness all the physios there were extremely approachable and truly believed in working as a team. We all looked after each other, just like how all the patients' families look after each other. Never have I been on a ward where I would know all the patients there and talk to them every day. I only treated the same 4 patients everyday. It was just that kind of a ward where everyone knows your name. Or maybe because it was the only ward that had a keypad lock to prevent patients from escaping.
One of the patients on the ward has the reputation to be difficult and quite behavioural. She swears all the time and goes into those fits where she throws her food and wants to get out of the restraints. Yes we have to restrain the patients because otherwise they will all fall onto the floor. Even with restraints, some still somehow find a way to fall.
We had a ward bbq for all the staff and patients and I spent the majority of the time talking to this patient. Since then I would like to think that we had a special bond. She decided this week that I would be officially named Sabrina the Teenage Witch and everytime she saw me, she would ask "how's your cat? or where's your cat?" She absolutely cracked herself up everytime. It was pretty funny watching her enjoy this little joke.
On my last day yesterday she kept telling me to come over during her physio sessions and told me repeatedly that she liked me so I couldn't leave. That meant a lot to me because she HATES everyone and will tell you about it. Other physios were also jokingly asking that if I failed, does that mean I can stay on the ward. It was cute, in a twisted kinda way. I printed some pics of "my cat", Salem, for her as a parting gift. Hahaha...
I'm going to miss all the patients there and also the physios there. I can honestly say that I have never worked with such a knowledgeable group and all evidence based knowledge too. I just sit there sometimes and hope that I will be that knowledable someday and have the passion to keep up with the current research. This category also includes my school supervisor who was quite intense and intimidating at times. At least I know that if she passed me, I deserved to pass because she doesn't mess around.
The first week was very frustrating to say the less and I found myself very pessimistic. I'm not usually like that but it was more that I had no idea what to do with my patients. We were not given a history of the patient and expected to treat them. It was also a very overwhelming environment because it was the head trauma ward. The oldest patient in there was in their early 50s, on average most were in their 30s. The stories that came with the patient were so heart breaken and to see the families come in every single day was almost too much. Many of the patients have not re-learnt how to speak yet and if they did, their speech is unclear. I now have a greater appreciation of communicating with your eyes. Oh, and the thumbs up and down sign.
By the end of the second week I was feeling comfortable and started to really enjoy the placement. Thank goodness all the physios there were extremely approachable and truly believed in working as a team. We all looked after each other, just like how all the patients' families look after each other. Never have I been on a ward where I would know all the patients there and talk to them every day. I only treated the same 4 patients everyday. It was just that kind of a ward where everyone knows your name. Or maybe because it was the only ward that had a keypad lock to prevent patients from escaping.
One of the patients on the ward has the reputation to be difficult and quite behavioural. She swears all the time and goes into those fits where she throws her food and wants to get out of the restraints. Yes we have to restrain the patients because otherwise they will all fall onto the floor. Even with restraints, some still somehow find a way to fall.
We had a ward bbq for all the staff and patients and I spent the majority of the time talking to this patient. Since then I would like to think that we had a special bond. She decided this week that I would be officially named Sabrina the Teenage Witch and everytime she saw me, she would ask "how's your cat? or where's your cat?" She absolutely cracked herself up everytime. It was pretty funny watching her enjoy this little joke.
On my last day yesterday she kept telling me to come over during her physio sessions and told me repeatedly that she liked me so I couldn't leave. That meant a lot to me because she HATES everyone and will tell you about it. Other physios were also jokingly asking that if I failed, does that mean I can stay on the ward. It was cute, in a twisted kinda way. I printed some pics of "my cat", Salem, for her as a parting gift. Hahaha...
I'm going to miss all the patients there and also the physios there. I can honestly say that I have never worked with such a knowledgeable group and all evidence based knowledge too. I just sit there sometimes and hope that I will be that knowledable someday and have the passion to keep up with the current research. This category also includes my school supervisor who was quite intense and intimidating at times. At least I know that if she passed me, I deserved to pass because she doesn't mess around.
posted by Sub29 at 5:53 PM
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