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OK, this got inspired by trailerparkmedic's thread in CoC on her classmate who forgot her access card in clinic.
As a nursing instructor (I usually post about my hospice job), one of the things I teach my students is employability skills and accountability. There are certain things that you just have to bring with you to the hospital for clinic.
If you don't have these things, you really can't do the work, and you risk being sent home by your instructor (me) to get them.
Some common examples of things students forget to bring with them include:
Stethoscopes: it's really hard to listen to lung, heart, and bowel sounds, or take a manual blood pressure, without one.
Blood pressure cuffs: our students are required to buy their own. Every blood pressure they take (unless the patient is on every 15 minute vitals) must be a manual, not using the automated machines. It's a real skill, and we emphasize the students perfecting it. Some of our clinic sites have wall mounted cuffs, but they're often not calibrated right. Some do not have wall mounted cuffs. So they're supposed to bring their own.
Student ID badge: All of the hospitals require this. Putting your name on a piece of tape on your shirt is not acceptable.
Black pen: Most documentation is computerized, but the few things that are not are required to be written in black ink.
Drug book: Some of my students rely on the online resource on the hospital's intranet. It's not a great resource, and they often find they can't answer questions about a drug.
Bandage scissors: It's amazing the myriad number of uses this has. But most importantly, it's hard to work with some kinds of dressings without them.
Penlight: Usually used to check pupils. Sometimes used to examine body parts that are deep in shadow (like rectums).
Those are the most common examples. But I've had a few twists on this lately.
Last rotation, a student forgot his shoes. Sounds counter-intuitive, I know. But on some of our rotations, students come to the hospital in street clothes, and change into uniform on-site per hospital policy. He ended up buying a new pair because it was quicker than going home.
So I mention this during clinic orientation for the new rotation. Turns out, word had gotten around and there was some snickering at his expense. So what happens on the very first clinic day?
A student forgot her uniform (but she did remember her shoes).
As a nursing instructor (I usually post about my hospice job), one of the things I teach my students is employability skills and accountability. There are certain things that you just have to bring with you to the hospital for clinic.
If you don't have these things, you really can't do the work, and you risk being sent home by your instructor (me) to get them.
Some common examples of things students forget to bring with them include:
Stethoscopes: it's really hard to listen to lung, heart, and bowel sounds, or take a manual blood pressure, without one.
Blood pressure cuffs: our students are required to buy their own. Every blood pressure they take (unless the patient is on every 15 minute vitals) must be a manual, not using the automated machines. It's a real skill, and we emphasize the students perfecting it. Some of our clinic sites have wall mounted cuffs, but they're often not calibrated right. Some do not have wall mounted cuffs. So they're supposed to bring their own.
Student ID badge: All of the hospitals require this. Putting your name on a piece of tape on your shirt is not acceptable.
Black pen: Most documentation is computerized, but the few things that are not are required to be written in black ink.
Drug book: Some of my students rely on the online resource on the hospital's intranet. It's not a great resource, and they often find they can't answer questions about a drug.
Bandage scissors: It's amazing the myriad number of uses this has. But most importantly, it's hard to work with some kinds of dressings without them.
Penlight: Usually used to check pupils. Sometimes used to examine body parts that are deep in shadow (like rectums).
Those are the most common examples. But I've had a few twists on this lately.
Last rotation, a student forgot his shoes. Sounds counter-intuitive, I know. But on some of our rotations, students come to the hospital in street clothes, and change into uniform on-site per hospital policy. He ended up buying a new pair because it was quicker than going home.
So I mention this during clinic orientation for the new rotation. Turns out, word had gotten around and there was some snickering at his expense. So what happens on the very first clinic day?
A student forgot her uniform (but she did remember her shoes).
That was my first thought too. I'm quite sure, if in hospital, I would feel a lot more alert if one of my nurses weren't wearing anything.
By listening to the sounds we can determine the systolic pressure (pressure in the circulatory system when the heart has contracted to pump blood) and the diastolic (when the heart is at rest). Changes in those pressures is a warning of a problem.
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