Digoxin Clexane Enalapril Frusemide Aspirin Anginine Paroxetine Multivite Panadol Panadeine Pandadeine Forte Neurofen diazepam Morphine Diflunisal Naproxen Ketaprofen Ibuprofen Voltaren Clonac Diclohexal Fenac Toradol Indocid Arthexin Mefic Ponstan Candyl Feldene Mobilis Pirohexal Dynastat Panamax Febridol Dymadon Perfalgin Tylenol Movalis Mobic Paracetamol Morphine Codeine Fentanyl Pethidine Tramadol Oxycodone Naloxone Gabapentin Ketamine Lignocaine Bupivacaine Digoxin Disopyramide Procainamide Quinidine Lignocaine mexiletine flecainide amiodarone nifedipine Adalat Nifecard Felodipine Folodur ER Plendil ER amlodipine Norvasc diltiazem Cardizem Dilcard Dilzem Verapamil Isoptin Cordilox Veracaps SR Nimodipine Prazosin Minipress, Pressin Prazohexal phentolamine Regitine hydralazine Apresoline nitroprusside Nipride Glyceryl trinitrate Candesartan Irbeartan Losartan Warfarin Gemfibrozil Lopid Ausgem Lipazil Cimetidine Tagamet Ranitidine Zantac Famotidine Pepcidine Nizatidine Tazac Omeprazole Losec Lansoprazole Zoton Pantoprazole Somac Rebeprazole Pariet Esomeprazole Nexium Misoprostol Sucralfate Carafate Methylcellulose (cellone) Psyllium (Metamucil) Bran (dietary fibre) Cytotec Liquid parafin (Agarol) Castor oil Senna Bisacodyl (Durolax) Loperamide hydrochloride (Imodium) Balsalazide sodium (Colazide) Olsalazine sodium (Dipentum) Sulfasalazine (Salazopyrin) Mesalazine (Mesasal) (may be given as enema) Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) Promethazine theociate (Avomine) Levodopa (plain) Verapamil SR Ferrous sulphate Digoxin FGF Diclonifac EC Perhexiline Aspirin EC Isosorbide Mononitrate Quinine Morphine SR Warfarin Diltiazim SR Omeprazole Quinidine Potassium Chloride Carbamezapine Nifedipine (Normal + CR) Dipyridamole SR Feladopine Levadopa CR Chlorpromazine Fluphenazine clozapine Trifluoperazine quetiapine Zuclopenthixol risperidone Haloperidol aripiprazole Chlorpromazine amisulpride Droperidol ziprasidone Thiothixene Olanzepine Palperidone pimozide http amisulpride Alprazolam clonazepam diazepam flunitrazepam lorazepam Temazepam Midazolam Sodium valproate Amitriptyline (Elavil) Butriptyline (Evadyne) Clomipramine (Anafranil) Dosulepin (Prothiade) Doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan) Imipramine (Tofranil) Lofepramine (Lomont, Gamanil) Trimipramine (Surmontil) Secondary Amines Desipramine (Norpramin, Pertofrane) Nortriptyline (Pamelor, Aventyl) Protriptyline (Vivactil) citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil, Cipram, Dalsan, Recital,Emocal, Sepram, Seropram, Citox) escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex, Esertia) fluoxetine (Prozac, Fontex, Seromex, Seronil,Lovan fluvoxamine (Luvox, Fevarin, Faverin, Dumyrox, Favoxil, Movox) paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat, Sereupin, Aropax, Deroxat, Rexetin, Xetanor, Paroxat) sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral, Serlain) bupropion, desvenlafaxine Duloxetine Mirtazapine Trazodone Venlafaxine Nifedipine Midazolam

^ Some of the drugs I have to know (by heart) by Friday afternoon

….wicked!

Placements Day 7

Warning: Unorganised thoughts offloaded below.

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I have been wanting to blog about placements since Day 1. But I never had the time to do it. Bear with me as I try to put my hundreds of thoughts into writing. It’d probably a bit all over the place, but here it goes…

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I feel like during the past few days, I have grown so exponentially, career-wise. Before my placements began, I was so uncofident, up to the point that I was almost having a nervous break down, because I was afraid that lives will be lost under my care due to my incompetency.

But I was wrong. I was lucky to have Jayne as my placements facilitator, and to have been assigned to The Valley Private Hospital. The facility and staff are amazing, and apparently being a male nurse is a massive advantage already. It is safe to say that during the past few days, there has been quite alot of women in my life haha.. And I greatly value their contribution to my learning.

I was told that my clinical skills are superb, and is probably even a bit too advance compared to what’s expected of us at this stage. A surprising remark, given that I never went to any of my workshops nor labs! But then again, I’ve always been able to replicate anything after seeing it being done once.

My first few days have been really intense (placed in an orthopedic ward), with my week starting off with a post-THR patient collapsing out of his bed, just as I was about to take the obs of my first patient. The next day, before I even got to read my patient’s medical documentation, I was immediately thrown into another patient who was in severe pain. Nothing is worse than having to remove an IDC from a male patient, and seeing a 3way IDC being inserted due to a blockage somewhere in the urethra. I still cringe everytime I watch/do something with an IDC.

My therapeutic skills have also improved quite alot. On my first couple of days, I was so systematic and task-orientated. Wanting the patients to shut up so I can concentrate on taking their obs. But now, I do everything within the space of 2 minutes or so, whilst conversing with them.

It comes without saying that many of the patients have all come to know and like me. I am lucky that none of them are bitching about being looked after by a student. In fact, they always volunteer themselves to be practiced on! I always decline in the offer, because I don’t want to do uneccessary procedures to their recovering bodies. And also I don’t have much to practice anyway.

It makes me happy when my patients tell their family about me, and how I’m doing well in my placements. Particularly the patient that I had to look after on day 2 due to severe pain. I haven’t looked after him for 6 days now, and yet he still remembers my name. Today I decided to say hi to him, when his son started talking to me, saying that his father has told him about me. This made me incredibly happy and enthusiastic about working in a similar clinical setting soon!

Last week, I was asked to observe an Angiogram procedure via radial artery. It was kinda boring, but it was awesome at the same time!
Anyway, today I assisted in a total hip replacement surgery, which went from 8am-11.30am! It was so awesome! And it made me start thinking of going through to medicine again. I was talking to my placement facilitator and I think I will finish my current nursing course, and work for a few years whilst studying medicine, and then go into surgery.. I think I’ll be a general surgeon, cos I can’t be fucked with the study to specialise haha..

Surgeons are a bit of douchebags, but they’re pretty cool too! Scrubs is actually a pretty accurate representation of a hospital and the people in it.
For 10 minutes, 2 of us were just trying to get an iPod dock working, cos fuck…the staff needs music! Anyway, going to that surgery was definitely an experience I’d never forget.. I hope to be involved in more surgeries in the future :)

But yeah.. Time will tell what happens to my career-path.

For now, I do know for a fact that on my last day of placements on Friday. I’ll be a bit upset again cos I will definitely miss everything and everyone!

Realisation

On my first day of placement, as the confronting environment associated with my chosen career-path enlightened my thoughts on it, I started questioning myself whether if nursing is really for me.
I know I’m psyched to be in health sciences and everything (go Scrubs for making me enjoy this!), but I thought it was pretty full on. Waay more in-your-face than I have anticipated..

Well today, as I finally get to know the residents, and form a good bond with the other PCA’s and the RN, I started thinking of my last day. I know that I will be saddenned to be leaving on Friday, and I will miss every single one of the residents. Every single thing (good or bad) that makes them who they are, is something that cheers me up. It’s amazing seeing this bunch of people with such multi-coloured personalities and experiences.
That’s when I realised, that I chose nursing because it’d be cool to help people with their lives and health. I chose this career-path because I love people, and more-over, I love caring for people. As much as I don’t like interacting with poo and bathing others every day, at the end of the day it an experience like no other. It’s the same kind of joy that a mother gets when taking care of her baby (I guess?).. I know I don’t give a shit about life, and to be more precise, my life, but I do care about others, and I care about you guys ALOT (i.e. I formed the Social Justice Group at my school 3 years ago). And nursing puts me in the front line of taking care for those who need it.

Anyway, blog post for day 3 shall come later tonight :)

Placement day 2

Well, I started this morning earlier than yesterday, and I got to my placement 30 minutes early. There wasn’t much that was going on, aside from a bit of documentation and opening the doors (cos they disable them during the night).

Eventually, the morning staff came in (along with the RN) and I was able to observe their procedures during handover.
I was allocated to buddy up with this guy Nash.

I thought Nash was really cool. He does his job well, although there are some things that can be improved. They’re not huge matters, but at the same time, I guess PCW’s aren’t educated enough regarding all the theory behind our practices. As long as they get the job done, that is their main priority.
I was just tugging along with him, and in the morning, we wake up the clients, get them to open their bowels and either shower them or give them a sponge bath. I just observed (lacking practice), and I’ve been dreading this moment of intruding their privacy but in the end, I’ve gotten used to it, and it wasn’t as bad.

I got to help him operate lifting machines, and moving the clients around as they get cleaned. I also shaved Abdul, a really nice client who was only new to the facility. I don’t use shaving cream, they gave me a stuffy razor, and I’ve never shaved anyone else before. I know I didn’t do a good job, but I guess it’s the thought that counts?
I helped dress him, while he converses with me. He was really cooperative and nice.

I helped feed Ellen today, and she was compliant. She was the resident who makes the E-e-e-e-e O-o-o-o noise non-stop. I’ve found out that this was just her ‘singing’.
(Fast forward till the afternoon; while feeding her lunch, we had her radio on, and I subconsciously started tapping my feet, and she started moving her left foot too! Note that she fell from her bed a month ago and dislocated her hip, and it’s clearly visible that her feet are uneven, but after a while, her right foot started moving to the beat as well! This made me smile)

Today, I’ve learned that it is very helpful to review the client’s documentation before seeing them, just to give us an idea of what to expect, rather than just jumping in and doing whatever. Especially with clients with mental disability, it makes me feel safer and comfortable, which in turn lets me do what I gotta do.

I saw Desmond walking around without his walking frame, and so I went to his room to grab it. When I got back, I couldn’t find him, and looked for about 2 minutes before someone finally suggesting to check the other rooms.
I saw him lying down on someone else’s bed!
Desmond was a bit disorientated, and it was clear that his brain isn’t as well as an average person’s, as he kept on sitting up, and lying back down, as he gets of out bed, and then forgetting what he was doing, over and over again.

Eventually, he got out of bed and I told him I’d show him his room so he can lie down on his own comfy bed.
He went ahead of me out of the door and turned left, so I asked him to turn around. He then went ahead of me again and walked all the way to the end of the corridor and so I had to ask him to turn back again. He just decided to sit back on the couch by the window.
I checked on him a few hours later and he was fast asleep in his bed.

Today was definitely much easier than yesterday. I am finally getting into the routine of the place. Fiona emphasises that: 1) I should never be left alone, and 2) that I shouldn’t be asked to do things that are irrelevant to my studies.

Tomorrow, I think I will have to get a bit more hands-on with the bathing and all that. Hopefully it goes well!

Placement Day 1

Woke up (WAY TOO) early in the morning to get ready and head off for my first day of clinical placement. I was scared more than anything. Even though this is what I chose to study in uni, aged care isn’t exactly what I wanted to do. But we all gotta get through it just to get the jist of the basics.

Anyway, I got there a few minutes early before our placement supervisor finally came. Fiona is nice, and so are the other 4 bunch of people that are in the same facility as me.

We had a briefing for an hour and then met with the facility’s co-ordinator, Ishbell. She dropped me off into my ward…the dementia ward.

There are 4 different areas of the facility. 2 High Level Care areas (dementia, mobility), 1 Low Level Care area, and 1 “posh” High Level Care area. I got one o the more difficult ones.

Anyway, I’ve always had a bit of a phobia with people with a mental disability. Imagine me being in the same building as 80 of them. Don’t get me wrong, I love people. But this just bothers me. There is no way of telling what they’d do next. And more-over, it saddens me seeing these lovely people with this little aspect of their life overcoming their potentials for a fuller life.

I got to meet my supervisor, Margaret. She is awesome. Sadly, I wouldn’t see her again until the last day of my placement. I had no idea what to do! I didn’t really want to get working (and it’s fair enough, it’s an observational placement afterall) but at the same time, I feel like I have to, since it would be a valuable experience for my future.
I just didn’t know what to do! This lady (forgot her name!) asked me to just chat with the clients as she finished cleaning up. Some of them were grunting, screaming, and just staring. I couldn’t

Fiona told me that I needed my documents before I start doing anything. So I set off for 2 hours to go back to Brunswick to retrieve my level 2 First Aid certificate and my Police Check.

As I got back, it was lunch time, and I pretty much missed the opportunity for a proper orientation. I was wandering around the dining room, waiting for Margaret, when the PCA’s thought I would be fine feeding some of the clients. I haven’t had the chance to practice this since I was away in Europe, but I didn’t say no.. How hard could it be, right?

After the hour or so that I was there with the clients. I gotta say, I hated lunch time! The clients don’t want to eat, but at the back of my mind I know that they need the nutrition. Also, the PCA’s keep on bugging me, telling me that I NEED to feed them. What the hell do I do?!

Eventually, that finished, and I was allocated to observe another PCA.
I was then asked to take the blood pressure and temperature of our CLient of the Day. She used to be a nurse, and in her head thinks that she is one of the carers, rather than the one being taken care of.

I did everything right, but as soon as I put the digital thermometre close to her, she got agitated and panicked saying her right ear is sore. So I asked for her left. She then just kept on saying no, rejecting the procedure.

The PCA was forcing her, and so I told her to don’t worry about it, we will just take her blood pressure. But the client just kept on insisting that there is nothing wrong with her, and she just wants to go home, etc. Without consent, as a professional, I am unable to continue. But more than that, I felt symphathy for my clients. Suddenly, I saw them in a more emphathetic manner. They are not old people with a disability anymore. Suddenly, they are just people.

Yes, we learn about it in theory, that they are not disabled, but rather, people with a disability, etc. But I never actually thought about it. It just came to me!

Anyway, that changed my type of actions for the rest of the day, and probably for the rest of the week! Tomorrow, I will start being a bit more hands on (and dirty! literally) and I’m not really looking forward to that.
Ah well, just gotta get it over and done with, and hopefully have a good day.

I finished today by spending an hour reading client’s records and what-not. There is soooo much documentation recorded per person, it’s crazy! And they need to be detailed and accurate! How does Margaret have the time to do this?!

First day, and have been such a confronting eye-opener so far.
Tomorrow… Day 2

Today, I found out that in a few weeks time, I’ll be poking about dead bodies for my course. FML

Oh wait, wrong site?