Personal Knowing

During one shift, I helped some other nurses on their rounds and visited some patients who needed blood drawn. Some required arterial sticks, some PICC lines, central line catheters, and others a-line, depending on the patient’s particular needs; I also changed the dressing for one of the patients with a central-line catheter according to the hospital regulations under supervision of one of the other nurses. After that, I assisted in turning patients in their beds, and cleaning and redressing wounds, and then I helped initiate an IV and administer oral drugs.

Making the rounds and working with delicate catheters in the patients’ arteries was a fulfilling experience; it helped to raise my confidence in my technical abilities with my patients, because of the other nurses’ feedback and guidance, and because of the hands-on experience that proved I could do these procedures. The more mundane work, the medication, cleaning wounds, and turning them to prevent bedsores, was just more simulated and interactive practice, helping to build my skills and repertoire in caring for my patients the best way possible.

This case falls into the realm of personal knowing because it allowed me to understand my own abilities when it came to helping the patients with delicate work; it showed my strength for catering to the patients’ wounds, following the regulations of the hospital to redress a catheter wound, and knowing how and when to use preventative measures to turn the patients on their beds. It demonstrated my understanding of my limits and knowledge under the guidance of the more experienced nurses.

I felt confident in my abilities as I helped the nurses on their rounds, because I was able to perform my tasks exactly as necessary, and happy that it gave me opportunities to work with an important procedure that can require careful attention to keep the patient safe, and to be sure the blood samples are collected appropriately.

My drive to perfect the techniques on the delicate blood draw techniques, the care of the wounds created for the blood draws and working with the patients to provide them with friendly care while they dealt with potentially painful, unpleasant procedures were the most influential factors. I strove to make the patients as comfortable and happy during their stay as I could.

The metaphor of a beehive works well for my practice; each bee in a hive has its own role, busily working independently but alongside one another simultaneously. There are “queen bee” head nurses who guide the other nurses wherever they need to go. The patients could be considered the hive, as they are the subjects of our hard work as nurses, and we are working to build them up and make them strong again.

I brought my dedication, my knowledge of medications and hospital procedures, my desire to learn and adjust my skills until I perfected the technique, and my desire to provide the most comfortable, pleasant experience for the patient, despite the nature of the machines and catheters attached to their bodies. I had to be conscious and considerate of the catheters for the patients who required them and making sure to keep them properly attached, while still tending to them in a way that kept the patient’s discomfort down to a minimum. For the rest of the patients, I had to be considerate of cleaning their existing wounds. I had to know my physical limits with turning the patients in their beds, to be able to shift their bodies around without causing them harm, and without harming myself.

In a similar situation, I would take the lead in caring for the patients. Proving to myself that I was able to provide the appropriate service and care for the patients, and to care for the catheters and wound dressings to regulation and while keeping the patients comfortable, shows that I will be able to perform the care more independently with less guidance from the other nurses.

If I had been less confident in my abilities or hadn’t been able to perform my duties to the satisfaction of the hospital, I might have risked harming the patient, opening them up to infection around the catheter site, or infection of their wounds, or developing bedsores for the patients who needed turning. This would have delayed the patients’ healing times, and reflected poorly on myself and my own abilities and knowledge, as well as other ICU nurses by association.

The risks involved in the procedures, or more correctly in failing to do them correctly, might have included nerve damage, arterial bleeds, fluid overload, or even a vasovagal reaction (Petross, 2011). So knowing these risks is important, but more crucial is knowing the theory of how to avoid them, and what my own limits were so that I could follow regulations, or seek help where I needed it, for the sake of my patient. Despite the relatively low risk of complications with the catheters, I still had to be aware of them.

My personal pride had to take a backseat to my duty to do well; I couldn’t be too proud or arrogant to request help from another nurse if I needed it, because it would only harm the patient in the long run. I couldn’t be afraid to admit when I couldn’t do something, or when I needed a reminder about procedure, and that I was always still in a position of learning next to some of the other nurses, so I couldn’t close myself off from learning tips or tricks from the more experienced nurses on the floor.

I learned more about efficient, effective methods for inserting several types of catheters, caring for the catheters already inserted, and keeping a comfortable environment for patients requiring them. I learned how better to work with other nurses to accomplish our tasks, from caring for wounds to turning a patient. I also reaffirmed my skills in hospital standards.

Reference

Pettross, B. (2011, April 21). Blood collection adverse reactions and patient blood volumes. Rideout Health. Retrieved from http://www.frhg.org/documents/Lab_Manuals/Blood-Collection-Adverse-Reactions-and-Patient-Blood-Volumes.pdf