HEALTH SCIENCES
HACTC
RESPECT.ENGAGE.LEARN.WORK.SERVE.GROW
Co-ops
I followed around a nurse in the birthing pavilion at DHMC. We went around to different rooms to check on patients that had already had their babies. At one point the baby alarm went off and we had to go check rooms to make sure all of the babies were still in them, we also had to guard the exits. I got to listen to a baby's heart beat, and take the mother’s blood pressure. I also got to sit in the room while the lactation consultant talked to one of the mothers. I also got to see a new birthing bed, it transformed into a couple different forms.
I had my placement at the VA, I choose to go to the VA to shadow a nurse to experience what a nursing career involves. I followed a nursing assistant around, she made a few beds, took vital signs for the nurse, and helped a patient bathe. When she took vital signs she used a vital sign monitor. The beds had a built in electric scale, which I thought was neat. The nursing assistant was very organized she kept a little note card in her pocket and would leave reminders for what she had to do or who she had to care for. In order to work in the health field you need to have good communication skills. I feel like I have most of the skills needed for this job but there's always room for improvement.
When I was at the VA for my coops I shadowed a nurse that worked with dialysis unit. When I got there she was setting up the machine and testing it to make sure everything was working. She tested the water to make sure it had a low amount of chlorine in it. When the machine was done with the testing we went to get the patient from his room. When we got back down to the dialysis unit she put a needle in his arm, it started to draw blood and the dialysis had begun.
For my coops I was in the emergency department at APD. When I first got there they weren’t busy. Then a woman came in who had a migraine for over 24 hours. The nurse went in and talked to her for a few minutes to get an idea of what was happening, then she came out and discussed with the doctor, he then went in and talked with her. When he came out he told the nurse what medication to give her through an IV. When I was leaving an elderly women came in with abdominal pain.
For this round of co-ops I went to APD. I followed an LNA around on the med surg unit. When I got there she was already done getting her patients out of bed and ready for the day. We walked around the unit and helped the other LNAs with things they needed, like taking vital signs and helping patients walk around. After helping everyone, we went and set up two empty rooms for two new patients.
My last day at the DHMC birthing pavilion I followed around the same nurse as I did last time. We helped a patient get up and walk around because she had surgery a few days before and was having a hard time. We also had to do a blood sugar on a baby because she was born over 9 lbs. I had to make a bed and needed to find all of the sheets in the supply room. I almost was able to watch a c-section but there was already to many people in the room.
For my 3rd round of co-ops I went to DHMC. I shadowed an LNA in the CHAD unit. I got there at 8:30 and got to sit in a 5 minute meeting of all the employees to talk about what was happening that day. After the meeting we went out to call the first patient in, we brought the patient to their room, the LNA recorded their weight and height. After she recorded the information she needed we went to page the doctor. We then did the same thing with the next patient. The computer system went down and I was able to see what they have to do when something like that happens.
I shadowed an LNA for the day, we went out to get the patients and bring them to there rooms to get vitals done. I was shown how to do an EKG, where to put the sticky pads and what wires to hook up to them. I saw the LNA do a blood pressure on a 5 month old, the blood pressure cuff was so small. After we had done all the vitals for the patients, I practiced doing vitals on the LNA.
When I arrived I went in and Jeff was giving the residents their medication, he told me to go introduce myself to the residents in the living room and then he’d introduce me to the rest of the people who live in the house. After he was finished with handing out medication we went down to the office and he told me a little bit about the place. They take care of 11 people, but some live in their own apartments down the street from the house, most of the residents have schizophrenia. After we finished talking I went up stairs and sat with one of the residents, we talked for a while and when she was finished with breakfast she wanted to go outside. We went out on the front porch to enjoy the nice weather, we talked about family, books, hobbies and more.
When I first got there I sat in the living room with some of the residents and visited. Then I went for a walk with one of them to the store. After we went to the store we were going to go to the book store but it wasn’t open yet, so we went to get coffee instead. We talked a lot about musicals and plays. When we got back I was asked to sit in one of the residents room and make sure she drank her water.
Career Work
My plan A,B,C for after high school
The three careers that I was interested in when I started this course junior year.