Initial Entry – Placement 3 2013
On this next placement I will be located at a large tertiary
hospital on the cardiothoracic ward. This will be the first time I have had a
placement of this sort and I have a number of expectations and concerns that I
will need to address in order to gain maximum benefit from the facility.
Leading up to this placement I have ensured that in all other areas I have been
located, I have continually practiced my cardio-respiratory assessments as an
adjunct to the main assessment regime. In many cases it could be as simple as
reading the nurses chart but since I am afforded more time as a student, I
would practice taking heart rate, blood pressure and auscultate whenever
possible. I can expect that those skills will be greatly improved by the
conclusion of this placement, but it is good to have less acute patients prior
to handling more serious ones.
From speaking with other students, reading the clinical mixes
and the information sent from the facility, I have a fairly good understanding
of what will be expected of me on this placement. Although I feel the cardio
respiratory unit at the University had an overwhelming amount of content, I
appreciate the level of expectation it placed on me as I now feel well equipped
for this placement. Revision of lectures and labs has been useful as well as
working through the Cardiorespiratory Independent Learning Package. There are a
number of assessments to be aware of including 6mwt, CXR, sputum samples,
auscultation and pulse oximetry to name a few. These need to be followed up
with good treatments including positioning, airway clearance techniques and
patient mobilization. I look forward to using my communication skills to
promote healthy and active lifestyles. I am also a big advocate for smoking
cessation and will use my opportunities to encourage my patients to quit.
The feeling that I have regarding this placement shifted from
being well structured and an enjoyable learning experience (as I encountered on
my previous placement and mentioned in the faculty notes), to one of more
apprehension. Many students that I have spoken with who attended this facility
have commented of mainly negative feedback from the supervisors, and being
unsure about their performance expectations. It is easy to think that by the
end of 4th year we should all be self-motivators and our own biggest
critic, but supervisors should understand we are still learning and will make
mistakes. Only commenting on the poor aspects of a students performance may
save time but it will also serve to demoralize any person trying to achieve
better outcomes (physiotherapists should give positive feedback, Day One
Lecture One!!). As much as I try to deny it, I do not thrive of negative
feedback. Do I improve, yes, but for the wrong reasons and probably not with
enjoyment.
To overcome the fear of performing
badly on this placement I have read over my entries from previous placements
and realized that there is always a fear of the unknown, no matter how you
prepare. I also learnt on my previous placement to be able to self reflect
following a task. I can therefore start with the positive aspects and then move
on to be more critical. My supervisor can then choose which aspects to agree
with and maybe add to the list. Any critisisms added at this point should
further my learning and improve outcomes for my patients. There is no need to
be sensitive when the finish line is so close.
