This does not feel like only the end of a
placement, but the end a degree, and the start of a career. It has been five
long years and I don’t mind taking a brief moment (and a few extra words on the
word count) to celebrate. Yahoo!!
As for the placement itself it has been a
rewarding experience that allowed me to move between different wards in the
hospital and able to communicate with and learn from other physiotherapists
within their particular specialty.
Of particular benefit was being able to
follow the process from a patient with an acute exacerbation of COPD on a
medical ward, to an outpatient assessment to a pulmonary rehabilitation class.
This was a process that I had not had the opportunity to be a part of on other
placements and it reinforced the duty of care that is given to patients in the
health care system. I do believe that physiotherapists play an important role
in the management of patients with pulmonary diseases and provide an evidence
base for improving the service.
My assessment and problem list skills
really took shape on this placement as I became less worried about the text
book and more concerned with the patient and their presenting complaint. Having
a knowledge base has helped get me this far but learning to let go and
clinically reason what a patient needs will take me the distance. Paperwork and
time management have always tripped me up in the past and I finally managed to
stay on top of the workload with some memory strategies and a clear
documentation layout.
Having had some experience on a mental
health ward came in handy as many patients exhibit signs of delirium
post-surgery and during acute medical conditions. Being able to recognize and
manage these conditions within the multidisciplinary team is a worthwhile skill
and extremely important for any healthcare professional. This is particularly
important when a patient has to give consent for a treatment and they are
acutely confused. There is a vast legal minefield in healthcare. Knowing the
patient’s rights and when family input is required is very important.
This placement has been an excellent
rounding to my practical knowledge. I was able to attend ICU treatment
sessions, run pulmonary rehabilitation classes, and treat a number of
respiratory conditions. My orthopedic knowledge was challenged and many elderly
patients had co-morbidities with residual neurological deficits to be aware of. I was constantly challenged and filled in my knowledge gaps early to allow for a positive outcome. I felt extremely comfortable with the staff and the environment in the hospital and recommend the placement for any student wishing to have an all round experience. Many thanks to all those who have helped me achieve this degree.
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