I have been getting pretty comfortable with the orthopaedic patients I have been taking care of on ward A. However, on Wednesday I was thrown kind of a curve ball. I was placed on a different ward, and given patients with mostly maxilla/facial surgeries. One of my patients had a tracheostomy tube in. I was a nervous wreck when I got the assignment as I have not taken care of a new tracheostomy tube since nursing school over 10 years ago. A big thanks to Elaine and Jodi who both helped "re-teach" me trach care. Believe it or not, once I started cleaning the inner trach cannula, I actually started remembering what I learned in school all those years ago.
I am very thankful that I was given that assignment and pulled out of my comfort zone. God really provided support for me and gave me an opportunity to see new and different things. I just need to learn to skip the freaking out/nervous stage, and trust that if that is the assignment I am given God will provide the help. (Of course one needs to be reasonable. If I really didn't think I could handle it I could have switched assignments.)
1 comment:
Lynnel,
Although you may have freaked out in the beginning, it must have felt pretty great to have risen to the challenge. Remember that no one expects perfection, they expect you to do your best. It seems that the medical field is full of trial and error. I just had to return a pair of new contacts because they weren't the right fit. My eye doctor looked at my eyes again and corrected the problem. He's a very good eye doctor, but even he didn't "get it right" the first time.
I understand the kind of patient issues your dealing with are more serious, but that's what's cool about being part of a bigger body--you always have others to fall back on and others from whom to seek advice and counsel.
Love ya,
Becky
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