Last Week

It's the last week here at Valley, and everything is just beginning. Prom and graduation are around the corner. College is about to happen, and everything is becoming real. There are a few who were sad to see me go, however, we still keep in touch even outside of the hospital. My mom also keeps me updated about some of the few friends I made.

Valley employees are always smiling and kind to me. They helped make this experience enjoyable and opened doors to my future. Hopefully, I get to come back soon.

Thank You!

Thanks to some of the staff, they have made my experience here at Valley a great experience to learn and make new connections.        

EKG

This is what one of the EKG machines look like! This helps the nurses record the electrical activity in a patient's heart.

April 28

Today was a bit crazy, but everyone could feel the heat from outside. I think the promise of going home to sleep in for the weekend is what got everyone through today. (Maybe not the ones who are working the weekends though.)

Like always, phones were ringing every ten minutes, call bells went off one after the other, and the heat from the nice weather made everyone inside feel sticky with the humidity. Nonetheless, everyone seemed to get along.

I was able to talk about college with some of the nurses, as well. They congratulated me on my acceptance to Caldwell University's pre-medical program! Even though everything is happening so fast, things look bright up ahead.

The even brighter side is that today is Friday!

Hooray!

Dysrhythmias

Watching over a patient's heart rhythym is important. Sometimes influctuations and abnomalities can happen unexpectedly, so everyone on the floor is always on alert. Here are some examples of dysrhythmias to watch out for!

The top line shows an example of a normal rhythym, while the bottom shows an abnormal example.

Make Room!

 When patients request for a private room, the nurses and some of the cleaning staff help set up beds and little articles they think the patient may need. A water pitcher, pink basin, toothbrush, toothpaste, baby powder, etc. are all provided. This is one of the smaller rooms, but they all come with a bathroom for privacy.

Hectic Beginnings

No matter what happens, Monday is always the first crazy day of the week. Even some of the nurses feel the jitter once they walk onto the floor. Today was pretty crazy. There was new admissions while discharges left, nurses and PCAs were running around to take care their patients and almost every patient had a visitor so the floor was packed.

Everyone still feels the aftermath of Easter break, making the day drag on. Today was okay though, despite the busy environment. I was able to talk to some of the nurses about school and even get advice from doctors.

The one thing that they kept repeating was, "Coffee is your friend! Don't leave them behind!"

It definitely made me laugh for the day!

Music Therapy

There are different types of therapy Valley offers along with pet and music therapy. There are volunteers that come and play instruments like the guitar, harmonica, and harp! I usually see the harpists on my way upstairs, and they sound so soothing! It makes the patients feel so relaxed as well!

Routine Vitals

Routine vitals are important to keep up with patients, especially if they just had some type of surgery. Blood pressure, oxygen levels, tempurature and how many times their heart beats every minute is important to monitor! Normal blood pressure usually depends on each person, but this is the generic chart.

Medical Monday

Sometimes, when things are slow and I have a free day, I visit the medical library downstairs. This is the periodical room of the library. Most doctors spend time here for peace and quiet. When they need to chart or need to look something up, there are multiple computers in the back with microphones. The medical library is pretty cool. It's a great place to relax and read medical books!

Funny Bone!

Everything is okay in the end. If things don't look okay yet, it's not the end!

Telemetry

Telemetry is the department that monitors a patient's heart after surgery or if they have congenital heart defects. Telemetry covers all the floors, however, a doctor would have to request for it. The nurses are able to renew/request the orders as well.

I visited Telemetry with my mom today and I met a couple of her friends. They showed me the ropes of what they do and how things are done. I was able to run a couple errands and help some nurses connect the heart monitors on some patients! It was a pretty busy day, but fun nonetheless!

Avasys

When a patient is at a high risk for falling, there is a camera put int the room to  watch over them. We call up to the Avasys department and ask for them to watch over the patient from the monitors upstairs. My mom is a regular float up there. She's good at calling right away to notify the techs about the patients who try to get up when the nurses aren't there. It's just a precaution to ensure that they meet their goal of preventing falls!

Today, there was one patient who was always trying to have a laugh by getting up and laying back down when they techs upstairs talked through the camera. I was supposed to watch the patient from the hallway to make sure he'd stop. However, I found out he was a funny man that was just bored of laying in bed. We ended up talking about life and how society has changed. It was a pretty great day and the genuine conversation made it even better.

Snow Day

Whenever it snows, there is always this aura of bad vibes. However, the nurses and I were able to set the patients up with heated blankets and some movies in their rooms. The staff and I enjoyed some hot chocolate, coffee, and snacks before going back to do vitals. It was a pretty calm day for the most part.

Toddler Tuesday

There is always something a child could find that would entertain them. After pet therapy day, they were excited to see if another pet would be coming. However, a patient had his grandkids come visits and they were all under the age of 6! The whole floor had a field day on trying to keep them from running up and down the hall! It was fun to watch them play for a while, but after I set them up with a movie so I could take the grandfather's vitals. It was definitely an interesting and busy Tuesday!

Pet Therapy

There are certain days that are designated for pet therapy days. This is where different dogs come in to visit patients. There is my favorite, Lily, she comes in with puffy tutus and cute costumes. She is always dressed up for every holiday and even wears things that go with each season! Pet therapy dogs are specifically trained to interact with patients. They know the hospital is a special place. They don't jump or bark at patients. Visits from dogs like Lily help brighten up a patient's day, especially small children. They love pet therapy days! It's definitely a great way to start the week!

"It is well to think well; it is divine to act well."

-Horace Mann

It's true when people say actions speak louder than words! Doctors and nurses are always there to help!

Big Dreams

There is no better feeling than having a positive impact on a child's life. There was a boy, I'd say about 5/6 years-old. He was a family member of one of the patient's on the floor. As I came into the room to take vitals, he asked if he could watch me from the big chair and ask questions. When I said that it was okay, he was fascinated as he watched me hook up the BP machine to his grandpa's arm. As he sat there, I heard him ask what I wanted to be when I was a grownup, I explained how I wanted to become a doctor and save lives. After about two minutes, the little boy came over and hugged my legs saying thank you for 'saving' his grandpa, even though I was checking his vitals. It was one of the purest and most genuine thanks I've ever gotten. It's that feeling of happiness that drives me to become a doctor!

Conversation

There isn't anything that really goes on a Monday at the hospital. Patients are either going home or being admitted. However, some patients do like to start the week on a good note and try to become friends with the nurses and staff.

For example, there was this one patient who just came back from open heart surgery. While bringing his food, we ended up having a genuine conversation about life and how things changed over the years. He was a sweet man and his wife eventually came and sat down with me. The short conversation I had with him made me realize that the future is changing and not many people stop to have a genuine conversation. He said, and I quote, "You know, if you stop to have a conversation with someone the way you put everything down and came to me, there will be opportunities crawling your way." He chuckled and laughed and told me that I was becoming a fine lady and how I'd get far in life.

Not only did that boost my mood, it made me feel great that I was able to make his day a bit brighter as well. There wasn't any sugar-coated lies and what not. The couple I was able to talk to started the week bright and it was a great feeling when he waved back at my as his wife drove away.

Weekend Fun!

As the week came to a close, there were some patients who were a bit homesick. They were a bit sad that their family couldn't come and visit but understood nonetheless. There were also patients who had no family and weren't as happy as some. With permission from both the nurses and the patients, I spent the day making funny signs and talked with patients. Here is one of the signs that made some of the elderly laugh. (Excuse the head and hand I had to crop out!)

The day was filled with smiles, and laughter, and praises for making their day!

Daily Thoughts

Seeing people who are committed to caring and helping others really warms my heart. A child came up to me and thanked me for helping his grandma. It was small gesture, but he cried and hugged me. I would say he was about 5 or 6 years old, and it was clear how much he loved his grandma. Knowing that people who want to help make a difference and make sure people are given the care they need fills me with happiness. I may not have caught his name, but the  little boy that thanked me, I wish you nothing but good health and happiness for you and your family.

Mother Baby

Here are the hats I sewed tags on for the newborn babies! I was able to stay with some of the nurses I knew upstairs and watch them put the hats on them! It was an interesting night for a Monday. Seeing the newborns was definitely the highlight of my night!

"Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Friday Madness

The hospital is a busy place, especially when all patients want to do is go home. Discharges are always eager to go home. Since the Superbowl announced this Sunday, some of the patients were buzzing about that as well. Others just wanted to sleep in the quiet or sit in their chairs listening to the music channel.

Lunch was served and I helped some of the geriatric patients eat. The food isn't anything like a school cafeteria meal. Some were offered rice and beans with grilled chicken on the side with sweet peaches for dessert and a chocolate milk. Another was served grilled chicken with a side of vegetables, a cup of vanilla ice cream for dessert, a side of apple slices and hot tea.

With excited football fans, and discharges, the week ended on a good note.

In Room Operations

Normally, days on the floor are okay. There aren't in-room operations going on everyday. However, there are some that happen and I was lucky enough to sit in and help the doctor. One of the doctors came in to assess the patient and found that their knee was severely swollen. It was filled with pus and other fluids around the area. I quickly set up the tools for the doctor and draped the patient's knee.

The two PCA techs in the room held the patient down while the doctor explained to me what he was doing. After the doctor made the incisions and drained the fluids, I handed over the gauze and wraps and let the patient rest after.

Watching the in room operation was pretty quick, but still pretty awesome! As an intern, it was a good (yet smelly) experience. I heard the aftercare instructions for the patient, just in case he didn't hear it and kept tabs on him.

The First Few Steps

Deciding on a specialty isn't always easy. There are so many things to consider and different aspects of what you find comfortable with. Having a talent in a specific area is also something to take into consideration.