My placement comes to an end. As ever, I have encountered many interesting people and situations and experienced a wide range of emotions from elation through to despair. I have learned a lot and realised how much more I need to learn. The kindness and patience of the majority of staff have made the difficult […]
Category: day surgery
Children’s Nurse
‘Ring for the paediatric nurse,’ bellows Christine trying to make herself heard over the top of the heartfelt screams of 5 year old Thomas. Thomas has had 5 teeth removed, and has just woken up in the recovery area spitting blood metaphorically and literally. We are amazed at his strength as an anaesthetist and 3 […]
Nurses attitudes to research
During a quiet period in the day surgery list I take the opportunity to continue my search for more recent evidence about postdural headaches. Charlotte, a recently qualified nurse, looks over my shoulder. ‘I suppose you have some reason for looking at that?’ she says accusingly. I quickly mutter something about needing it for a […]
Nurses attitudes to evidence based practice
Today I try to engage nurses with my research findings regarding bed rest after lumber puncture. I am aware that this might not be the most riveting of conversational openings, but I am still quite disappointed with the result. Some of nurses I speak to are not at all sure why they ask patients to […]
Student Casualty
I arrive in the day unit to see Dave limping down the corridor. ‘What happened,’ I ask. ‘I got knocked down by a car and spent the night in the emergency department,’ he grins. He denies that centurion was in any way connected and nonchalantly hobbles off down the corridor. […]
Focussed Clinical Question (part 2)
I have a focussed clinical question! Whilst working on the pain list, I note that patients receiving epidural steroid injections in their spine have to lie down for 20 minutes after their injection. I am told that this is to reduce the chances of them developing a headache following their procedure and that they used […]
Focussed Clinical Questions
Today I have a day off, and enthusiastically start to look for a ‘revolutionary’ piece of evidence to introduce into the day unit. I know that Evidence Based Nursing (http://ebn.bmj.com) and The Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews (www.cochrane.org) are good places to look for quality evidence, but I don’t really know what I am looking […]
Day Surgery – my first week
Sunday Tomorrow I start my new placement at the local hospital. For the next eight weeks I will be nursing student in residence in the ‘Day Unit’, and am looking forward to getting stuck in to some practical nursing after all the essays and course work. I am also planning to try to put into […]