Oh...you're a male.

Today I was pretty excited about getting to meet the patient that I would be working with this week. I was able to get all of my preliminary work done without any problems. Going in this morning, I met the staff nurse who was nice enough, but not overly concerned that I would be around today. I also met the PCT that was on my hall as well, she was very helpful. While I was getting report the PCT had gone into my patient’s room to answer a call light. A few minutes later she stepped out and asked if someone could help her for a minute. I quickly volunteered and told her that I would be working with that patient today anyway. The PCT said that it was somewhat of a personal issue and that the patient did not like males. Apparently I had picked a patient that was not going to have anything to do with me this week. At least that is the impression I got from the PCT. So, the staff nurse goes in to help her and I am left outside to wait like a good boy. I have to admit that I was a little put out by all of this. I am a pretty likeable guy and I had to deal with this same problem last semester in Foundations. It seems that I may be confronted with this problem for the rest of my career. I was determined to go into the room and make a good impression with the patient. When the ladies finally got out, I went in and proceeded to get to work on my assessment…

I was comfortable getting my assessment done after talking to the patient for a while. I went through about 65% of what I was supposed to do for my head to toe. The other 35% was lost somewhere in my brain. It is going to take a lot more assessments for me to remember everything that needs to be checked. Later my instructor came in and went through an assessment on my patient with me. This was one of the most beneficial things that could have been done for me. Afterword we went into a room and went over the findings and discussed how to go about making sure that a complete assessment was done and how to do it well. This is the first time a clinical instructor has done this with me, and I cannot wait to go back on Thursday to try again. I feel so much more comfortable going into a patient’s room and doing my assessment. I really wish my foundations instructor had done this with me (a few times would have been nice). I would have felt a lot better about things. I also feel more comfortable about bringing in my “cheat sheet” to make sure that I have covered everything.

…by the time I had worked with my patient for a while. We were both comfortable with each other. She was beginning to talk to me about her personal issues regarding her illness when we were interrupted by the PCT for the patient’s bed bath. (There went my process recording, but I digress.) I told the PCT that I would be more than happy to help. Then I explained to my patient that I would only help if she were comfortable with my being there. (This is where I had what I like to call, one of my “Jedi Moments”.) The patient stated, “Well normally I would say don’t bother, but you might be able to help her.” I feel like I had been able to make the patient comfortable with a male nurse(ing student.) I cannot be sure if the PCT was initially uncomfortable with me or if the patient would not have been comfortable with a male nurse or if I was really able to change the patient’s perception. Either way I did what needed to be done today.