RNheals Monthly Journal, SEPTEMBER

NOTE: Copycats NOT allowed. shoooo. hehe :P

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I. Activities

Activities in the hospital are pretty much the same everyday. We receive patients, assess their condition, provide health teaching, facilitate laboratory exams, secure lab results and relay them to ROD or Attending Physician, do charting, give oral and IV medications then endorse patients to the next nurses on duty.

There were few times when we encountered patients who had cardiac arrest and we had to do Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. We also had patients who needed to be transferred in a larger hospital facility because the hospital cannot accommodate their special needs.

II. Learning / Insights

I learned how to effectively manage my time so as to finish all tasks assigned to me. I learned how to prioritize the patients’ needs; which one needs to be attended first and which one could wait.

I became more familiar with IV drugs and how to properly administer them. I learned to take precautions before giving the medication and to assess patients for possible side effects of the drugs.

Charting/documentation is a vital part of our job, and I learned well on how to accurately document procedures done to the patient, including vital signs and medications given.

III. Issues / Concerns

This month, my duty schedule is quite a hassle not only to me but also to my family. During my 3pm-11pm shift, I can’t go home after my duty hours and still have to wait for the first trip of bus/jeepney early in the morning. In my 11pm-7am shift, I have to go to the hospital at around 9pm or earlier so I can catch the last trip.

There are inadequate supplies/equipments in the hospital. The nurse-patient ratio is quite large. There are times that there are only three nurses on duty and there are 50+ patients.

IV. Recommendations

I hope that the government would see the inappropriate nurse-patient ratio in district hospitals. We keep on saying that there is an oversupply of nurses, but where are they? They aren’t working in the hospitals where they are needed.

I hope that LGU would continue their support in this RNheals project.

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I salute those nurses who had and are still having their duties amidst heavy rains and flooded roads. To my colleagues who are in the hospital for almost two days because roads to the hospital are not passable and nobody could go on duty.

Let's pray that the rain would stop soon. Safety to all of us. Take care.