March 11 , 2016
My first clinical experience at San Marcos Treatment Center was enjoyable. I received a lot of information during orientation. Everyone there was welcoming and had a positive attitude, which made me feel comfortable. I got the opportunity to explore most of the campus before being assigned to a unit. The unit I was assigned to was New Horizon 1, which consisted of boys between the ages of eleven and thirteen. On the unit there was a registered nurse and two other staff members. When I arrived on the floor I had the opportunity to sit down and review all the chart for the children assigned to that unit. It was interesting to have an insight on their backgrounds, as well as the reason for their admission. It was also interesting to see how many of them came from all over the world.
Today I recognized the registered nurses role when I had the opportunity to shadow her for the day. The nurse’s role on the unit, is to make sure everything is always running smoothly. As well as making sure the children are attending class and behaving properly. The nurse also delegates task to the staff about what needs to be done. Another role of the nurse is medication administration. The nurse emphasized to me how important medication administration is in mental health. I also recognized the role of the registered nurse was to complete documentation as well as prepare medicine for the children going on home visits.
I had the opportunity to go the campus clinic and observe a physical exam as well as a mental health assessment. This event impacted me by reviling the importance of therapeutic communication when working with this type of population. During the interview the child was more focused on other things in the environment, but he still managed to answer the questions being asked. I realized if the nurse had not used therapeutic communication the child may have completely lost focus or decided not to participate anymore. The person preforming the interview done well transitioning from different topics keeping the child engaged. Participation in therapy taught them the importance of acknowledging good and positive behaviors from their peers as well as staff. It was interesting to see how they communicated with one another. Some addressed previous problems they have had with their peers but have developed relationships with them.
In my career I know medication administration is going to play a huge role in my daily routine. I learned therapeutic communication should be used at all times, especially during assessments. This helps promote a patient- nurse relationship to develop. In the future I will make sure to use this skill and continue to develop it as I go through my career. I feel the message the therapist wanted to get across to the children was critical to their development. Taking time to notice people doing positive things to benefit you is always important.