My clinical experience this week was very interesting. I was assigned to New Heights, which consist of boys from the age of 14-19. These boys are on a higher behavior level then most of the units. Throughout the day I had the opportunity to follow the CNC. When I arrived on the unit I reviewed the charts of the boys on the unit. I got the chance to go to the gym with the boys and play basketball with them. Doing this gave me more interaction with them and it also started to establish a trusting relationship. I really enjoyed it and I feel like that was my greatest accomplishment today in clinical. During most clinical days I haven’t gotten to receive a lot of interaction time with the kids and I feel like that was important. Being able to go up and talk to he boys was a new experience for me, which I was comfortable with.
One boy from the unit wasn't feeling well but the nurse couldn't administer any medication until the child’s parent called to give consent, the reason for this was because of his medication seeking behavior. Following the CNC I got the opportunity to go to the school yard and watch her administer medication by mouth as well as intramuscular. I thought it was interesting how the 2 boys had already been placed in holds and had calmed down tremendously, but then where administered the medication. I feel like the nurse should have been called while the children's behaviors were escalating. When we arrived there one boy was stating he wanted the shot before the nurse could give him the options. He was so willing and calm about receiving the shot, which shocked me. The other boy decided to get the medication by mouth. The medication that was administered was Benadryl and Tegretol. Benadryl is an antihistamine and Tegretol is a anticonvulsant as well as a mood stabilizer. Another older boy fell and hit the back of his head playing basketball so the nurse went to check it out. She had to clean the area and had the boy apply pressure to stop the bleeding.
During clinical I also got the chance to attend the ropes courses they have on campus. One little girl was leaving to go home so she got the privilege to do the eagle fly, where she climbed up a pole, stood on top and jump off. It was interesting to see how the kids trusted in each other. While they were up in the air their peers and staff members had to support them to keep them steady. I got to see the boys’ rock climb and the girls club up this huge pole and walked across a rope to the other side. Some of them climbed to the top and other didn't, but their peers still supported them no matter how far they went. I feel like I took a lot of courage and determination to do those challenges.
This clinical experience impacted me by showing me the importance of different aspect of the nursing profession. Medication administration and building a trusting relationship are very important in my career. No matter what population I decide to work with, these factors will be important. I feel I developed knowledge in both of these aspects during my clinical experience this week.