Week Two

"I am starting to get the feel of things..."

January 14th, 2008 - January 16th, 2008

REFLECTION:

I am starting to get the feel of things around the hospital now, and am starting to understand what needs to be put into my learning plan, and how I can accomplish those things.

I understand that every morning we have “report” in the conference room. The purpose of report is so that doctors, nurses, and social workers can be updated on patient health and behavior each morning. The report is usually given by a nurse who has communicated with the night staff nurses. I was given a sheet of paper with each patients name on it, and told to “jot down important notes.” I am still pretty new at this, and everyone seems to talk so fast! The nurse reads off a patients’ name, tells their “pass status” (which is where in the hospital the patient is allowed to go… I still need to grasp understanding on this concept) then the nurse reads off their vitals, and mentions any behavioral problems the patient might have had in the last 24 hours. This gives the doctor a chance to write new orders in the chart, and any of the “treatment team” a chance to communicate ideas.

Tuesday mornings are special. Every Tuesday on our unit, after regular report, we have a TTPU, or Treatment Team Planning Update. This meeting is similar to report, however, the patient in focus, as well as any family member or support person, is invited to attend. I found this meeting to be very beneficial for everyone involved, and plan to report more on these TTPUs later...

INTEGRATION QUESTIONS:

Research/Micro: How could doing research for classes impact your relationship with your clients?

Research is so important, especially in the field of social work. Working with mental illness, I have learned to love researching. When I am introduced to new clients, I am respectively introduced to new diagnoses and other histories. Making myself knowledgeable with these concepts will not only help me work better with my clients, but it will also help me become a better teammate to my colleagues.

For example, during a practicum visit, my instructor was dealing with a difficult situation surrounding a clients Medicaid applications. I knew a little bit about welfare and the basics of Medicare/Medicaid, but found myself much more comfortable talking to her about this situation and asking questions after I came home and googled the different Medicaid options our client was exploring.

Another example of research being very beneficial in respect to clients and co-workers within the agency comes to mind. This patient has long been diagnosed with schizophrenia (among other illnesses). Each morning, a staff meeting is held with the social worker team, doctors, nurses, and any students to discuss (in an interdisciplinary fashion) the patients progress. Dr. P highly recommended that any med/nursing/social work intern interested attend the schizophrenia seminar being held by one of his colleagues, who is an expert on the subject. Having a better understanding of the diagnosis/illness helps the entire staff communicate better, and ultimately provide better care to the patient.

Policy/Macro: What is the agency policy about relationships at work? What are the consequences of infraction of the policy?

Although teamwork and professional relationships are highly encouraged among the Larue Carter staff, there are strict policies regarding inappropriate relationships between patient and staff. No staff member may engage in any relationship past the professional/acceptable relationship with a patient. This means, as staff, you may not date or have intimate relations with patients. It also means you may not accept money or gifts from a patient. Infractions are taken very seriously and consequences will be severe (i.e. immediate elimination).

Weekly Hours: 1
Hours to Date: 2