P4R1W6: Brighter on the otherside.

Shipwreck in Motueka.

I've had to create myself a clinical improvement plan. Basically I've got to prompt myself to ask myself 'why'... What am I observing, why is it doing this? Why can't the person do this? (Make a problem list). Is it important to do something about it, why or why not? Why, why, why!?! ...I actually thought I was doing this already, but not to the extent that I should be (apparently). I'll keep trying my best and hopefully pass this neuro paper. Only two weeks to go, and lots to improve on!

On Tuesday I got to be a guest physio and help out at a falls prevention programme run by the PHO (Public Health Organisation). The main educational session took place in another room, and we had took individuals one-by-one to discuss their recent falls, home/life situation and to preform a timed up and go test. As you'd expect, most of the attendees were older persons. One key message that I got from them is that they are truly frightened of having another fall. (Also, they don't know how to correctly fit their walking sticks). There was some irony in holding a falls prevention programme in a pub. Maybe we could balance their anxiety of falling with some liquid courage (...might put them at a higher risk of falling though).

Timed up and go setup in the restaurant!

Hospital mysteries

1. Wheelchair wheels getting flat... there are no sharps lying around!!
2. Wheelchair cushions... not many on the ward now... they must grow legs and walk out.
3.  The lift that randomly opens on the ground floor with nobody on it and nobody waiting.

A patient lied to me (again... sort of). I asked them about their past medical history and specifically asking whether they had any problems with their heart. They said no. They mentioned that their legs get swollen, and sometimes their stomach does too - fluid retention. Looking at their legs, they were pretty swollen! Fluid was indeed retaining. The patient said they had been previously quite active, but when asked specifically they walked 10-15min most in one go, once a week. So, not as active I would like. I didn't think too much of all of this... the person was so very kind or 'lovely' as we call kind older persons (this one was >95years old). After the consultation I have a look at the patient's notes... it turns out they have chronic heart failure, with atrial fibrillation, hypertension, gastro-osophageal reflux disorder, epilepsy, have had a transient ischaemic attack and total knee and hip replacements.... it goes to show that patients don't share all that we need them to. Moreover the person said their clavicle had fractured... turns out it was their neck of humerus! Close, but no gold star!

A former patient delivers apples to some departments in the hospital every other week during apple season!!

A family member of a patient brought a dog in to visit the patient... We were lucky to get a bit of 'dog therapy' in the nurses station between writing up patient notes.

We had issues with keeping patients on the ward (alarm bells were ringing from all corners of the ward this week). We give some patient's sensors that cause alarms to go off when they wander out, or if they open a door that's suppose to be closed. I caught one leaving the ward via the main entrance  mid-week with a frame that I suspect was taken from another patient... it was miles to small for this very tall gentleman. This happened as I was leaving, so I had to take him back, slap a red ticket on his frame, adjust it (with no other name tag on it, it was his for the taking) and inform the nurses about this before I left.

I've started a job in Motueka. It's a support role for a young patient in the community. We're hitting up the gym in Mot and accessing the community every second weekend.

This week flew by so fast, so that's it - a very short blog post.