Essay Practical in Surgical Ward – Medical Science Assignment Help

Assignment Task

Description

During my practical placement in a surgical ward, I was working under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN). On a morning shift, my buddy nurse and I received handover from the night nurse for 4 patients, one of which required a wound dressing. After handover, I introduced myself to the patients and reviewed their charts (as requested by the RN). After I was done, I went to find the RN, who had just finished a simple surgical dressing, however, was nowhere to be found. I had then noticed an opened dressing pack with bloody gauze, tape, scissors, and a suture cutter still sitting on a trolley next to the patient. I eventually found the RN talking to another nurse at the nurse's station. I told the RN about the trolley, who said she had forgotten to clean up after herself, before asking me to clean it up for her. As a student nurse, it is not my duty to clean up another staff's clinical waste – especially when they involve sharps, further exposing the patient and others to risk of harm. I decided to act and inform the clinical supervisor.

Feelings

I was not happy with the RN's actions as she did not seem to care at the time, rather was socialising with other staff. It seemed like very poor clinical skills as well as without the care for infection control or patient safety. As a student wanting to learn from the RN, I felt belittled and frustrated. Also, a little guilty for getting the RN into trouble. However, at university, we are taught to ALWAYS clean up our own clinical waste and to ensure risk minimisation.