I completed twelve hours at Timpanogos Hospital following the house supervisor today. It was my last clinical shift. My sixty hours are now done! My goals for today included learning about budgeting, conflict resolution, managing staffing, the leadership role of the house supervisor, and how to positively interact with employees.
It was much less busy today than it was yesterday. The tube system went down in the Emergency Department. My mentor was able to go to the engineering department and fix the problem with the computer, which saved the hospital money by him not having to call in staff from the engineering department for the repair. That is about as close to anything related to budgeting that we did all day today. Although there is no formal budget that the house supervisor follows, he is always financially conscientious. This example can help me in my practice as a nurse because reasonable frugality can save not only my employer money, but my patients' money as well.
The only situation related to conflict resolution came in the form of a fully oriented irate patient who needed a peripheral IV placed. Many years ago he had received severe burns on both arms which are now both covered in scars. His nurse was unsuccessful in placing an IV due to all of the scar tissue. My mentor was calm and focused while placing the IV, even though the patient pulled his arm away several times during the process and repeatedly complained about how painful it was. I got the distinct impression that the patient would have become more irate if my mentor had attempted any other approach. I will try to incorporate the same calm and focused attitude when dealing with patients who are irate, as I believe that this will help me to better accomplish my tasks in my own practice.
Staffing always seems to be a shift-long concern, and today was no different. We rounded on all of the units at least twice in order to collect the patient census. Two nurses were sent home on call, and one CNA called in sick. Additionally, Mountain View Hospital in Payson called and asked if Timpanogos had a pediatric nurse that could be sent to their facility. They didn't. I don't understand why they don't have a prn pool like IHC does, or why they think that nurses would appreciate being volunteered out to that facility. That is a long drive with little to no incentive for the trip. Anyway, I learned that it is important to stay informed and to know what is happening regarding census and staffing so that you can be better prepared to meet staffing needs. I will try to incorporate this in to my own practice if I ever become a manager by being observant and diligent regarding census and staffing.
The house supervisor continued to show leadership and a willingness to help. Outside of the women's center, there were ants on the carpet that were congregating in one spot. Engineering was contacted, but they already knew about the ant problem. In fact, the nursery had been previously moved to another floor, and the ants were partially to blame. My mentor found some ant spray and sprayed the insects down. Then he had housekeeping vacuum their remains. We checked the spot later in the day, and no new ants were noticed. I never would have guessed that pest control fell on the shoulders of the house supervisor, but he rose to the occasion once again. I will try to incorporate his example in to my own practice by trying to be helpful and take the initiative when the occasion calls for it.
He continued to positively interact with all of the employees. Every time we would round, he took the time to have pleasant conversations with the staff. Somehow we got on the silly subject of hospice for cats when talking to the staff on one unit (it does not really exist). The levity put the nurses at ease, and I think that it made my mentor more approachable. It is important to seem approachable, especially in times of potential crisis. Employees are likely to divulge more information to a leader who seems amicable. I will try to follow his example in my own practice by being pleasant and approachable to everyone I work with. This can contribute to positive morale in the work environment.
Overall, I think that my entire clinical experience was far too lengthy. I think that management-type learning could have been accomplished in eight to sixteen hours. There were several hours today when I was struggling to stay awake in the office as we awaited a call from anyone who needed anything. However, I did get to attend a cardiac stint placement yesterday. Although that has nothing to do with leadership, it was a valuable experience for me. I feel grateful to my mentor for agreeing to have me follow him, and I told him so. The worst part of this clinical for me was not being able to participate in patient care. That just seems unnatural to me at this point. While I do understand why it is that way, it still felt weird. I hope that this completes my clinical reflective journal!
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