Recovering from Recovery

Recovering from Recovery

Second week into my recovery placement and my fellow classmate was my first ever patient!

She was feeling quite light headed and faint. Next thing you know, the Nurse in charge took over and got her on a bed and was placing a BP cuff and pulse oximeter on her and pulled the curtains round. I was left there with a ‘patient’ (my classmate) lying on the bed and it was so weird, feeling that sense of responsibility caring for your patient 1-1 especially when its your classmate.

People say Recovery is very ‘nursey’ and ‘fluffy’ and although I do see that side of which is very important, it also allows you to brush up on vital signs monitoring and identifying any changes in basic parameters. It gives you the opportunity to see what happens to the patient after their time in theatre, as well as take them back to the ward to ‘complete’ the journey. You can also brush up on your communication skills if need be as you have to talk to the patient whilst they are awake and waking up from anaesthesia, where effective and clear communication is vital.

Expect to repeat yourself lots as patients are delirious and drowsy upon emerging from anaesthesia, so they need your reassurance to feel safe and remember where they are/what is happening.

I hope to strengthen my communication skills on this placement and learn lots of interesting things about recovering the surgical patient, vital signs and interventions and medicine management from a autonomous practitioners point of view.

-Aliyah