Emma's Work Experience Down on the Ward

For the last two weeks Emma has spent her days working shifts down on the Ward which she has thoroughly enjoyed, especially as she wants a career in the Medical Field later on.

The whole experience was a positive one for Emma. Each day she went enthusiastically dressed in her 'scrubs'! She shadowed nurses on the ward for the most part but did get to follow one patient right through from Admission, pre-op care, surgery, recovery and post-op care until discharge.

Her patient was an 11 month old baby girl called Musu, who had cleft lip and pallet surgery.

Above is a before and below an after picture of Emma with Musu

Some excerpts from Emma's work experience report follow:

Day 1

Monday, March 26th

Today, was my first day of work experience, and it was also my 15th Birthday! My friend Kim Anna was also doing work experience with me down ont he ward. My shift today started at 7am. I got up at 6:15am and did my best not to wake Chris & Josh. I got dressed into my black and pink scrubs. Each day we will shadow a nurse. Today I am shadowing Kristin Shaffer. Kristin and I have 5 patients, Rose (21): cleft-lip, Peter (60): had deformity of his tongue, Rosetta (5): cleft-lip, Mary (4): cleft-lip and Esther (13): cleft-lip. We got to work right away.

The day went by quickly. I was occupied with lots to do. In assisting Kritin I got her things she needed for cleaning wounds and giving medication and other things like that. She taught me how to take someone’s blood-pressure, that was cool, and later she let me take her blood-pressure. It took me a few times to get the hang of it, but I think I’m there now! I also was able to hold a swab on someone after they had an injection, I even got to wear rubber gloves, it was great!

At the end of my shift, we handed over to the evening shifters. When we were about to leave, Bev Sutton(Ward Manager) announced it was my birthday and brought me brownies and a card and everyone sang Happy Birthday to me.
That was my first day on the ward.

Day 2

Tuesday, March 27th

Today I worked the evening shift 2pm - 9pm.

Today I was able to feed someone, through a tube that was going through their nose and down thire throat, and straight to their stomach. Sometimes, they may get cramp, because they don’t know that they are eating, so it can be strange to suddenly feel full up! So I had to hold up the syringe that the food was being poured into (They normally feed people with Ensure/Ensure +/Pediasure for Children. It is a protein Drink)

I found out that the evening shifts are easier, as there is not as much to do. That was true, but the good thing about that was that I was able to play with the little children for hours, just bouncing the balloon to each other and tickling each other. We had lots of fun. I made very good friends with a little girl called Rosetter. She was so cute, she followed me everywhere, wanting to hold my hand or be carried. The shift was soon over, after playing for so long with the kids it took my mind off the time. So when the night-shifters arrived we prayed and thanked God for the day, then we handed over our patients to the night-shifters. That was another good day.

Day 3

Wednesday, March 28th

I was supposed to be working in admissions. In admissions, there is a room, where you take the new patients that have just arrived and you ask about their history; any illnesses, where you live, family and other questions like that. Also the admissions nurse asks the parents of the patient, or the patient themselves to sign some papers, giving their consent on taking a blood test and the operation in general and also for a before and after photo.
I was asked to go out on the dock and pick up a little patient who was 9 months old. So I went down and asked the little girl, her mum and her uncle to follow me to the ward and into the admissions room. When we arrived we had to wait for the admissions nurse, Kate, to come down to the room. When she arrived, she went through the process I just talked about.
After we had finished with that patient, Bev stopped me and asked me if I would like to work on the ward for a while, or come back at 2:30pm and teach me how to inject someone (using fruit instead of a person) and how to take someone’s blood pressure, even though I’d already learnt that.
So I went back to the ward at 2:30.At 2:30, I came back and Kim Anna and I first learnt how to give an injection. It was really fun, and we had a choice to inject an apple, banana or a tomato.