Neurosurgery clinical - Day 2

Very long and productive day today. From 9 - 11am I had a lab class in which we did Basic Life Support (CPR) practice and refresher, nasogastric tube insertion, and epidural management. Not all nurses can insert and remove epidurals, you have a gain specific accreditation at least a couple of years into practice. But we will be expected to assist, assess and document.

Then I had a break and spent some time in the library researching for my assignment that I'm currently working on. Reading I did today:
• Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council National Competency Standards for the Registered Nurse
• Continuing Competency Framework
• Managing the Transition from Student to Graduate Nurse
• Becoming a competent, confident, professional practitioner
• Becoming part of a Team
• Managing approaches to nursing care delivery

Following that I had a very interesting shift with some new experiences:
• Neurological observations on a patient with Post Traumatic Amnesia (he was assaulted to the head in a nightclub)
• Neurological observations, full nursing care (hygiene), pressure area care, and drug administration via PEG (directly to the stomach) on an unconscious patient.
• Care of a patient with halo brace, accompanied him to his x-rays and helped him sit up and get out of bed for the first time since his accident.



I didn't get home till 10:30pm. Luckily tomorrow I am on afternoon shift again. But then on Wednesday I have an early start. I don't like late finish then early start because it is impossible to get 8 hours sleep in between. The most I could get would be six hours. If I get home at 10:30 there's no time to wind down afterwards, and I have to be up again at 5:00am to shower, have breakfast, catch the tram and be there again by 6:45. I'm not complaining but I wouldn't like to have to do that on a regular basis. It really messes with your body clock.