I was quickly reminded how much I enjoy clinical's on my first day back from a month break from school. This summer we started our intensive care unit (ICU) rotation and I had my first day at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). MUSC is a well respected hospital and is the area's only Level 1 trauma center which is equipped to care for most seriously injured patients. A level 1 trauma center provides comprehensive care. The ICU staff includes doctors, nurses, respiratory therapist, clinical nurse specialist, pharmacists, physical therapist, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dietitians, social workers, and chaplains. Seriously ill patients require close monitoring and observation so it is imperative that the ICU staff are trained with specific skills for patient care.
At first I did not know what to expect on my first day in the ICU but my experience far exceeded my expectations. I have some experience being surrounded with critical care through volunteering at MUSC's Children's Hospital in the cardiac unit but my hand's on experience during my clinical round really opened my eyes. We stayed busy the entire day which was very exciting. First thing at 7:00am while our group was receiving report I got the opportunity to assist the ICU team transporting one of my assigned patients to the operating room. My role was to bag my patient during transport trying to consistently keep my patients respiratory rate in sync with the ventilator.
Throughout the rest of the day our group got experience suctioning patients, setting up ventilators for new incoming patients, replacing commercial holders for endotracheal tubes, extubation, performing ventilator checks, setting ventilator parameters/alarms, transporting patients, and oral care. In addition, we got to review and diagnose multiple X-ray and CT scans.
Something new I learned during clinicals that day was about ribs being surgically "plated" for rib fracture patients. I wanted to learn more so I did some research and found out that rib fractures are the most common chest injury accounting for 10-15% of all traumatic injuries in the U.S. Rib fractures can cause serious complications such as bleeding the in the chest (hemothorax), collapse of the lung (pneumothorax), or result in a fluid accumulation in the chest (pleural effusion). As well, rib fractures may contribute to the development of a lung infection or pneumonia. The procedure of having your ribs "plated" entails two ends of the ribs being aligned and a metal or plastic plate being placed over the fracture and screws or sutures securing everything in position. These plates realign the ribs and speed up the healing process-how neat!!!
Below is a picture of one type of plate used for this procedure.
At first I did not know what to expect on my first day in the ICU but my experience far exceeded my expectations. I have some experience being surrounded with critical care through volunteering at MUSC's Children's Hospital in the cardiac unit but my hand's on experience during my clinical round really opened my eyes. We stayed busy the entire day which was very exciting. First thing at 7:00am while our group was receiving report I got the opportunity to assist the ICU team transporting one of my assigned patients to the operating room. My role was to bag my patient during transport trying to consistently keep my patients respiratory rate in sync with the ventilator.
Throughout the rest of the day our group got experience suctioning patients, setting up ventilators for new incoming patients, replacing commercial holders for endotracheal tubes, extubation, performing ventilator checks, setting ventilator parameters/alarms, transporting patients, and oral care. In addition, we got to review and diagnose multiple X-ray and CT scans.
Something new I learned during clinicals that day was about ribs being surgically "plated" for rib fracture patients. I wanted to learn more so I did some research and found out that rib fractures are the most common chest injury accounting for 10-15% of all traumatic injuries in the U.S. Rib fractures can cause serious complications such as bleeding the in the chest (hemothorax), collapse of the lung (pneumothorax), or result in a fluid accumulation in the chest (pleural effusion). As well, rib fractures may contribute to the development of a lung infection or pneumonia. The procedure of having your ribs "plated" entails two ends of the ribs being aligned and a metal or plastic plate being placed over the fracture and screws or sutures securing everything in position. These plates realign the ribs and speed up the healing process-how neat!!!
Below is a picture of one type of plate used for this procedure.
Can't wait for more clinical rounds getting experience to improve my clinical skills and learn about procedures centered around critical care!