Final draft - any suggestions appreciated!

[klallen311]

This is my first time applying and I'm really trying to get everything submitted in the next day or so.  This is basically my final draft, so any and all suggestions/revisions are appreciated!

 

Kathryn

 

 

 

Mr. Jones’ call light was going off for the third time in less than an hour.  I stepped into his room to see how I could help him, even though I was already sure of the answer.  He wanted to speak with his physician assistant again, even though it was a simple question that his nurse or I could easily answer.  Instead of being annoyed, the PA calmly entered his room to once again answer his questions regarding his medications and treatments.  She even inserted the catheter Mr. Jones needed upon his request.  I admired the PA’s ability to remain patient with this gentleman as she expertly educated him on his illness and subsequent treatment.  Watching her work just confirmed my desire to fill that role and have that impact while doing more for my patients.

 

As a nursing assistant, I work within the hospital’s float pool so I travel to different departments, helping out wherever I am needed.  This position requires me to be very flexible as I learn my assignment shortly before my shift and must adapt to working in a different specialty with a different group of team members on a moment’s notice.  I have worked in emergency medicine, general medicine, pediatrics, cardiology, intensive care, neurology, and surgical care.  Working with different teams in varying specialties, I have learned multiple techniques for the same process, including handling confused dementia patients and how to handle post-op patients.  Being able to experience various specialties as a PA, I would be able to bring a similar breadth of knowledge to my treatment plans.

 

Although not under direct supervision, PAs work closely with their supervising physician to provide optimal care.  During my shadowing experience, I watched the PA consult with her supervising physician regarding the care of a declining patient.  Together, they were able to come up with the best course of treatment and determine the necessary follow up plan for the patient.  Working in different departments I have seen and appreciated the amount of teamwork that goes into a patient’s care.  Regardless of department, I typically work with 1 – 2 other nursing assistants and 1 – 5 nurses.  I depend on this team throughout my shift to provide the best care for my patients.  When caring for Ms. Smith, a patient whose blood glucose had dropped to 72 mg/dL, I was able to give her juice, then partner with the nurse to perform the appropriate follow up.  Although I am a self starter and am capable of working independently, I appreciate the support and new ideas that come out of a teamwork approach to healthcare.

 

Before becoming involved in patient care, I often went back and forth between becoming a teacher and having a career in healthcare.  As I grew up, I gravitated more towards healthcare, but upon learning about the PA profession, was excited at the prospect of being able to incorporate my desire to educate others into my profession in healthcare.  While shadowing a PA at her cardiac electrophysiology clinic, I witnessed her interrogate pacemakers, explain the results to the patient, and go over medications.  I appreciated her ability to take something as complicated as an EKG and pacemaker data and bring it to a level that was understandable to the patient.  She was able to expertly tailor her approach depending on the patient and their ability to comprehend the complex information.  As a nursing assistant, I often find myself answering patient’s questions with “I’ll ask your nurse,” simply because I do not have the necessary information or authority to answer the question.  As a PA, I will be able to diagnosis my patients and better answer their answer questions in order to educate them so that they may become their own biggest advocates.

 

While shadowing the same PA, her relationships with her patients resonated with me.  Her days consisted primarily of follow up appointments with patients, many of whom she sees only 1 or 2 times per year.  Each time we walked into a patient’s room, she was able to greet the patient by name and ask them about a personal aspect of their life.  Even though she only saw these patients once or twice a year, she was able to easily recall their previous encounters and catch up with them on a more personal level.  I often only work with my patients for a day or two, but with each patient I find something on which we can relate, even if it’s just a TV show or the weather.  We see these patients on some of their worst days; it’s the least I can do to put a smile on their face.

 

Prior to becoming a nursing assistant, I completed community service in a pediatric unit and volunteered as a hospital patient escort.  After both experiences, I had the desire to do more for this patients with whom I can into contact.  Each venture brought me closer to direct patient care and fulfilled this desire to do more.  Being a PA is the next step in my healthcare adventure.  Diagnosing, educating, and caring for patients as a PA is what I am meant to do.