rgerscharm Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Ready for any criticism. I know I have some gaps and I am continuing to work through my PS to where I need it to be. TIA! _______________ As a patient care technician in the Progressive Cardiac Unit, I am actively involved with the care of pre and post open-heart patients. I see the incision down the center of my patients’ chest and I empathize with them and the major surgery they went through. I had the opportunity to observe open heart surgery while shadowing a cardiac Physician Assistant (PA). The surgical team cut through the sternum, bypassed the circulation of the heart, stopped the heart, and replaced the tricuspid valve. Restarting the heart was the most anticipated moment. I left the operating room with amazement and a new level of appreciation for medicine. The operating room mirrored a critical and fast-paced environment where the role of the PA thrived. I admired how the interaction between the PA and surgeon gave balance and efficiency to the entire surgery. I came to fully understand my reasons to pursue the PA profession through my experiences shadowing, volunteering, and as a patient care technician. After receiving my Bachelors degree, I developed hands-on confidence in clinical care working as a patient care technician (PCT). With 10 to 20 patients in my care per night, I understand the importance of bedside manner, analyzing vital signs, providing basic care, communicating needs of the patient, and recognizing changes in condition. Majority of the patients are diagnosed with cardiac and respiratory complications. Often, pre-operative patients have a sense of fear before going into surgery. This stress sometimes manifests physically increasing blood pressure, temperature, or heart rate. I do what I can as my role as a PCT to comfort and influence optimism. I enjoy seeing the progression of the patient post-surgery and it moves me to experience what people can overcome. Although instilling a sense of hope into patients is essential to wellness, the complexity of disease and mental status is a challenge. For me, the hardest patients to care for are the ones that no longer had the capacity to welcome a sense of optimism. Working as a PCT has confirmed my ability to work independently as well as part of a team to provide the highest quality of care. I learned as caregivers, we must be confident in the decisions we make to those who no longer have the ability. Thus, fully immersing myself into patient care has allowed me to learn invaluable experiences, exercise critical thinking, as well as develop a deeper appreciation for the sciences. In addition, I learned to manage my time between working full time and continuing education by taking graduate science classes. I find it most gratifying to be involved in the progression of the patient’s care and wondering the result of care after leaving the hospital. In shadowing a physician of physical medicine at the VA hospital, I enjoyed observing her teamwork with rehabilitation patients to help them gain functionality in everyday living tasks. She taught me influencing hope in the psyche of the patient is critical to that person’s growth and functionality. The improvement in these patients was the responsibility of the interactions between the rehabilitation team. In addition to having an active role in a person’s diagnosis, treatment, and preventative care, PAs have the opportunity to consult with physicians to determine the best type of care needed. The medical model involving the interaction of a team of healthcare professionals is congruent with my view that medicine is a collaborative role. By shadowing PAs of different specialties, I realize the dynamics of the profession is an environment I can excel in. While shadowing an orthopedic physician assistant, I saw patients of all ages with chronic joint pain to post surgical consultations. In addition to open-heart surgery, I worked alongside with cardiac PAs while they made rounds to cardiac patients. Regardless of specialty, I recognized the challenge in the versatility of roles as a PA equally exciting. I also find PAs continuously speaking of the passion they have for the profession. Not only do they practice medicine but also many branch out into activities that helped the surrounding community and promote the PA profession. As a PA, I hope to inspire the same positivity that I know will contribute to wellness and the quality of someone’s health. Being a part of this high demand profession will give me the satisfaction of constant growth and allow me to serve in specializations that are needed as well as interest me. In today’s dynamic healthcare, focus has turned to finding solutions that will alleviate physician shortages just as initiated by Dr. Eugene Stead in 1965. I believe the physician-PA team will promote an even better strategy for patient satisfaction and continue to be a valuable asset to the future of healthcare. I am confident that this is my vehicle to improve patient care and that I have developed the maturity to undertake these responsibilities and pursue the PA career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgerscharm Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 Ready for any criticism. I know I have some gaps and I am continuing to work through my PS to where I need it to be. TIA! _______________ As a patient care technician in the Progressive Cardiac Unit, I am actively involved with the care of pre and post open-heart patients. I see the incision down the center of my patients’ chest and I empathize with them and the major surgery they went through. I had the opportunity to observe open heart surgery while shadowing a cardiac Physician Assistant (PA). The surgical team cut through the sternum, bypassed the circulation of the heart, stopped the heart, and replaced the tricuspid valve. Restarting the heart was the most anticipated moment. I left the operating room with amazement and a new level of appreciation for medicine. The operating room mirrored a critical and fast-paced environment where the role of the PA thrived. I admired how the interaction between the PA and surgeon gave balance and efficiency to the entire surgery. I came to fully understand my reasons to pursue the PA profession through my experiences shadowing, volunteering, and as a patient care technician. After receiving my Bachelors degree, I developed hands-on confidence in clinical care working as a patient care technician (PCT). With 10 to 20 patients in my care per night, I understand the importance of bedside manner, analyzing vital signs, providing basic care, communicating needs of the patient, and recognizing changes in condition. Majority of the patients are diagnosed with cardiac and respiratory complications. Often, pre-operative patients have a sense of fear before going into surgery. This stress sometimes manifests physically increasing blood pressure, temperature, or heart rate. I do what I can as my role as a PCT to comfort and influence optimism. I enjoy seeing the progression of the patient post-surgery and it moves me to experience what people can overcome. Although instilling a sense of hope into patients is essential to wellness, the complexity of disease and mental status is a challenge. For me, the hardest patients to care for are the ones that no longer had the capacity to welcome a sense of optimism. Working as a PCT has confirmed my ability to work independently as well as part of a team to provide the highest quality of care. I learned as caregivers, we must be confident in the decisions we make to those who no longer have the ability. Thus, fully immersing myself into patient care has allowed me to learn invaluable experiences, exercise critical thinking, as well as develop a deeper appreciation for the sciences. In addition, I learned to manage my time between working full time and continuing education by taking graduate science classes. I find it most gratifying to be involved in the progression of the patient’s care and wondering the result of care after leaving the hospital. In shadowing a physician of physical medicine at the VA hospital, I enjoyed observing her teamwork with rehabilitation patients to help them gain functionality in everyday living tasks. She taught me influencing hope in the psyche of the patient is critical to that person’s growth and functionality. The improvement in these patients was the responsibility of the interactions between the rehabilitation team. In addition to having an active role in a person’s diagnosis, treatment, and preventative care, PAs have the opportunity to consult with physicians to determine the best type of care needed. The medical model involving the interaction of a team of healthcare professionals is congruent with my view that medicine is a collaborative role. By shadowing PAs of different specialties, I realize the dynamics of the profession is an environment I can excel in. While shadowing an orthopedic physician assistant, I saw patients of all ages with chronic joint pain to post surgical consultations. In addition to open-heart surgery, I worked alongside with cardiac PAs while they made rounds to cardiac patients. Regardless of specialty, I recognized the challenge in the versatility of roles as a PA equally exciting. I also find PAs continuously speaking of the passion they have for the profession. Not only do they practice medicine but also many branch out into activities that helped the surrounding community and promote the PA profession. As a PA, I hope to inspire the same positivity that I know will contribute to wellness and the quality of someone’s health. Being a part of this high demand profession will give me the satisfaction of constant growth and allow me to serve in specializations that are needed as well as interest me. In today’s dynamic healthcare, focus has turned to finding solutions that will alleviate physician shortages just as initiated by Dr. Eugene Stead in 1965. I believe the physician-PA team will promote an even better strategy for patient satisfaction and continue to be a valuable asset to the future of healthcare. I am confident that this is my vehicle to improve patient care and that I have developed the maturity to undertake these responsibilities and pursue the PA career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkels Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I'd interview you. Sounds like a good balance of real experience, a maturity of thought, and a commitment to persuing the profession. Good job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkels Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I'd interview you. Sounds like a good balance of real experience, a maturity of thought, and a commitment to persuing the profession. Good job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PANY123 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Doesn't CASPA only accept Narratives that are 625 words? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langer11089 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 It says up to 5000 characters (approx 625 words)...but I've found it to be more than 625. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgerscharm Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 Mine is 4966 characters :). Any more constructive criticism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorRRT Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I would cut the parts where you explain what a PA is out, the readers of the essay will be docs or PAs. Overall it's well written, but I feel you need a section spelling out why being a PA is important to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgerscharm Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 Thank you GatorRRT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drainplug87 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 I thought it was excellent. Haha, I'd like to say more, but I don't have any thoughts on improving it. Your stories were very interesting and made your PS interesting to read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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