Surgery Rotation 3 Reflection
Types of patients you found challenging in this rotation and what you learned about dealing with them
The types of patients I found challenging in this rotation are the ones that refuse treatment. I remember there was a patient with small bowel obstruction who refused to put a NG tube in because she believed that her symptoms will go away by itself eventually and she did not need someone to stick a tube into her nose. Patients who refused treatment are the ones that always require a lot of time and patience for explanation. In this case, we had to figure out the reason for patient’s rejection of a NG tube. We had to explained that the symptoms will not just go away without treatment and that the patient needs to be admitted for monitoring. It was also important to explain the complication with untreated small bowel obstruction, such as perforation and peritonitis. I learn that for the patients that refuse treatment, providers should always try to convince the patient by explaining the risks and benefits of the treatment. Patients should fully understand the reason for the treatment and the consequences without treatment before leaving the hospital against medical advice.
How your perspective may have changed as a result of this rotation (e.g. elderly patients, kids, IV drug users, etc).
My perspective towards surgery have changed as a result of this rotation. Before going into surgery rotation, I was afraid of long hours of standings, days where I have to be on-calls, and not getting enough sleep. I didn’t know how would I be able to complete my online assignments, while I also need to spend time studying for the case as well as my EOR exam. I know I would need to have a great time management skill when I need to work 65-85 hours per week. I started create a list of to-do every day so that I could make sure that I would get this assignment done on this day. After this rotation, I think my time management skills have improved and well-developed. I learn how to prioritize better in order to get my assignments submitted on time.
How could the knowledge I’ve gained here be applicable in other rotations/disciplines?
The knowledge that I’ve gained here definitely helps in other rotations. In this rotation, we have to deal with surgical patients every day. I learn how to recognize the patients that are in life-threatening situation and in need of emergency surgery. This is particular important because no matter which field or specialty we choose to go into, we need to recognize the patients that need surgery and refer them to the appropriate facility. In this rotation, I also got the opportunity to practice a lot of the clinical skills, such as venipuncture, chest compression, place NG tube, I&D, putting in a Foley, and suture placement. These are the clinical skills that I might not have the chance to practice in previous rotation. I also get to assist in a lot of the central line placement. The knowledge and clinical skills that I’ve gained in this rotation will help me with future surgical patients and performing the appropriate clinical skill when needed.
What do you want to improve on for the following rotations? What is your action plan to accomplish that?
For the following rotations, I would like to continue to work on my procedure log book. There are still a lot of other clinical skills that I would like to practice. I still haven’t done any IV placement, arterial line placement, or drawing ABG. I want to have the opportunity to practice and learn as many clinical skills as possible. My action plan to accomplish that is letting my preceptors know that I am really interested in practicing my clinical skills and ask if they are willing to teach me when there is a chance. Also, I will also ask the nurses for teaching because they are the ones that are doing IV placement every day.
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