Memories of a Past Event, Essay Example

Reflections may imply memories of a past event. The reader can determine that the reading reflects a hospital setup. The picture portrays a distressed female patient that appears to be in deep meditation over her current health condition. The picture also includes many sheets of paper written “Doctor’s order”. Consequently, it is evident that a doctor’s order was a prerequisite for most of the medical procedures that were applicable to the patient’s condition.

The reader is expected to predict nursing dissatisfaction on the part of the patient. The patient’s facial appearance vividly expresses dissatisfaction, desperation and embarrassment.

The reading depicts several ethical and professional issues. For instance, nurses should conduct regular checks on their patients to determine their response to medication. Above all, nurses should promptly respond to distress calls emanating from patients. Vital signs should be regularly checked rather than on a daily basis to determine the patient’s progress.Nurses, whether experienced or orienting, should not be annoyed when reminded to execute their responsibilities. They are not expected to ask obvious questions after failing on their tasks. In essence, orienting nurses should take vital signs without waiting for orders from doctors. Both the nursing student and the resident nurse were not keen on taking vital signs and assessments respectively.

The reader could make a concluding statement such as: “Both orienting and resident nurses in the reading did not portray nursing competence”.

The quotes include:

“The doctor changed the vitals to once a shift, and they were already done today.”

“How dare you? How dare you ask if Al is angry?”

“Post-op fevers in the first day are very common.”

The first quote depicts the orienting nurse’s response to Al when she called to ask the nurse to take vital signs. The second quote expresses Linda’s annoyance at the orienting nurse’s question regarding whether Al was angry yet she had not been properly attended to. The third quote refers to the pronouncement uttered by the resident when he was called to assess Al. He only made a “mid-air assessment”.

It is appropriate for nurses to be responsible and professional during their nursing practice. They ought to conduct regular patient assessments rather than simply making assumptions based on past medical experiences. Orienting nurses should learn to take vital signs besides only focusing on drawing blood, starting IV and issuing pills.