Amy Liu

Service Learning Project

King’s County Hospital, Maternal Health Clinic

Self-Reflection

 

Objective 1: Demonstrates individual professionalism through personal behaviors and

appearance.

 

Our service learning project took place at King’s County Hospital. We complied with all HIPAA regulations when working with patients. Information was only shared within private information with those involved with the care of each patient. I immediately took flyers in the clinic to learn more about maternal health to boost my own knowledge base. Each day, I was early and on time, ready to learn and contribute. I actively seeked out Professor Dorsainvil for advice and to keep benchmarks on my performance in class. With only 1 missed clinical day due to a hospitalization, I believe I have contributed a large amount to this group. During clinical hours, professional attire was used along with a lab coat which displays our NYCCT Nursing logo.

 

Objective 2: Employ analytical reasoning and critical thinking skills when providing care to individuals and families in the community setting.

 

Michael and I came up with the idea of interviewing staff members to get a sense of workplace wellness. What we found was shocking: employees were severely dissatisfied with their workplace. I also found that nurses used language line services to help with language barriers, and also distributed information packets in the patients’ native languages. I contributed several times during patient care to continually assess patients’ understanding, and provided education as needed. All safety measures were used to prevent spread of infection. Many patients verbalized having better understanding after receiving education materials and demonstration.

Objective 3: Effectively communicate with diverse groups and disciplines using a variety of strategies regarding the health needs of individuals and families in the community setting.

 

When a patient found out she could not become pregnant again, I stayed with her to provide therapeutic communication. She calmed down and was able to remain for her appointment and left without any more incident. During pre- and post-conference, I communicated opinions and data with the entire group to promote discussions and enhance learning.

 

Objective 4:  Establish environment conducive to learning and use a plan for learners based on evidence-based practice.

 

When patients arrived with family members, I made sure that the patient was comfortably with the other person in the room while exchanging information. I also ensured that they all understood risks, side effects, and other important health information to manage the primary patient’s health. By using evidence-based practice (EBP), I was able to redirect a conversation which went wrong when an LPN claimed that a parent can sleep with her infant in the bed next to her. EBP has shown that this is dangerous and can cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. I gave corrected information and the patient was very relieved to learn.

 

Objective 5:  Utilize informational technology when managing individual and families in the community.

 

By using information technology such as the electronic medical record (EMR), I was able to get a more detailed patient history. This lead to better patient care, as I was able to see a whole person in this manner. I also made sure to protect their information and to only share it when medically necessary, and with the patient’s permission.

 

Objective 6.  Demonstrate a commitment to professional development

 

We were given assignments to LPNs and RNs around the clinic each week. Every week, I made sure to learn as much as possible from the employee I was shadowing and assisting. I checked for misinformation in their flyers and information packets. There were a lot of out of date pieces of information which I let the RN or LPN take note of for future reference when educating patients. I also attending a breastfeeding educational session.

 

Objective 7.  Incorporate professional nursing standards and accountability into practice

 

Kings County Hospital’s standards of practice were presented during an orientation to the hospital. We learned of their mission and values, and we practiced under their rules and regulations. We acted professionally in the workplace.

 

Objective 8. Collaborate with clients, significant support persons and members of the health care team

 

Many clients asked me for an opinion on their choices. I made sure to inform them so that they could choose the best option for their healthcare. I worked with staff to provide accurate information on treatments, preventions, and other questions that patients would ask.

 

Objective 9. Recognize the impact of economic, political, social and demographic forces that affect the delivery of health care services
I noticed that there was a lack of diversity and foreign language ability by the staff in the maternity clinic. Many patients were without insurance. Kings County Hospital provides care to those with and without insurance; anyone seeking medical care can count on this hospital to provide it. Additionally, a lot of patients were unable to speak English, or spoke in fragmented sentences. Language line services helped immensely with this.