Friday, October 15, 2010

GenSan City Hospital aka Emergency

We set out for our 5 day (every weekends) hospital exposure and here our CI was our teacher already. Stationed at the OB ward, our duty starts from 7am and ends on 3pm. We were comprised of 14 female students - 11 Healthcare students and 3 Caregiver students.

The ward is very much poorly situated and our patients’ beds were already close to each other. It was like having 4 rows with 7 beds on each. That is why, our CI didn’t mind the language barrier for us since we can always ask our co-students nearby. Some didn’t have enough windows for ventilation and many IV poles were made of wood. When I complained to our CI of the situation, she told me that most wards are like that and this isn’t unlikely. Actually, the ward had extended even to the extent of using the hallway for other patients. Oh well, maybe I wasn’t used to the Philippine hospital wards.

Anyways, we were assigned with 2 patients each. Basically, our main work is to do vital signs every 7am, 11am, and 2pm. The rest was spent on cleaning the area, changing dextrose, and sometimes terminating infusions.e were also informed to stay with the patient as long as possible to assist them in any way we can. Hence, we only had a 30 minute lunch break as our group was divided into 2 so as to enable endorsing our patients to one another.

My first patient was operated and I had to record her VS every 15 minutes. The next morning when we returned, she was quite normal already as she already recognizes us and the people around her but still she was NPO. Then there was a patient who had a caesarian for the first time. Another one was a mother for the first time and gave birth to a healthy but underweight baby boy. And others had a problem with their internal organs and needed operation. Sometimes, doctors would do their rounds and checked their condition. This had become our day like in the hospital and it was stressful once more. Most of the time we had to remain standing for there were no chairs available other than for their relatives. The various kinds of sickness around plus the odor the ward emits can truly suffocate the person giving assistance. The best remedy here is to think positive yet logical as well. Of course, we also need God. And oftentimes, I’ve prayed mentally there.

There was a patient of mine who had a ligation after having cesarean birth. I was shocked to hear this as I know she’s Catholic. Yet I made it to the point that she didn’t recognize my dismay. As I had finished recording all my patients’ VS, I noticed that she’s still bleeding from her operation last night. Plus, she didn’t have a binder. We then asked her husband to buy her one so we could place it on her. Afterwards, our CI asked for another student to assist me in placing the binder and luckily, we made it. Our hands were spilled with blood so we had to leave the ward to wash our hands first. On my staying with this patient, she narrated to me that she chose to have a ligation already after having a son born already. But this baby had a cleft lip and that it still needed an operation. She was asking me why God did this to her. But I simply remained silent and listened only. For I couldn’t tell her that what she did was wrong but neither could I encourage her of her actions. I was indeed in a dilemma here. Of course, it easy to say flat on her face that she committed a grave sin, but as a healthcare student, we were taught to empower our patient’s recovery. Hence, I cannot do so for it would definitely affect her recuperation. It really left me quite motionless.

This incident kept on recalling to my mind every now and then. I didn’t know if what I did was right or wrong in God’s eyes. Did I make the right decision on remaining silent? Or did it seem that I approved of it by my silence? It was taught in the book that if it’s against the health professional’s faith, it’s better to ask for a replacement. I guess I should have done that. Then again, we were already crowded and it’s not easy asking for a favor. Somehow, I know I tried my best in keeping my duty both to God and men.

Oh Blessed Virgin, help me always in my dally life. Grant that in every circumstance, I may always do God’s ways! Amen.

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