Course Analysis Essay: Clinical 1

My journey as a respiratory therapist is inspired more by Clinical 1. This first semester’s clinical experiences have been both exciting and inspiring. These experiences have also added a lot to my level of understanding and knowledge. As I look forward to future studies, my desire for further studies in this field has increased, mainly due to the different methods of learning that the course has taken me through. However, I have had to make some changes in my schedule, practice, and study plans to meet the demands of this course. As I have shared below, I have already faced several challenges in clinical 1 that I intend to correct when it comes to clinical 2, 3, and 4. I also had some good and bad times during clinical 1. I have also met some therapists and doctors that have inspired me. Below are some of my experiences during this semester.

Clinical shadowing was a significant opportunity for me to experience. Although I was not familiar with the clinical environment as well as many of the types of equipment, I have enough experience with the duties of respiratory therapists. Besides that, I was able to see different types of patients who were on ventilators with different types of modes. At that time, it was hard for me to understand the functions of the ventilator. However, it was a good opportunity to get a basic understanding of the vents. The three-hour experience impacted my knowledge and experience in the medical field in many ways. I had the chance to go to the intensive care unit (ICU) and experience the actual procedure of ICU treatments.

On my first rotation day at West Penn Hospital, I was initially nervous because it was my first day working in the hospital. My nervousness went away as soon as I saw Dr. Heisler and Mrs. Myers, who were both there to observe us. After that, we were divided into groups, and I was fortunate enough to have Dr. Heisler with me. In fact, Dr. Heisler was great in encouraging and directing me to give the treatments in the proper way. Following this, I looked at the chart to find and gather information about my first patient. Then, I was assigned to do the incentive spirometer exercise for a 41-year-old female who had undergone a surgical operation. First, I went into the room and introduced myself, and told the patient the purpose of using the incentive spirometer device. Next, I asked the patient to get out of bed, but she preferred dangling in bed instead. I began with a pre-assessment and discovered that her breath sounds clear, and her cough was ineffective. However, during counting her heart rate, my watch went off and I missed the right count of her heart rate, which made me very nervous. After that, I set the goal on the IS device based on her age, gender, and weight. Then, I coached her to take a slow deep-breath and hold it for 3 seconds, and she was able to easily reach the goal. She was following the procedures as I was directing and coaching her. Indeed, the patient was nice, calm, and cooperative making the treatment easy and smooth. In brief, my first clinical rotation at WPH was a great experience that left a great impression on my learning.

My second clinical rotation was at Butler Memorial Hospital to do PFT and ABG. In the beginning, I was assigned to a respiratory therapist named Cheryl to do the pulmonary function test. Even though PFT was not an exciting task to do, it was a great experience for me to become familiar with it. Cheryl was a great therapist to accompany since she could briefly explain to me how to read and analyze the results of the pulmonary function test. Unfortunately, I could not get the chance to draw ABG because there was no order for it. I loved the hospital, the department, and the staff at Butler Memorial Hospital.

My third clinical rotation was at Altoona to give treatments to inpatients. This was the most beneficial rotation I have ever had. I had a well-organized and educated therapist named Alyssa, who is very passionate about being a respiratory therapist. Moreover, she kindly asked me to do most of the treatment by myself while she was observing me. Consequently, I delivered eight aerosol treatments to patients with different types of respiratory disease. I had seen patients with COPD, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, and asthma. Patients were cooperative and calm as we were delivering the treatments. For instance, there was a patient who was on a high flow nasal cannula and after his SaO2 got better, I changed the o2 device to be a low flow nasal cannula just as the therapist had asked me to do. 

My fourth clinical rotation was at UPMC Altoona to attend ICU rotation.  In fact, this was the most intense rotation because of the critical cases we had on that day. I was assigned with a therapist named Nicholas. On that day, there were 2 patients who passed away during my rotation hours. One of them was a DNR patient and his SaO2 was dropping off rapidly and then, his family asked to take him out of the ventilator as he was going to make it. It was so emotional when I saw his family enter the room and say goodbye to him. However, I found that healthcare workers have got used on seeing these types of incidents, this was so sad for me.  In addition, I was asked to plug the vent out of the wall in the dead’s room and take it to the storage room, which made me frustrated. 

I have also done vent checks with the therapist every 4 hours. During my shift, we received a patient who was accidentally extubated, and I helped in moving the patient to the bed. Then, I saw Neck used a yanker to clear his mouth from blood. I was also able to draw blood from an arterial line which was easier than what I thought. I have become familiar with the type of ventilator at Altoona which is Drager and how to set up the modes.   In summary, I have admired how cooperative and passionate the staffs go about with their professions.

In conclusion, clinical one has been a fulfilling experience for me. It has made me learn new things and interact with different people who have had a lasting impact on my life. Interaction with the various experienced professionals has encouraged me to work harder to get to the levels that they have reached. Some of the experiences were not as good as I had hoped, but they allowed me to learn a thing or two. The motivation is now very high on my side as we approach the following levels of clinical 2, 3, and 4. I will build on the knowledge I have gathered, and I will always aim to be better each day, as is the requirement of this profession. With proper planning, more practice, and more experience, the next levels will be more manageable.