Understanding our personal experiences and perspectives can help us better understand the vast variety of patients we will encounter in healthcare.

Question Details

PERSONAL SUPPORT WORKER COMMUNICATION AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT

Diversity and Differences-Understanding your Journey.

Understanding our personal experiences and perspectives can help us better understand the vast variety of patients we will encounter in healthcare.

Please complete the following questions:

1. Personal Experiences and Your Journey

A. What experiences have you had with pain? Illness? Childbirth? Surgery?

B. How long did your pain last? What type of pain was it? Chronic? Acute?

C. How would you rate the pain on a scale 1 to 10?

D. How did your family, friends, and others respond to your pain? How did you feel about their responses?

E. How did you deal with the pain? What measures did you use to relieve the pain?

F. How will this discussion about personal experience with pain affect your approach to a person who has pain?

2. Use the following situation to explore your responsibilities when caring for a person who is being transferred within a facility.

Situation 1:

Ms. Beauchemin, 55, had surgery for a knee replacement last week. She is recovering well but is having trouble going up and down the stairs independently. She needs further exercise before going home because her house has two floors, and she lives alone. She is being transferred to a rehabilitation unit, and you are assigned to assist her. Answer the following questions about your responsibility in transferring a person within a healthcare facility.

1. What would you say to Ms. Beauchemin when you went to her room? What would you do if she seemed unaware that a transfer was planned? Who would be responsible for telling her about the move?
2. What would you do to help Ms. Beauchemin prepare for the move? What would you need to do to make sure that all her belongings were moved? What equipment would you need to transport her and her belongings to the new unit?
3. When you and Ms. Beauchemin arrive at the rehabilitation unit, what should you do first? What information would you need to give to the receiving nurse?
4. What other responsibilities would you need to carry out after your return?

Situation 2:

Two weeks have passed since Ms. Beauchemin was transferred to the rehabilitation unit. When you arrive at work, you are sent to the rehabilitation for the day. You find that you are assigned to assist Ms. Beauchemin and is being discharged today. Answer the following questions about your responsibilities in discharging a person from a healthcare facility.

1. What information should you check before going to Ms. Beauchemin’s room? Where would you find this information?
2. How would you make sure that you had gathered all of Ms. Beauchemin’s clothing and belongings?  What should you have Ms. Beauchemin do in order to document that all of her belongings have been returned to her?
3. When you leave the unit with Ms. Beauchemin, where would you take her to discharge?
4. What would you report to the nurse when you return to the unit?

What other responsibilities would you have to carry out after her discharge?

3. Temperature

Check the temperature in your home. Different people are comfortable at different temperatures. Answer these questions about yourself to help you understand the importance of individual preferences for people in a healthcare setting.

1. Do you prefer hot or cold rooms? Why?
2. How does the temperature that you prefer compare of that of your spouse, children, parents, or friends?
3. Would the temperature you prefer be appropriate for an infant? An older adult? Why or why not?
4. How does noise in your home affect you? Answer these questions to help you understand the importance of noise levels in healthcare facilities.
5. How do you study best? With the radio or TV on? With silence?
6. When you go to bed, do you prefer silence to help you to sleep? Do you like the sound of soft music or the TV as you go to sleep?
7. Does anyone in your household agree on what volume to keep the radio or TV? How do you resolve conflict over this if it is a problem?
8. If the noise level in your surroundings is unacceptable to you, do you react? How does it affect your ability to think? Rest? Study? How does it affect your relationship with others?