Clinical Experience Essay

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Memorial ED Experience
Jennifer Miller
Colorado Technical University

Capstone Clinical Experience
Colorado Technical University
18 March 2011
Memorial ED Experience During my Capstone experience in the Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, I experienced a plethora of different situations in nursing. It seemed as if there were never a dull moment, or an extra minute to sit around or think. Being in the ED was such a change in pace from our previous clinical experiences, but it was a change that I adored and welcomed. The experience was more than I could have hoped for with more knowledge than I could have imagined. I feel that this clinical really prepared me to be a Registered Nurse on my own, and gave me the confidence to be able to do so.
Experiences
On my first day in the ED, I met my preceptor in the locker room and sat through huddle. After huddle, I expected to have a small tour or introduction period, but that never happened. Immediately, we were set to work with a new patient who had severely broken her arm in three places. The doctor and surgeon had already been in the room and had ordered pain medication for the patient; Morphine and Valium with Phenergan. My preceptor and I pulled the medication from the Pixus and checked the order over again. I took a set of vitals as a baseline for pre-narcotic protocol and asked the patient about her allergies. Everything looked great with the patient so we pushed the medications slowly and ensured the side rails were up and the patient was comfortable. My preceptor left the room for a minute to speak with the doctor, and it was then that things turned ugly on us! I was speaking to the patient, and all of a sudden she was unresponsive. After yelling for help, I checked the patients’ airway, breathing, and circulation, none of which were strong. Doctors and nurses started pouring into

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