Week One

First week of prac completed and so far I'm really enjoying my placement. Been given a lot of independence and learning loads about a whole variety of issues, ranging from chest management to amputee physio. The area I am in is Sub-acute med unit, so as the name suggests there is no-one who is acutely ill, which means my supervisor was confident in giving us a fair bit of independence from about the second day.

S// One of my patients was an elderly man with recent onset of SOB which after appropriate tests has been linked to pneumonia and asthma. He has a hearing impairment and speaks english as a second language,which meant my communication had to be spot on.
T// I had to go in and assess his chest and mobility to provide an update to my supervisor. I could then plan my treatment and after my supervisors approval treat him as planned.
A// I conducted an initial subjective assessment making sure to speak clearly, concisely and also loud enough so he could understand. I then assessed his cough, auscultated and watch him perform transfers and walk. My treatment consisted of ACBT (including TEE and huffs) and a walk.
R// I reassessed his cough (which was non-productive initially) and auscultation followng treatment. However, his cough remained unproductive and he continued to have an inspiratory wheeze following treatment.
E// I believe my comunication skills were very good with this man and I managed to get him motivated for treatment. Although, his markers did not change following treatment, i believe it will take more then one session for these to change.
S// I believe my auscultation skills can improve significantly especially in regards to what added noises i can hear and what pathophysiology they point too. Can definitely also improve my skills in teaching ACBT.