Premium Essay

The Patient Who Changed My Life

Submitted By
Words 507
Pages 3
“Showing you 10-63 to Rego Park for a cardiac arrest at 19:30,” the radio burst out, but was quickly overwhelmed by the screams of sirens. I readied myself as the assistant on board the Forest Hills Volunteer Corps’ ambulance. The unconscious patient was loaded onto the ambulance. It was routine: administer oxygen 8-10 times a minute, attach the defibrillator, and immediately start CPR. I stared intently into the faces of my advisors who were putting an incredible amount of effort into bringing this man back to life.When we reached the hospital, the patient was officially declared dead. The entire ambulance crew looked at each other, stared at the ground, and silently boarded the ambulance for a long ride back to base. I volunteer for emergency medical services because I have the opportunity to learn discipline and lead others. It is crucial to follow the correct protocols, as well as work as a team in order to be successful. While on the field, I used to look at everything from an objective standpoint. Bleeding? Put a gauze around it. Shattered bone? Put a splint around it and stabilize the areas above and below the joint. Like bleeding wounds and broken bones, I viewed death as a physical state of being. Death …show more content…
Or as my parents told me: “Your grandma died from falling down the stairs.” I thought back to two days ago to my grandma’s ninetieth birthday. As I was about to leave, I thought about hugging her. I thought maybe, this would be the last time that I would see her, but my parents called me to leave. The EMTs who responded to the call told us that they were sorry for our loss, but that they were ecstatic in the back of ambulance at one point during the ride, when they found a slight pulse. That’s when I realized that death is more than a physical state. If one blip on the screen can cause such strong feelings of hope in two strangers, there must be a more profound emotional

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Moral Issues

...Moral Issues Abstract Many times in your life you will be faced with daily challenges and moral issues with family, friends and work. If someone told you a secret, for instance, would you promise to keep it safe, even if it meant endangering their life? Should we go against our own belief in our career and keep someone alive at all costs, no matter what their physical or mental condition is? I remember being a kid and running around telling secrets and when it got back to me it was blown way out of proportion. Those were the good days. We have grown up and things have changed but what hasn’t changed is we still have secrets in our life. There are so many reasons why we keep and pass around our secrets. Secrets can and usually do cause pain and suffering – that is why they are called secrets. One person most likely doesn’t want the secret out for one reason or another and then they allow someone close to them into their “trust field” and that person becomes vulnerable. Can you keep a secret? I will tell you the truth, I can’t. I am tell-a-phone, tell-a-graph, tell-a-Trina. If you want something to stay private … Do Not Tell Me! With my new leadership role, I had to learn to be more private. I already had several friends in the department and stepping into management was hard. I learned so much about many of my co-workers. Honoring trust didn’t require the whole truth...

Words: 784 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

A Father's Love

...with fathers who do not think that they are needed. My father has changed my life for the better because he taught me to refrain from judging others, inspires others through humor, and shows me Godly love. I see an absence of judgment in my father. Most parents forget that everything they do will most likely be mimicked by their children. I have a father who never treated anyone differently because of their social standing. My father is a social worker specializing in Cystic Fibrosis and Down syndrome patients. Because he always had his patients around him, I was able to see how he embraced their differences. One patient in particular went around the town begging other people to buy her artwork. She got plenty of giggles and cold stares. That was, until she got to my father. He held his hand out and said “I have been looking for you everywhere, Missy! I am in need of some beautiful art, and you are the woman to supply it for me!” He than proceeded to hand her all the change he had on him in exchange for her paintings. Because fathers are so looked up to, positively or negatively, they impact our actions and show us what is acceptable. Judgment is contagious but so is kindness. My father inspires everyone around him through his sense of humor. My father had this trick that I thought had to have been magic. For instance, I was told that my brother would be sleeping in my room. I was furious and decided from that moment on that I would forever be upset with my parents. That...

Words: 582 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Personal Ethics Development

...discuss my personal ethical system and ground rules. I will talk about how I developed my values and what those values are and the sources I believe I developed them from. I will also discuss how my personal values impact my work environment and how my company values impact my personal values. Development of Values One’s personal values are acquired early in life. At birth we are born with no knowledge. We cry when we are hungry, need our diaper changed or want attention. We lie there content until we need something then we cry. This is the starting point that sets the tone and direction for one’s life and the decision-making process. The goal of developing values in children is to establish the capability to make sound judgments (Kohlberg, 1971). The entire process of value development is lifelong and continuous (Nucci, 2002). Personal Values Personal values are almost like DNA, individual to one person. Personal values are those that define me as a person: •I believe that people are responsible for his/her own actions…•I believe in family unity…•I believe in compassion…•I believe in the importance of a good education…•I believe in having good work ethics…•I believe in love…•I believe in honesty…•I believe in choice…•I believe we are who we want to be…•I believe that we learn from our mistakes…•I believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy…•I believe my dad is still my hero…•I believe in God…•I believe in me. Sources for Development of my Values ...

Words: 1371 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Patch Adams: Amazing Law Of Influence And The Harvest

...8 Essentials Essay Patch Adams showed many examples of the Amazing Law of Influence and The Law of the Harvest. The Amazing Law of Influence states “One life touches another and potentially both lives are changed; one life touches another and potentially the entire world is changed.” This is shown in Patch Adams when Hunter a.k.a. Patch helped his roommate, Mitch, get his patient to eat, and that motivated him to become nicer to others and learn to appreciate more as well. The Law of The Harvest states, “You reap what you sow,” or “The more I help others, the more they will help me.” This is shown in the movie when Hunter helped all assist all his patience and they all came back to help him in court. In the movie Patch Adams, kindness...

Words: 511 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Essay for Maters in Nursing

...Entrance Essay for Masters Degree Program When I started the RN-BSN journey I believed the core of nursing was altruism that has not changed. The care delivered to the patient should be with an attitude of unselfish concern for that patient. Serving as an advocate for all patients should be of high priority. All healthcare workers must maintain competence in their scope of practice. It is the responsibility of the nurse to “safeguard the patient from incompetent, unethical, or illegal practice of any person” I believe that acting for the benefit of others is right and good” (Killen, & Saewert, 2007). Patients should be incorporated into their plan of care. The plan of care should include family, income, and environment, as these areas will affect the patient outcome. The discharge plan along with the plan of care should include all aspects of the patient’s life. “Patients are entitled to considerate and dignity of care” (Black, 2007). Nursing once used a systematic body of knowledge and currently utilizes a well defined and well organized body of knowledge that is intellectual and describes phenomena of concern as written in the table of characteristics of a profession. There are many organizations of nursing. The Center for Nursing Advocacy is quite impressive and “seeks to increase public awareness of the role nurses play in the health care” (Black, 2007). There is also “The American Association of Colleges of Nursing “which maintains government relations focusing...

Words: 1708 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

How To Write A Personal Statement For Bii-Polar Study

...didn’t know where she was going to sleep that night. I cringed inside as this wasn't covered in my training and I didn’t know what to do so I looked at her and asked her what she had meant? She had been sleeping at the homes of family and friends but her friendships were being strained by her bi-polar disorder, which had been treated by her insurance until she was fired 4 months earlier. She couldn’t stay at her parents because they had disowned her for having a child with a man that was outside their religion. The baby was no longer staying with her because of her situation. Prior to all of this she had been a white-collar professional and I was shocked at how fast her situation had changed. She told me that the reason she was in the Bi-polar study was because the study gave her the same medicine that she was on under her insurance....

Words: 687 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Dnr Persuasive Speech

...Amy, I am sorry if I did not seem very clear. (I knew what I meant in my head ) Let me try again, if you were the provider and the patient had a DNR, or living will and the person elected to change the status to a full code, you could choose not to code the patient. Meaning that yes, the code status or living will trumps the person who is the power of attorney. No one does this. If the POA changes their mind (which does happen) we code the patient. You as the provider could choose not to, but I have never seen anyone in 20 years tell the family that we will not be doing CPR or any lifesaving matters. I am not sure exactly what you mean by doctors not doing lifesaving procedures. I do know when you are DNR and you are going to the OR...

Words: 383 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Philosophy of Nursing

...Paper Rebecca R. Rogge BryanLGH College of Health Sciences My beliefs about nursing cover a wide range of different aspects. A nurse is caring, respectful, responsible, honest, nonjudgmental, and compassionate. A nurse is to provide the best possible care to their patients and their families no matter what the situation may be. It is important for a nurse to provide holistic and multidimensional care because every individual and their family and community is different from others. A nurse must have effective communication skills and needs to be able to form interpersonal relationships with her patients and their families. It is very important as a nurse to do what is right even when no one is watching. Also, a nurse promotes illness prevention and health maintenance for their patients, families and communities. I believe a nurse must be fully educated about every aspect of nursing and must continue their education throughout their career because things are always changing in the healthcare field. I believe that for a nurse to be able to provide optimal care, they must be fully educated about all the changes and newest technology in the healthcare field. A nurse needs to be able to work as a team with other nurses and with many other healthcare professionals such as physicians, physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners, ect. Overall my personal definition of a nurse is, someone who is caring, compassionate, and responsible that provides holistic and multidimensional...

Words: 1852 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Culture Essay

...Culture is defined as a shared, learned, symbolic system of values, beliefs and attitudes that shapes and influences perception and behavior—an abstract “mental blueprint” or “mental code.” Culture can also be defined as the shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization. These shared patterns identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group. In this write-up, I will be analyzing how my folk’s medicines and beliefs about health care have influenced my attitudes about health care and how my views have changed over the years. I am from South-Eastern Nigeria in West Africa called the Igbo. The Igbos speak the Igbo language, and have two major religions: Christianity and traditional religion. The health beliefs of the Igbo in relation to health and illness are the following: that most illnesses are caused by one’s enemies who submitted their names to evil spirits; that some illnesses are a reward of one’s evil doing in the past; that evil spirits could be appeased to cure mysterious illnesses; that husbands should stick to their wives sexually to prevent mysterious illness gotten from women which is the common name for sexually transmitted diseases; that women should be circumcised to prevent them from living promiscuous lifestyle. Local herbs are most frequently used to cure all illnesses. Before the rise of Christianity in Igbo, during the...

Words: 856 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Mental Institution Research Paper

...Thank you all for allowing me to bring a vital subject to your attention. Mental institutions. A mental institution is an organization providing residential care for people with of or relating disorders of the mind. Their goal is to assist people, maintain finances, assure services, and seek support to aid people with depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, and eating disorders. People who have a condition that impact their thinking, feeling, or mood. People who do not have the same ability to connect or relate with other people. People who are not able to live functionally. Mental institutions can help these people reconnect with the rest of the world. Jennifer O’Brien, a former mental patient said, “Going to a mental hospital is nothing to...

Words: 380 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Professional Presence

...described as an inter-prejudiced encounter between a medical practitioner and a patient whereby the medic treats his/her patient as a unique human being involved with an unusual circumstance. Presence describes how an individual interacts with the people around him/her, and in a medical environment, the process is quite encouraged (Adams & Andrew, 2012, p4). Two models of Health and Healing Throughout medical history, medics have periodically reviewed the techniques that they apply when administering medication. With the breakthroughs achieved with modern technology, doctors have changed how they treat their patients. As a result, medical experts have attained enhanced understanding throughout medical history on the values of human being, and this particular scenario has in return changed the medical profession and caregiving practices accordingly. The first model applied in a medical setup is the physical body model of health. At a certain point in history, health and illnesses were considered to be medical conditions that came as a result of a physical fault within the human body system. If an individual got sick, the underlying situation was always attributed to having come from a physical cause, whether physical modality of treatment, surgery or medications. In the past, medical experts concentrated in treating visible wounds through objective assessment of patients. A patient’s feelings and emotions were believed to come from a chemical by-product...

Words: 2472 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

College Admissions Essay: Why Am I Volunteer

...most vexatious question echoing through my ears during every Serbian gathering. I recall myself searching for an answer acceptable for my Serbian community, especially for all the grandmas asking me every Sunday. Yet, I neglected to determine what I truly wanted to be. Years later, I started volunteering at St. Luke’s Medical Center in the summer of my sophomore year, and little did I know how transformative this experience would be. Initially, I came in as any high school student with the intent of earning volunteer hours for my school’s National Honor Society. I wanted to choose an undemanding job: flower desk. It was an adequate job, but certainly tedious. Consequently, I arrived to the conclusion that there...

Words: 640 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Irp Nursing

...Wednesday from 11:00 am until 1:00. Introduction: We arrived at Meadowview Terrance Wednesday morning at 10:00 am for orientation. After orientation we were assigned a patient and a chart to review and gather some history. After we reviewed their chart we were to sit down and have a therapeutic conversation with them. I had a very pleasant lady who had Alzheimer’s. She was sitting on the piano bench by herself when I approached her and ask if she minded if I sit down for a while and talked with her. She was alert and orientated times four she was dressed appropriate to the weather. She can move around with a walker but is very unsteady. She was able to tell me about more recent events in her rather than about her past. I could clearly see that she had long-term memory problems. After reviewing her chart, I went over and introduced myself and asked if it was okay if we sat down together and talk for a while. Client | Nurse | Analysis | | Good morning. My name is Jennifer and I am a RN-student. How are you doing this morning? | I introduced myself because I thought it would make the patient more comfortable knowing who I was. I used open ended question. | My name is MS. Doing okay just sitting here. | Well that’s good. Is it okay if I sit down and talk to you for a little while before lunch? | The patient was sitting on the piano bench; she smiled and told me her name. She seemed to be relaxed. I then ask her if I could sit down and talk to her. I was offering myself to...

Words: 2873 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Family Health Nursing

... Family Health Nursing Nursing has been an integral part of patient care forever, though not considered as a part of medical profession in the early days. Nursing care has evolved from the time of nursing pioneers like Florence Nightingale and Dorothea Orem to today’s health care environment where, health care system has become more complex and fragmented with specializations. The growth of sophisticated medical technology has further changed nurses’ roles in taking nursing care to nursing profession. Today’s nurses have to focus on the psychosocial and physiological environment of a client along with the physical aspect of care. Individual’s personal circumstances play a very important role on their overall health and welfare. Family environment, family values, economic and financial support and education or knowledge base are few important factors that contribute in making individuals react. To provide optimal care, the patient has to be treated as a whole. Patients family should be included ‘as client’ rather than the background for care. What is an ideal family? There are multiple definitions of family. One definition according to The Bureau of the Census is, “two or more persons who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption and who live together as one household” (U.S.Census Bureau, 2005). Another definition of family is “two or more individuals who depend on one another for emotional, physical, and or financial support” (Lancaster...

Words: 1234 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Spiritual Needs

... 1. What does suffering mean to the patient? 2. How does your faith help the patient cope with illness? 3. How does the patient keep going day after day? 4. What helps the patient get through this health care experience? 5. How has illness affected the patient and his/her family? Person of Choice: Patient 1 1. Suffering to me would be consider living a life with an illness, I am suffer with seizures but I do not let that bother me whatsoever. Seizures have made my life a lot harder, and it's defiantly not something I wish on anyone. I cannot work and drive, which took a major toll on my children activities and getting to the grocery store. When suffering occurs, this brings on depression and this is what true suffering to me feels like. 2. After many years of not really knowing the lord, I have found that now that I am reborn Christian I find that coping with this illness and having a good faith in the lord has kept me positive. My faith lets me be involved in so many different functions in the church that I sometimes do not think of my illness. This illness is not fun, and through my faith I can cope with the illness and I have accepted it. 3. I will not let my illness bring me know, through my children they keep my motivated and they understand that although I cannot drive this never stops us from doing things. My children and grandson keep me going, and praying daily also keeps me motivated to keep going daily. 4. As a patient it is tough, with the paper work and...

Words: 1036 - Pages: 5