Today during my volunteering I was assigned a baby to take care of whose parents weren’t here yet. I took some toys and engaged the child in play. The baby had a nasal oxygen pipe as well as a foodpipe which brought back memories of my brother who had the same. My experience with my brother was helpful in this instance as when I moved the baby around hi oxygen monitor would start beeping. If I had not been familiar with this equipment I would have panicked and become worried as to why it was beeping, but I knew from experience that when the baby wriggles around, the monitor can unnecessarily beep and it’s nothing to worry about. I was also familiar with the issue of the nasal pipe popping out of the nose which would result in the child not receiving the oxygen he needed, so I made sure every time I noticed it was out I put it back in.
I really enjoyed being responsible for a patient as a nurse also came and asked me if I would be able to change his clothes. This was something I felt comfortable and confident in doing as I have done it several times with my brother. It was helpful that I knew how to change his clothes without getting it tangled into the oxygen wire. I felt very satisfied after today’s session as I felt I was able to truly work within my competency.
Before I left, there was one thing I was ensure about so I found a healthcare assistant and asked as I wanted to ensure that the baby would be safe in his cot. I wasn’t sure how high the barriers on the cot had to be when leaving the child. The healthcare assistant told me that they must be higher than I had put them I lifted it up more. It was reassuring to know that I had ensure the baby was safe and that I had cared for him fully and responsibly.
Life of a Medic 