Week 10: Extendicare

This week was a quiet one at Extendicare. My morning consisted of a few blood sugars, sets of vitals, and joining residents for physio exercise.

PPE and Self-Advocacy

This week the nurse had me stay with her and whenever a resident needed a blood sugar taken, she gave me the equipment. For the first one, the nurse gave me the supplies and then asked if I needed gloves. I replied yes. This continued for the next few patients although the nurse never gave me gloves again. She appeared busy and I didn't want to bother her so I didn't ask for gloves. None of the rooms were on isolation so there were not any gloves available for me to find myself. The biggest thing I learned about this experience is that I need to speak up for myself. I was able to complete the task without gloves but I would have felt far more comfortable with them - not because I have a problem with skin to skin contact but because I was drawing blood. This is a lesson that I will take into my career as a paramedic as it is my job to advocate for myself with PPE and ensure that I am properly protected.

Engaging with Residents

As it was a quiet morning on the floor, I took a moment to look at the daily schedule and noticed that physio exercises were scheduled for the morning. My partner and I decided to join the residents for their exercises. This is something that I used to do with my grandmother and I was looking forward to joining the residents. The excises focused on range of motion (ROM), coordination, and breathing. The residents were happy to have us join in and I think enjoyed watching us do the exercises in our full uniforms and steel-toe boots. The biggest thing that came out of this was the social interaction with the residents. It showed them that we were happy to be involved and engage with them. This is something that is really important in the career of a paramedic. When in uniform, it is important that we present a professional and welcoming attitude to the public so that they can feel comfortable in asking us for help.