Hungerford surgery work experience

I spent a fantastic afternoon in a nearby general practise surgery last week. Having only been to my local surgery as a patient for little things, I found it really interesting to be watching it from a new angle.

I sat in on a couple of consultations with one of the GPs, then watched the work of a nurse in the asthma clinic. Here, she had patients who needed to be issued with inhalors, who weren't sure how to use their medicine, and who were having an annual check up on their asthma. The nurse running the clinic was very helpful, and got me lots of leaflets and information packs for me to read, which was especially good as I am studying asthma as part of my AS biology course! After spending some time in the asthma clinic and watching a lady have her travel injections, I went back in to sit in on a few more consultations with the GPs.

I think that I have learnt a lot about how to address patients in the right way, depending on their age and what is wrong with them. Having seen a man with dementia suffering from shingles, I also learnt how to deal with medicating different kinds of people. It was not possible to get him to take tablets three times a day, as he did not have a regular carer, so a different method had to be thought of.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time at the surgery, and can't wait to go back again.

Besingstoke hospital work experience: Friday (day 5)

As it was my last day, I felt quite sad as I made my way around the hospital. The patients that I had met during the week were very friendly by smiling at me when they saw me walking past, which made me think how lucky I am to have had this opportunity, and how much I want to be able to show patients a friendly face in the future. In my opinion, being kind and smiley is just as important as physically treating a patient.

Basingstoke hospital work experience: Thursday (day 4)

Today I was lucky enough to transfer a patient to and from the high dependancy unit at the hospital with my mentor. After waiting for a few minutes for him to be ready, we took him out of the unit. However, as soon as we began moving down the corridor, his heart monitor started beeping and flashing red. Luckily the nurse who was accompanying us got it all under control, and he was back to normal within a minute. The urgency of the situation, although dealt with calmly, was really exciting, and has made me look forward to the future even more, when maybe I can deal with these sorts of circumstances.

Later on in the day we had to transfer a patient with MRSA, so as we approached the ward we put on the gloves and aprons supplied. As I didn't know what MRSA was, when I got home I did a bit of research, and found that it is a bacteria that is resistant to beta-lactam anitbiotics, making it very difficult to treat. It is also a particularly problematic issue in hospitals, as most of the patients have weak immune systems, making them a lot more susceptible to the bacterium than the majority of the general public. The symptoms of MRSA begin with small red bumps, sometimes alongside a fever and rash, generally around then nose. As the bacteria take hold, the bumps transform into deep and sore boils containing pus. Most cases of MRSA can be treated, however about a quarter can spread more quickly. These sometimes affect vital organs and cause infection throughout the body, something that can be fatal. Fortunately, the patient that we met was being treated effectively.