I’d love to start off this reflection by stating how great it was to complete this gerontology course. This course allowed me to open my eyes and truly see through the eyes of an older adult. If I had to pick two lessons that I’ll take away from this class I must pick the ones with the greatest impact.
First off, I will tailor all of my care to each and every older adult I treat. As we’ve said before, every patient is different. Meaning that just because a patient is over the age of sixty they will NOT need the same as their neighbor who is sixty-five. Older adults often get poor treatment due to the stigma around their age group. For example, I’ve seen nurses practically yelling at patients because they think the older adults have a hearing impairment but they actually do not. This is something that has always upset me because as the nurse we need to truly treat every patient in their own personalized way. When I become a registered nurse I will care for every patient based on their own needs. Developing a relationship with our patients is so important because that is how we make a detailed care plan for their wants/needs. They’re much wiser than we think, they have a whole life’s worth of learning behind them. I love developing relationships with my patients, it makes the care that we are giving much more meaningful.
It is vital to not only communicate but also educate all of our patients. I’ve often seen older adults being thrown tons of new medication and being told to do two dozen things by the time they get home. Unfortunately in the hospital setting the discharge process gets rushed, which makes this difficult on patients including older adults. I’ll communicate with my patients to ensure they are comfortable and happy with the care they receive. For example, I’ll take the extra fifteen minutes to make sure my patient understand their five new medications. I truly want to make a difference in their life and I believe I can do so by communicating effectively and educating them.
