Reflection On Care Of Surgical Drains Nursing Essay

Reflection On C atomic number 18 Of functional Drains Nursing EssayThe use of drainpipes continues to be an important aspect in the management of patients postoperatively. While drains practice an important function, they are also associated with complications such as haemorrhage, tissue inflammation, retrograde bacterial migration, and drain entrapment (Walker 2007). It is whence very essential for nurses to provide adequate supervise and care of operative drains and provide mea surelys to ensure taproom of complications from arising.While working in the working(a) ward, I countenance been exposed to patients with functional drains. This reality pushed me to sack out more close to surgical drains and to gain more competence in the management of these patients. In this essay, I would be reflecting on my experiences as I worked to achieve my breeding outcome of becoming proficient with surgical drains. I would be utilising Gibbs (1988) model of reflection which consists of 6 stages, namely description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan.DESCRIPTIONIn the past, I have been exposed to patients in the surgical intensive care unit with surgical drains. I have known how to monitor care for the drains and have seen the surgeons remove these drains. But, I have never tried removing surgical drains before. Only surgeons and surgical resident doctors were onlyowed to remove drains in the country where I have handy before. Thus, when I started my adaptation program in the surgical ward, I was impressed with how skilful the nurses are with surgical drain removal. This gave me the urge to become proficient with the care of drains.During the first week of the adaptation program, I started my quest for companionship by doing a literature review about the indications, importance of drains, the antithetic types and the risks complications involved with drains. I gathered information from my mentor about the hospitals protocol and proce dures for the care of drains as well as the different surgeons preferences in the care of their patients drains. It was then that I found out that surgeons always prefer the drains of orthopaedic patients (hip and stifle replacements) to be taken out after 24 hours. As cited by Tucci, et al (2005), closed suction drainage systems are commonly used in orthopaedic surgery, the rationale for its use is to theoretic wholey boil down wound hematoma and transmission system.Knowing that I was already well equipped with knowledge, I then centre on enhancing my skills in this aspect. I worked hand in hand with my mentor as I sight how she monitored, re-vacuumed, and removed the drains. I observed the techniques and principles that she utilised and noned the different materials needed for each procedure.FEELINGSWhen I already felt ready to remove the drain for the first time, I was feeling a little combat anxious that I would do something wrong especially that my mentor would be super vising me as I perform the procedure. I knew that time that I was well nimble knowledge wise and I but knew what I was about to do, but there is always that feeling of nervousness when you do something for the first time. My disturbance was lessened when my mentor reassured me as she told me not to worry as she will guide me all throughout the procedure.I had all the materials ready and was all geared up with personal protective devices. after obtaining informed consent from the patient, I removed the drain without any difficulty while making sure that aseptic technique was observed. Aseptic technique is very important to prevent surgical site infections. reserve to the NICE guidelines (2008), the development of an SSI depends on contamination of the wound site at the end of a surgical procedure and specifically relates to the pathogenicity and inoculum of microorganisms present, balanced against the hosts immune response. Thus, proper hand washing and maintaining sterility are very important when discourse drains.Aside from removing drains, I have gained more confidence in re-vacuuming drains, monitoring drainage output, documenting and watching out for complications. While taking care of these patients, I ensured that complications are prevented by providing health teachings about hygiene, proper hand washing, measures to prevent complications and early detection of any complications.EVALUATIONWith the entire learning process, I was able to achieve my goal of attaining positive learning outcomes. I had been more proficient with handling surgical drains. I have improved my knowledge and shared these with my patients for them to have a safe recovery. I had been very keen with minimising complications and had been more watchful of the danger signs. I have known and practiced infection control by heart as well.There was one negative sequent that occurred during my adaptation experience. This incident made me more cautious whenever I took care of patients with drains. We had a patient who underwent a major summit operation who had four astra drains in situ. She developed a haematoma during our shift because of the fact that all of her drains were all clamped from the foregoing shift. The surgeon himself discovered the nurses error and noticed the haematoma as well. He was not golden with what happened and told us to be very cautious with his patients drains. We made an investigation and found out that the nurse who re-vacuumed the drains from the previous shift failed to unclamp the drains. We made an incident report and informed the ward sister about the incident. We regularly monitored the patients haematoma and regularly massaged the affected area.ANALYSISThis incident made me realise how quickly complications arise when a unity error is done. It taught me to be more cautious when re-vacuuming drains. Ever since that incident occurred, I always double check that all the drains are unclamped and patent before leaving the patien ts rooms. I always check the wound drain site for any haematoma or other unusualities as well.CONCLUSIONAlthough it was not my error that the drains were clamped, I could still say that I do have a fault in that incident. If I could have checked the drains and the wound initially at the start of the shift, that haematoma might not have occurred or if not, be minimised. I was too busy taking care of other postoperative patients and kept locution to myself during that time that I would check the drains the wound after I am settled with the other patients. If I could have managed my time well and spared a little of my time to assess that patient, the incident might not have occurred. This incident served as a lesson for me the other staff nurses in the surgical ward and taught us the importance of drains thus, they should not be taken for granted.ACTION PLANBased on this entire experience, I plan to widen my knowledge about surgical drains by doing more research work about other ty pes of surgical drains that I am not familiar with to enhance my knowledge and to be prepared when the time comes that I would come across these types of drains. I also intend to be always updated with my knowledge by reading recent articles from journals or other sources and grab any opportunity of attending seminars/ trainings for keep professional development.