Ateneo de Zamboanga Universiry

College of Nursing
Related Learning Experience: Zamboanga Doctors’ Hospital, Inc. – Emergency Room

Name: Grant Wynn B. Arnuco

What have I learned?

After three years of having my clinical exposure at the different hospitals in the city, it was
my first time to be assigned at the Emergency Room of Zamboanga Doctors’ Hospital Inc. There
were a lot of expectations and learning insights that I was having on my mind before my rotation.
I was expecting a lot from this area. Little did I know, my expectations were just half of what the
Emergency Room can offer me in the actual setting.

During the whole experience at the Emergency Room, it taught me to be decisive and take
initiatives in all aspects as a student nurse. The Emergency Room holds a lot of different cases
from trauma down to the simplest form of a stomach ache. This area taught me to have an
initiative in taking vital signs at patients who comes in the emergency department. Second, it
taught me to be value decisiveness. Nurses in the Emergency Room are very decisive in terms
of knowing what nursing responsibility they should do with the patient. For instance, during our
second day, there were two cases of children who are having convulsions. The nurses assigned
at the Emergency Room take a leap right away and positioned the patient into left side-lying
position. This taught me that we should make decisions in a single snap of time.

Also, it allowed myself to experience Code Blue in a real setting. During the whole time
when there was a code blue in the area, the nurses were very relax and knew what they are doing.
They were very skilled in terms of handling the patient and respecting the decision of the family
to have a DNR order. This kind of experience allowed me to look at Code Blue in a different lens.
If ever during my time if I work as a nurse, I should be calm but with presence of mind in dealing
with Code Blue. I should know how to administer Emergency Drugs such as dopamine and etc.

The Emergency Room helped me improved the basic nursing skills that a Novice nurse
must have. Electrocardiogram procedures in the ER allowed me to recall the theoretical
knowledge we have in setting up the chest leads to an actual patient. This kind of experience will
further help us to appreciate in asking the staff nurses certain procedures such as IV therapy,
Priming of IV Fluids, and even the infusion pump. More than that, the ER gave me an avenue to
practice my learnings inside the classroom. For instance, IM injections, doing a skin test, wound
dressing, and what not.

On a greater note, the Emergency Room taught me a lot of values that a nurse must have.
A nurse must be patient especially when you are in the consultation room wherein you need to
ask patients who are in a hurry to wait for their turn. A nurse must be compassionate at all times
that as a nurse we must understand the pain that the patient experiences. A nurse must respect
the family and their decisions. A nurse must always wear a smile even if they’re tired of all the
heavy works. Nonetheless, the ER rotation is one of the best rotations I had in my entire nursing
school. Aside from the lessons I have gained, I have met nurses who are devoted and passionate
in their chosen field – which is to become a nurse.