A valuable experience in Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital
In the past 6 weeks, I had the honor to attend a short-term study at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital as a visiting scholar. This is a hard-won opportunity, I participated in this program as early as 4 years ago, but because of COVID-19, it was only this year that I finally made it.
My main learning direction of this program is children's intravenous therapy. During the 6-week study, I observed the daily work of the vascular access team of Loma Linda University Medical Center, including the puncture techniques of ultrasound-guided peripheral insertion, peripherally inserted central catheter and midline catheter puncture, and also learned the VPS 4G -- central venous catheter tip positioning method. In addition, profound exchanges were made in the construction, organizational structure and daily management of the vascular access team.
The first thing that struck me about Loma Linda University Medical Center was its warmth and friendliness. Whether it's a stranger you meet on your way to work or a patient you've never met in the hospital lobby, everyone smiles, nods and says good morning. Medical staff fully respect patients in their daily work. In a nursing procedure, they will treat the patients as their friends, and always put the comfort of patients first. If the patient has any questions or concerns, they will stop what they are doing, take time to communicate with the patient, until the patient shows complete understanding, then they proceed to do the procedure.
Second, whether it is the intensive care unit, the general ward or the NICU, the families can visit the patients at any time. In addition, there are no restrictions on visiting hours. If medical staff need to do some procedures, parents will ask whether they can stay, or prefer to leave, in order to avoid interfering with the work of medical staff. This behavior shows that parents have a high level of trust in the medical staff and are willing to cooperate and support the medical team.
The third feeling is that there is a general emphasis on hand hygiene. Signs reading "Clean hands are hero hands" can be seen on the walls, and quick sanitizers are readily available. Whether doctors, nurses, visitors or domestic workers, everyone can sterilize their hands at any time. The awareness of hand hygiene has been deeply rooted in people's hearts, but there is still room for further improvement in hand hygiene.
For Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, the Child Life program fully embodies their philosophy and values-“Make The Man Whole”. I had the honor to shadow the experts of Child Life specialist for a day of study, and visited the display of playroom and hospital school settings of Child Life service in Loma Linda University Children's Hospital. At the same time, I observed the full management of a child who will do the procedure to remove the port, including preoperative psychological preparation, distraction and emotional support when entering the operating room, and I gained a lot.
Through this program, I experienced nursing work under different cultural and medical backgrounds, felt the humanistic concept of Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, learned a variety of theories and techniques, and gained a lot of friends. For me, this is a valuable experience. I would like to thank the Children's Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine and Loma Linda University Children's Hospital for giving me the opportunity to participate in this program. I will bring the technology and humanistic concepts I have learned into my daily work to better serve the children.
