Write an explanation about what my current role as a Center Medical Specialist (CMS) at a plasma center is and how it works.

BETH ALVES10:19amJul 23 at 10:19amManage Discussion EntryAfter reading about nursing standards of practice, I chose standard 1. (Assessment). As a Licensed Practical Nurse, I can observe a patients symptoms and document. Registered Nurses can complete an assessment.I am currently working on a fast paced rehab unit. Most of my patients are post op and need to be monitored frequently for complications. When a nurse recognizes a change of condition, an SBAR needs to be completed. There are two different SBARs.One is for LPN’s. This is more of an observational tool. I write down the vital signs as well as the observations that I have. Afterwards, I call the physician and report what my observations are. Based on my observations, the physician gives me new orders. The other SBAR is for RN’s. They assess the patient and complete vital signs. They also compile their data together and get a “picture” of what is going on with the patient. In completing their SBAR, they document their assessment as well as the vital signs. They also have a section to document potential diagnoses. In addition to this, there is a section where the RN requests certain labs, xrays and even medication. The RN reviews the SBAR with the physician and obtains orders for the patient. Recently, I had an experience where my patient was having shortness of breath. Respiratory rate @ 22. O2 sat 92% on RA. I observed 3+ pitting edema to bilateral lower extremities. My RN supervisor conducted an assessment and SBAR. She was able to document that she suspected patient had CHF. She also was able to request certain tests to be done (CXR, labs). She also requested a one time dose of IM lasix. In addition, she asked for a PRN order of oxygen. After completing her SBAR, she had a clear picture of the patient, what potential diagnoses the patient may have as well as the interventions needed to result in a positive patient outcome. Of course, she had to report SBAR to physician so that she could get orders. As an LPN, I could only document my observations. Even though I knew the potential diagnoses of my patient and what tests needed to be done and the immediate interventions that needed to be completed, I could only write my observations. I enjoyed reading about all the standards of practice related to Professional Nursing. In fact, this category was of particular interest to me. This is a frustration I have at work. I want to jump in and complete the RN SBAR assessment because it’s all in my mind but I cannot due to having an LPN license. This is one of the reasons that inspired me to pursue my RN degree! American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing- scope and standards of practice. (3rd edition). https://nursingworld.org (Links to an external site.). PAUL N ZAPPALBIN (He/Him)5:10amJul 23 at 5:10amManage Discussion EntryI selected Standard 1 of the ANA Standards of Professional Practice (American Nurses Association, 2015), Assessment. I selected this because it is easiest for me to compare and contrast without going into a great deal of explanation about what my current role as a Center Medical Specialist (CMS) at a plasma center is and how it works.According to the ANA (2015), a nurse must collect pertinent data about a client’s demographics as well as their physical, psychological, emotional, cognitive, and sexual health, among many others. As a CMS, I also must assess clients for all of these things, although not as broadly as an RN might. For example, I don’t ask about sexual activity in general, but I must ask about men having sex with other men, or women having sex with men who have sex with other men. While an RN might include in an emotional and psychological assessment of a client what major stressors in that client’s life might be, I’m mostly concerned it down to ensuring that a client is emotionally stable enough to act appropriately despite mental health diagnoses such as bipolar disorder or PTSD. If an RN finds that a client is taking antihypertensive medications, they will likely ask further questions about diet and physical activity while as a CMS I more narrowly need to ensure the drug in question isn’t a beta-blocker and make sure their blood pressure is within the limits set for all of our clients.Some other assessment competencies outlined by the ANA (2015) apply more directly to being a CMS, such as identifying barriers to effective communication. I must be able to clearly communicate with my clients to ensure they understand the process and that they are providing accurate answers regarding their health. To that end, we are taught techniques to ensure clear communication and to assess for signs that the client may not be able to communicate with us at a level that is needed. As a CMS, I must also document my findings clearly and accurately for the rest of the team. In fact, because these records count not only as health records but also pharmaceutical manufacturing records, there are significantly more rules and restrictions on how exactly to document findings than I have experienced in any other facet of healthcare I have been in.Nevertheless, a number of the competencies listed by the ANA (2015) simply don’t fit in my current role. For example, assessing family dynamics is of little importance determining if you can safely donate plasma, and I cannot always take into consideration the individual values of my clients. As a nurse, I might understand there may be some questions that a client may not initially feel comfortable answering or issues they may not wish to disclose fully. A good RN should work to make an environment that helps the client trust the RN and be open about their health. However, I don’t always have that liberty. I have questions I must ask and get a satisfactorily complete answer in order to continue the process. A client, of course, has the right to refuse to answer those questions, but when that is the case, I cannot let them donate. It’s much more of a transactional approach and a holistic one.My wife and I are both healthcare professionals, so when it comes to getting healthcare for our children, we can be slightly picky, and on bad days, maybe somewhat controlling. This is a story of a bad day. My older son was rough-housing with his younger brother, who was 3 years old at the time, and through a serious of unlikely events, my younger one ended up hitting his head on the edge of our stone hearth. It was not a particularly deep wound, but it was rough, wide, and the bleeding did not seem to slow as I expected it to from my professional experience with various types of head wounds. After a short time and having saturated a couple of dressing with blood, we took him to our local ER. Although not being particularly busy (I had dropped off and picked up patients from the same ER before), we didn’t feel our son was getting timely care. Recognizing our biases and flaws, we tried to not make a big deal about it because it certainly wasn’t truly emergent, it was just a problem that needed only what an ER can provide; cleaning and suturing the wound. One of the two RNs who had been working with our son picked up on our frustrations, despite our best efforts to hide them, and outlined the steps she had taken to ensure that he would get the wound care he needed. She informed us the doctor who we had seen was stuck in an isolation room performing a procedure that was taking much longer than expected. She explained that she had arranged to help a different physician with a problem he needed assistance with so that he would be able to sooner cover for our doctor and treat the wound, which was also why we hadn’t seen her for a while. Sure enough, shortly after our conversation with her, another physician came in, cleaned the wound, and sutured it while my son set on my lap. All the while the RN assisted the doctor and helped me keep my son relatively calm and still. That RN was a paragon of Standard 5A; Coordination of Care (ANA, 2015). The RN collaborated with her interdisciplinary team to solve a problem, communicate the need to solve said problem, advocated for the needs of her patient, and communicated the plan with her clients.References:American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing : Scope and Standards of Practice: Vol. 3rd edition. American NursesAssociation.