Done!

This month was the long stretch in the senior project! After finally presenting on Friday I can now say that I am done! Thank you!

Done!

This month was the long stretch in the senior project! After finally presenting on Friday I can now say that I am done! Thank you!

Blog 23: Senior Presentation Reflection

(1) Positive Statement
What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
What I am most proud of in my presentation is my timing. Like almost everybody else I was worried about my timing and afraid that I was going to speak under the 30 minute minimum. But by staying calm I was able to successfully able to control my breathing and speaking rhythm. By speaking at a normal pace I was able to meet and exceed the time requirements.


(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation (self-assessment)?
AE       P          AP       CR       NC

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?
AE       P          AP       CR       NC

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
The number one thing that worked the best for me was being able to access my mentor anytime any day. Having her accessible definately provided me extra guidance for things such as research when I felt like I was getting stuck.

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?
If I were able to go back and change something, I wouldn't at all. I believe that all the work that I have done through the entirety of the project has been good solid work that I completed to the best of my abilities.

(5) Finding Value
How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.
My senior project has definitely been such a great help. Due to my knowledge it has allowed me to potentially become a Psych Tech early by taking the California Nursing Board Exam in the early months of next year. Which means that in the actual program I will be skipping some lessons to finish early.

Blog 22: Mentorship

Content:

LIA Response to blog:

    Literal

• Senior Project Hours
• Silvia Davila-Bhc Alhambra and Hacienda La Puente 

    Interpretive

     What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

Just like the questions stated the most important thing that I believe that I've gained is experience. Due to me starting my classes here in the fall my senior project has definitely provided me with the insight needed to be successful in the program and as a nurse.

   Applied

 By being in the psychiatric technician program I was given a hands on and first hand view on what fundamental skills are lacking in the medical field.

Exit Interview

Content:

1. What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?

What is your EQ?

How can a Psychiatric Technician best provide quality care to a Psychiatric Patient?

What is your first answer?

One of the best ways to ensure quality patient care is by assuring that the patient is at the center of care.

What is your second answer?

One of the best ways to ensure quality patient care is by being competent in the field of nursing and pathophysiology.

What is your third answer?

One of the best ways to ensure quality patient care is by ensuring that your team and patients are safe

What is your best answer?Why?

The best answer to my essential question would be to assure that the patient is at the center of care at all times. Providing this amount of attention to a patient is crucial because, it is apart of the patient's recovery process. The ways for one to ensure patient centeredness is by properly assessing the patient, forming an Individualized Treatment Plan (ITP) and by administering patient specific medication  based on diagnosis. Although patient centered care is currently applied in the medical field many medical facilities don’t operate the way that they should. According to the Psychiatric Medical Board there should be 15 patients for every nurse, but due to the amount of patients that these facilities are receiving there isn't enough nurses to fill the voids in their care. Not having a sufficient amount of nurses on the floor is a danger to the patients and the staff. It could potentially mean the difference between life or death to anyone in the facility.

2. What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

Through my whole experience of gathering research and conducting several interviews I was then able to provide three important answers that directly answer my essential question. After further analyzing my research I was able to conclude that the best answer to my essential question would be to assure that the patient is at the center of care at all times.

3. What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

The main problem that i did face throughout my senior project was constantly running out of research ideas and sources. I was able to overcome the dilemma by digging further into my topic by basically branching off different ideas that related to my question or answer.

4. What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

The two most significant sources that I used are fairly difficult to determine because a big part of my research involved the first and last interview that I had with my mentor because, I was able to use the info that I gathered from the interviews to explore more into my topic. My second most important source was the Basic Nursing Rosdahl textbook that we used in the PT class because, it talked about all of the different ways of how to correctly provide patient care.

What is a Psych Tech? Career Day

As our senior year rapidly comes to a close I was able to witness my mentor as she came to our school to participate in a career day to help educate my fellow peers in what she does as a teacher and also a nurse. Some of her students did also attend which were able to speak of their experiences as a psych tech from their own perspective.

Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a) “I, Edwin Giovanni Davila, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 33 hours of work.”
(b) Psychiatric Registered Nurse Silvia Davila
(c) Updated Independent Component 2 Log (which should be under your Senior Project Hours link)
(d) Throughout the course of my independent component 2 I continued my mentor ship to help further my knowledge and understanding to improve my answers. 
INTERPRETIVE 
Defend your work and explain the component's significance and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work. 

The picture above was taken on March 11th, when we
were practicing how to take vital signs of a patient.

The two pictures above were taken on March 25th, which is when we were practicing patient safety in a clinical setting.

The two pictures above show the students practicing their technique on how to properly give a bicep injection.

These three pictures that are above show three different ways that an injection can be administered. The picture in the middle shows me receiving an injection in the abdomen which is used for administration of subcutaneous injections which lye between the fat of skin and muscle. Often used for administering insulin.

This component helped me understand more in-depth of what my answers are by allowing me to further my knowledge in the field.  

APPLIED
This component helped me by providing me with extra knowledge that I wouldn't have gained if not for this component for example when I took notes and had the mock simulation of an emergency situation it helped me understand the importance of patient safety in the field.

A Short Film on a Real Illness-Bipolar

A short film about a particular man's life. Sometimes our repetitive daily functions block our way of perceiving the world through a much more versatile point of view thus leaving us unaware of our nearest surroundings and our unwilling interactions with others in general. Sometimes you're the doctor. Sometimes you're the patient. Sometimes you're both.

Blog 18: Fourth Interview Questions

1. What is the workplace of a psychiatric technician like?
2. What kinds of challenges have you faced in the field?
3. How would you deal with an escalating patient?
4. What is the most rewarding part of being a Psychiatric Technician?
5. Tell me about a time when you observed highly erratic behavior from a patient. What steps did you take?
6. How do you handle stressful situations?
7. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a patient.
8. What is the most difficult part of being a Psychiatric Technician?
9. What are characteristics of quality patient care. Why?
10. What are the most important factors to consider when caring for a patient? Why?
11. When on shift what safety precautions must you take to ensure patient safety?
12. How does being competent in nursing and pathophysiology influence your work experience?
13. How does “continuity of care” directly relate to patient care and safety?
14. Describe a real world scenario of applying patient centered care.
15. What is the best way to ensure safety when performing a "take down" on a violent patient?
16. How does forming a treatment plan benefit both the patient and nurse?
17. Do you believe that a higher staff to patient ratio would increase safety? Explain.
18. What type of environment do you consider healthy for a patient. Why?
19. What benefits can come from performing a one to one?
20. What areas of patient care in psych facilities require improvement? Why?

Blog 17: Third Answer

1.  What is your EQ?

How can a Psychiatric Technician best provide quality care to a Psychiatric Patient?

2.  What is your first answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

One of the best ways to ensure quality patient care is by assuring that the patient is at the center of care.

3.  What is your second answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

One of the best ways to ensure quality patient care is by being competent in the field of nursing and pathophysiology.

4. What is your third answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

One of the best ways to ensure quality patient care is by ensuring that your team and patients are safe.

5.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.

Answer 1

1. A One to One
2. Forming a Treatment Plan
3. Given specific medication

Answer 2

1. Knowledge of recognizing signs and symptoms of abnormalities
2. Knowing interventions and properly following the doctors orders
3. Evaluation of Intervention

Answer 3

1. Completely electronic medical records help assure accuracy and an instantaneous, smooth flow of information so staff throughout the hospital are current on a patient’s status.
2. Separate accommodations, with higher staff-to-patient ratios, for increased privacy, supervision and assistance.
3. “Continuity of Care”Being able to provide the appropriate level of care required for a patient at any given time.

6.  What printed source best supports your answer?

Textbook of Basic Nursing

7.  What other source supports your answer?

Information gathered during my third interviews.

8.  Tie this together with a concluding thought.

Quality patient care is a difficult thing to find anywhere nowadays and being able to properly provide safety along with quality care is extremely important for the patients health.

Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

Dr. Michael Di Paolo, a clinical psychologist with a Ph.D., is giving a 1 3/4 hour presentation on the rigorous treatment of bipolar disorder, including state of the art medication, and other practices that may help anyone that is affected. This presentation includes the personal testimony of a young woman who is successfully living with bipolar disorder, with her brief perspective presentation on what has been helpful.

Blog 16: Answer 2

1.  What is your EQ?

How can a Psychiatric Technician best provide quality care to a Psychiatric Patient?

2.  What is your first answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

One of the best ways to ensure quality patient care is by assuring that the patient is at the center of care.

3.  What is your second answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

One of the best ways to ensure quality patient care is by being competent in the field of nursing and pathophysiology.

4.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.

Answer 1

1. A One to One
2. Forming a Treatment Plan
3. Given specific medication

Answer 2

1. Knowledge of recognizing signs and symptoms of abnormalities
2. Knowing interventions and properly following the doctors orders
3. Evaluation of Intervention

5.  What printed source best supports your answer?

Bed Number Ten

6.  What other source supports your answer?

Textbook of Basic Nursing and information gathered during my third interviews.

7.  Tie this together with a concluding thought.

Quality patient care is a difficult thing to find anywhere nowadays and being able to properly provide it is extremely important for the patients health.

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

1) I plan on doing more hours of mentor ship. I'll shadow my mentor and use the time to ask more questions to further my research.

2) Allow the teachers to call my mentor and verify my hours. Or I could record everything I do exactly how I do it. There would really be no other way due to patient confidentiality.

3) Talking to nurses and students who work with patients first hand would be more valuable than reading about studies.

Blog 14: Independent Component 1

LITERAL

(a) Write: “I, Edwin Giovanni Davila, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”

(b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component. 
I completed my independent component along side with my mentor.

(c) Update your hours in your Senior Project Hours link. Make sure it is clearly labeled with hours for individual sessions as well as total hours.

(d) Explain what you completed.

For my independent component I successfully organized and executed a fundraiser to help the NAMI organization promote stigma awareness. In addition to operating the fundraiser I became more informed by doing various hours of research which included listening, reading, and attending testimonials of those directly affected by a mental illness. Then I also volunteered at two NAMI Walks in Affiliation with the East San Gabriel Valley Branch to inform others on mental stigmas and their effect on others.

INTERPRETIVE

Defend your work and explain its significance to your project and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.  
I believe that this project allowed me to go outside the box and do something that could really make an impact. Looking back to see all of the work that I have done to make a difference is very impacting not only to me but to others as well. Overall this component allowed me to go places I have never gone before and opened my eyes to see what some of the patients would go through before arriving at the psychiatric facility. Below are pictures of the two NAMI Walks that I was apart of beginning with the Huntington beach walk and ending with the Los Angeles walk.

APPLIED

How did the component help you understand the foundation of your topic better?  Please include specific examples to illustrate this.

This component has allowed me to further understand how a mental illness has affect on not only the person who inhabits it, but, also the people in their lives. Listening to the testimonial of a 14 year old girl named Belle who shared that she had become clinically depressed due to being sexually abused at the age of 8, really opened my eyes and helped me finally understand that the patients I work with are not just patients, but they are someones brother, sister, or even parent. I no longer see the patients as “patients” I see them as individuals who are fighting their way through a life changing experience.  

Inside the World of Bipolar Disorder

In this video Dr. Michael Di Paolo, a clinical psychologist with a Ph.D., is giving a 1 3/4 hour presentation about the basics of bipolar disorder. Among with bipolar disorder he also speaks about the different stages of depression.

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

1.What are you most proud of in your Lesson Two Presentation and why?

What I am most proud of during my lesson two was my organization of the presentation. I feel like the layout of my presentation was the most efficient to get the understanding and point across.

2. a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

      AE       P          AP       CR       NC

    b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.

I believe that the reason I deserve a P is because I successfully met all of the P requirements stated in the contract.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?

What worked best for my lesson two was my activity. It was very engaging and it successfully tied into relation with my first answer.

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?

If I were able to go back and present, I would use my time more efficiently not only in my speaking time but also with my activity time. I would explain my activity more in depth and check for understanding.

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?

For my second answer I am not very sure yet on what it would be, but I would relate it to what I have discovered while doing my independent component.

Blog 12: Mentorship 10 hours check

Content:

1.Q.Where are you doing your mentorship?

A. I am doing my mentorship at the Hacienda La Puente Psychiatric Technician program.

2.Q.Who is your contact?

A. My contact is my mom Silvia Davila.

3.Q.How many total hours have you done (total hours should be reflected in your mentorship log located on the right hand side of your blog like your WB)?

A.I have a total of 24hrs completed throughout the year.

4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

The newly added ten hours of service consisted of the Nami event that the class and I participated in, the fundraiser included all the Nami organizations of Southern California and all of the corresponding presidents. As I arrived we had to check-in to the event then after I had to go to the San Gabriel Valley both and assist in passing out information which is where I met Mr. Encinas. After three hours of touring and distributing information the 2 mile walk around downtown Los Angeles began. After the crowded one and a half hour walk we returned to the booth where people began to tell their stories on stage then the rest of my time there consisted of handing out recognition to individuals and organizations and cleaning up.