The clinical practicum is an exercise where a student has a hands-on experience over what they have acquired in theory classes. In my internship, I got deployed in a nursing institution within an area that deals with diabetic patients. This practicum accorded me a chance to understand the lock of time that nurses have to do proper teaching of patients suffering from diabetes mellitus (DM).
While at the hospital, I realized that nurses engage in many activities on several patients at a given time. Therefore, they lack adequate time to properly educate a particular patient on how to deal with their diabetic conditions upon getting discharged (Doenges, Moorhouse, & Murr, 2016). In light of the minimal time accorded to the nurses, they hardly offer adequate lessons to these patients. Due to time constraints, nurses do not teach patients how to use the Accucheck machines. Besides, they find it extremely difficult to enlighten a discharged patient on how to ascertain the results of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia conditions while nursing diabetes mellitus from home.
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Besides, lock time denies nurses a chance to educate patients about the consequences of diabetes Ketoacidosis as well as the effects of uncontrolled sugar in the bloodstream (Burton & Ludwig, 2014). Some of the effects of such a condition are kidney failure, peripheral neuropathy, limb amputations, and blindness. More so, nurses face a high rate of patients returning to MLKCH due to inadequate knowledge on handling their DM conditions.
As a result of the lock of time, I foresee two significant implications. First, there is a need to assess the learning styles of patients, for instance, hands-on learning with return demonstration, and language barrier. Secondly, nurses should ensure that patients understand how to administer insulin before leaving the health institution (Chase, 2014).
In conclusion, I realized that diabetes mellitus is a complex condition that is common among many adults. It is, therefore, crucial that nurses get enough time to educate patients on how to deal with this condition while away from the hospital. By so doing, patients will be able to handle their DM condition without straining hospitals for the care, which they can manage from home.
References
Burton, M. A., & Ludwig, L. J. (2014). Study Guide for Fundamentals of Nursing Care: Concepts, Connections & Skills (2nd Ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.
Chase, P. (2014). A First Book for Understanding Diabetes: A Companion Book to Understanding Diabetes (13th Ed.). Denver: Children's Diabetes Foundation.
Doenges, M. E., Moorhouse, M. F., & Murr, A. C. (2016). Nurse's Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions, and Rationales (14th Ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.
