I was placed at a neuro outpatients prac at the start of this year. I must say it was a really good prac as I did learn lots about neuro rehab and was able to see the big picture of how this type of rehab was carried out. This was all so different to what we were thought at uni.
I guess the most challenging aspect of this prac was communicating with the patients and dealing with their emotions and frustrations of getting by their ADLs.
On the last week of my five week prac I was given a new patient. She was only 28years and had a pontine stroke. She has been thru a long rehab process and was now due to attend neuro rehab as an outpatient for the next couple of months.
I was given a brief handover about her from my supervisors. They told me that she was a difficult patient to work with. She was pretty demanding and would not do anything unless she wanted to. If she was in pain she would end up refusing in the engagement of any sort of activity. They said she was pretty crude and I had to be strong and stand my ground when dealing with her. They also told me that she was into an alternative lifestyle before her stroke. It was diagnosed that her condition was a result of overuse of ecstasy. Upon hearing all this information about the patient I was consumed by fear in the notion that I may not succeeded in treating this patient. I also began to doubt myself simple because handling this patient type was new to me. But yet I was looking forward to this challenge.
Upon meeting this patient my prior expectation of her was completely disregarded. She was completely charming to work with. I was firm with her and was able to get her to do the things I had planned for the treatment session. Even my supervisors were surprised with the outcome of my session with her.
From this experience I believe more in the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. We should take into consideration the handovers given to us by others and decide for ourselves the appropriate way to handle our patients.
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I can understand that would have been challeging at first glance. Reading it I was wondering how I would have dealt with the situation myself. I think with the limited amount of clinical experience we have been exposed to it makes it especially difficult.
From the sounds of it you handled the situation very well and it's amazing how much of a difference you can make. Sometimes you don't see the difference or change at the beginning. I remember of my 2nd year prac I got given a patient that no one else wanted (basically to keep me occupied) but by the end of my 2 weeks one of the other patients told me that I had worked a miracle =) It wasn't that dramatic I promise you. But well done on making a diffrence!!!
I remember treating this patient with you, and she really was nice... But I think she liked you better than me!!... I kept holding on to her too much and she really didnt like it. I think she had the potential to be exactly as the supervisors had said, but the important thing was you didnt assume she was going to be difficult and treat her that way to begin with. By just treating her like any other patient she could choose to respond like any other patient. I think you handled that situation really well (with first hand experience of the situation) and becuase you didnt take other ppls comments treat her differently you were able to get through to her
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