Evaluate own past experience and future ambitions
In 2010 I spent two months in the USA volunteering at a summer camp for adults with physical and learning disabilities. I was responsible for personal care, feeding adults and supporting the adults to the daily activities. Nurses worked at the camp to administer medication for the adults but I was responsible for a certain number of the specific …show more content…
I looked on St John’s Ambulance website and found that they were advertising for volunteers who would “provide care to those who need it, put the needs of others first and show commitment to those around them through the depth and range of their skills” (sja 2014, online). I found this volunteer role appealing but discovered that it would only be for two hours per week and I did not feel this would provide me with enough exposure to shift work. I also looked into working at a care home called St Winifred’s in Rastrick, however the experience would only have allowed me to help with personal care and cleaning. The home already had nurses there to deal with medical issues and was not prepared to allow me to shadow the nurses so I did not feel I would learn very much from this role. My own job role with Mencap was another option for me as I am already supporting adults with varying medical conditions and working …show more content…
Mencap’s values include “Being people centred, empowering, including and respecting all people and being brave and developing new ideas” (mencap, 2014 online) and I feel that these values tie in with my own work ethic and also the principles of care that I would be adhering to as a nurse. The ages of the adults I work with range from 25-65 which I feel covers many aspects of the aging adult body. The adults also have a range of medical conditions such as epilepsy, mobility issues, a tracheotomy and autism. Due to the different medical conditions the adults take many different medications which I am responsible for administering at the correct time of the day. Working closely with the medication has allowed me to understand what different medicines are prescribed for and the side effects that may be experienced. Through my placement I have learned what might trigger an individual’s epileptic seizure and how to respond when one occurs. I have learned how to take care of a tracheotomy and what to do if one falls out of the throat. Working alongside a person with autism has helped me to learn the importance of individualised care as routines are very important to this certain individual gentleman and can bring out challenging behaviours if he falls out of these