Answer

Clinical Experience journal: End of Life Illness and Depression

Main Objective

Q1.      Grief is a common aspect in persons suffering from terminal illness and facing the last stages of their lives. It can, however, advance into depression and cause the patients more harm (Block, 2014). In other words, depression is a serious mood disorder that, often, results into a persistent feeling of anxiety and sadness, and can have adverse effects on the physical and mental health of patients if not properly managed (Post, 2013). In this regard, I had an opportunity to take care of an end of life and depression patient during my clinical experience. My main objective was to evaluate the patient and her family health needs in order to come up with appropriate strategies to address them.

Meeting the Objective

Q2.      T.M was a terminally ill middle-aged woman, at the last stages of her life following a long battle with breast cancer.  She had also been diagnosed with depression and had shown signs of anxiety, moodiness, and reduced interest in activities she once enjoyed. In this regard, I prescribed her with anti-depressants and recommended her to join a support help group, where she could get a chance to relate and share experiences with other terminally ill patients. Moreover, I used educational materials and strategies to educate the patient and her family on how to cope with the ailment.

Unmet Objectives

Q3.      I managed to achieve all my learning objectives.

The most Rewarding Experience

Q4.      My most rewarding clinical experience for this unit was being able to identify the patient’s needs and educating her and her family members on how to manage the medical condition.

The Most Difficult Experience

Q5. My most difficult experience during this scenario was seeing the patient suffering due to her illness. I was, however, motivated to teach her and her family on how to treat and manage the ailment.

Q6. There were a lot of patients waiting to be assessed during this clinical experience and, therefore, I did not have enough time to educate the client extensively regarding her condition. As a result, I would take my time to counsel and enlighten her on better ways to cope with her sickness, given a second chance.