Delgado Reflective Essay

Answer

Patient Recovery: A Multidisciplinary Approach

The process of recovery is a multi-disciplinary endeavour that requires the input of laboratory professionals, various therapies, counselling and a good support system. The case study provided us with lessons on recovery, and why it is important that all are brought on board.

First of all, I learnt the importance of being present at the time of operation when there is critical injury. This presence, apart from being emotionally supportive, makes the physicians to want to do their best to save the patient. This presence should not distract, instead, it ought to be a channel of communication so that the needs of the patient, and the condition too, can be reliantly relayed to the family. The role of the multidisciplinary aspects in nursing care was also an eye-opening area. Tim and his wife realized that besides the laboratory team, other people in the complimentary teams including physical therapists and speech therapists did an equally important job. Above all, the goal setting for recovery has to be realistic. The patient has to remember their goals and where they were before the illness struck. Once this is done, they then have to work together to attain the goal of recovery. The experiences that we personally go through, especially in the field of medical practise, can greatly influence our understanding of the pain that patients undergo and inform the way we approach the practice in person.

Physical therapy is the complementary field that I spotted. Alison lost, among other things, the physical faculties that a human is endowed with. Her recovery, therefore, involved a rigorous physical therapy to ensure that she was in good physical shape for the resumption of her normal duties. The family recalled an important and happy moment for Alison when she could perform a simple physical task like walking again. According to Smichdt et al. (2018), “Implementation of exercise as daily therapy should ideally involve a scheduled routine and incorporate peer networks to improve compliance, which is particularly relevant in youth concussion.” (p. 161) Alongside speech therapy, this therapy was important in making her work towards her ultimate goal of regaining her normal functions and resuming the residency.

The physical therapists and the laboratory team shared the ultimate goal of saving Alison’s life. They just had different ways of doing it. While the laboratory team focused on medication and the restoration of Alison’s ruptured parts like parts of her brain through operations and emergency procedures, the physical therapists had a clear goal of making sure that she could walk and have good physical coordination again. Physical therapy cannot work effectively when the actual work done by the laboratory team of physicians is not great.

In the process of a patient’s recovery, it is important that several disciplines are involved. There are those disciplines that directly involve physicians like the surgeries and the administration of various medicines. There are, however, others like speech therapy, counselling, and physical therapy that require the attention of various professionals in the medical fraternity. Their input is as valuable as any other discipline because in the long run, the ultimate goal is to see the full recovery of the patient and the resumption of normal life.

Many of the posts by group mates have emphasized the role of family in the process of recovery. A close family that offers a good support system is essential in not only maintaining effective communication between the incapacitated patient and the physicians, but also in making timely decisions that can help save the patient’s life. There were also posts about the need to understand the life of the patient before the illness so that even as they recover, they can be helped to set realistic recovery goals.

To fully recover is to understand the dynamics of recovery, starting from what role the physicians play, to the essence of good communication channels and the role of the patient himself or herself.