New Programme: Post Basic Certificate in Perioperative Nursing
The Sunway University students has entered another milestone during their journey in obtaining Post Basic Certificate in Perioperative Nursing scroll. The programme leader Ms Kalivani Poongawanam says that the students are lucky to get clinical placement in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang. This final stage of the journey is scheduled for 3 solid months before they complete their journey.
This opportunity has allowed them to make observations and contributed to their education, especially with regard to practices in government setting. Student Shubashini Selvaraju has mentioned that sterilization is the key concept in any OR; this is what I have learned best here. The students stated that surgical nursing practice has contributed to the development of the theoretical knowledge they had previously acquired. Student Chan said in this respect, “I saw how anesthesia is performed. I saw the area to be operated cut open and how important the positioning during surgery is”. Certain things are done differently here in government setting. However, end of the day patient safety is the fundamental.
Ms Atiqah and Ms Suhana expressed that they found opportunities to put their theoretical knowledge into practical work in the OR: “I filled in the patient check-in and safe surgery forms, and I also checked in and checked out patients. I helped with the preparations before the surgical intervention. I controlled the indicators, and I opened the package and the sterile instruments. I counted the materials before and after the operation. I had an opportunity there to consolidate what I have already learned”. Student Wong, on the other hand, said, “seeing the hip prosthesis surgery in a live environment, I pictured in my mind what I had learned in the lectures. I experienced there live in action what we had learned in the lectures. I can assimilate better what I learn in the lectures when I experience them live” Student Shubashini Ganesan said that the staff including consultants and nurses are friendly and helpful. Their help contributed to their learning and better understanding of caring for patients who have undergone surgical interventions: “We can deliver better care to a patient when we can see live how the related surgical intervention is performed”. The students also stated their observations and views about their experiences of surgical nursing in training: “We are taught to be quick and practical because there is always a high risk of inflicting damage on patients; there should be no delay at all”. We are feeling grateful as this intensive short course has given us lots of experience and opportunities to grow.
Ms Saidah Ismail the clinical instructor who supervises these students says, “We should help surgeons to work and react quickly. Teamwork communication and team-oriented atmosphere is the ultimate key in the OR: Everyone is working in a different area in the OR; they carry out only the work assigned to them in their respective area. Here the students learn how the inter-team communication should be. It is an environment marked with respectful attitudes, even towards students, despite intensive work. Especially the bond between the surgeon and the nurse, eye contact between them is very good. I conceived that surgical nurses have an important function in an OR nurses are the right hand of surgeon”.
