process recording
Setting: Takes place on Rikers Island (correction facility). Mr. Jones is an insulin dependent diabetic who has a history of being non-controlled.
PATIENT
NURSE
INTERPRETATION/ANALYSIS
(Mr. Jones walks in with a slow gate and looks agitated. He is sweating.)
Hey Mr. Jones you don’t look so well. Are you not feeling well?
As Mr. Jones walked in I could tell from his appearance and expression that he was not feeling well and upset. –Nonverbal Cue
By sharing an observation of his appearance I tried to initiate conversation and to inform the patient that I knew something was wrong. Using an open ended question was also used to initiate communication so that Mr. Jones would explain his situation and trying to start a conversation.-Open Ended Question (Therapeutic)
Damn right I’m agitated! I’ve been dizzy, sweating and shaking, so I know my sugar is high. I told the officer that I was not feeling well, but he wouldn’t let me go to the clinic. (Takes a seat)
You were eating cookies and chips all day again, right? Now that you’re here why don’t I check your finger-stick and we’ll go from there. (Tests finger-stick and comes out to 435 mg/dL aftermeal) What did you eat that made your blood sugar so high? You should know that diabetics have to watch what they eat!
Raising my voice was not therapeutic and could have further upset the Mr. Jones. By assessing Mr. Jones nonverbal cues (agitated state), instead I could have said ‘I’m sorry that the officer was not able to help you. I can see that you’re not feeling well, so why don’t I check you finger-stick and then we’ll go from there.” This would have shown Empathy (could have been Therapeutic) towards the patient’s situation, being able to relate and understand him. Without asking why his sugar was high I assumed that he had eating sweets. –Direct and Judgmental (Non-Therapeutic)
Approaching the patient directly and referring to him as a diabetic was a non-therapeutic approach and a
PATIENT
NURSE
INTERPRETATION/ANALYSIS
(Mr. Jones walks in with a slow gate and looks agitated. He is sweating.)
Hey Mr. Jones you don’t look so well. Are you not feeling well?
As Mr. Jones walked in I could tell from his appearance and expression that he was not feeling well and upset. –Nonverbal Cue
By sharing an observation of his appearance I tried to initiate conversation and to inform the patient that I knew something was wrong. Using an open ended question was also used to initiate communication so that Mr. Jones would explain his situation and trying to start a conversation.-Open Ended Question (Therapeutic)
Damn right I’m agitated! I’ve been dizzy, sweating and shaking, so I know my sugar is high. I told the officer that I was not feeling well, but he wouldn’t let me go to the clinic. (Takes a seat)
You were eating cookies and chips all day again, right? Now that you’re here why don’t I check your finger-stick and we’ll go from there. (Tests finger-stick and comes out to 435 mg/dL aftermeal) What did you eat that made your blood sugar so high? You should know that diabetics have to watch what they eat!
Raising my voice was not therapeutic and could have further upset the Mr. Jones. By assessing Mr. Jones nonverbal cues (agitated state), instead I could have said ‘I’m sorry that the officer was not able to help you. I can see that you’re not feeling well, so why don’t I check you finger-stick and then we’ll go from there.” This would have shown Empathy (could have been Therapeutic) towards the patient’s situation, being able to relate and understand him. Without asking why his sugar was high I assumed that he had eating sweets. –Direct and Judgmental (Non-Therapeutic)
Approaching the patient directly and referring to him as a diabetic was a non-therapeutic approach and a