"M'am!"
I glanced across the room and saw a 70-year old woman with a nest of orange hair, waving me over to look at her screen.
"How can I help?"
"I want to get to the email." she said.
"Which email?" I asked.
"The Email!"
"Do you have email?"
"No. Can you help me get it?"
"Sure." I wasn't sure if she was ready to have her mind completely blown by 'the email'. But I dove in head first any way. I typed in www.gmail.com and the logo popped up.
She let out a huge exasperated grunt and gave me a look, as if she was through dealing with people who just didn't get it.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Well, this isn't what I asked for. I said I wanted 'E'mail not 'G'mail."
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Excerpts from the Elderly
Back in the U.S.
Started 4th semester, last semester.
I think I understand the greater picture here (regarding what I am about to explain) however I do believe there could have been a better, more impactful way of learning about the elderly.
We are on our community health rotations, which means it is time for us students to leave our (now) familiar hospital setting and venture out, explore, and mingle with "the community". For this, each student is placed either in hospice, a women's clinic, or a senior community center.
I am in the latter.
Initially when I was placed at the senior community center, I had no expectations or really no idea of what I would encounter, except seniors- of course. However, much of what I am doing is completely unrelated (at least in the linear sense) to health.
I am helping tutor a computer class to people age 65 and older. We help them learn how to use the internet, sign up for facebook, surf AARP.
How is this going to make me a better nurse?
Typically I let my optimism override all, plucking positive's from experiences and building them up to form some type of mental structure that to me looks nice, keeps me satisfied, and draws out the deeper side of life. But I have now spent 2 of my clinical days walking around a computer-filled classroom explaining to people that a double click is different than a single click.
So in an attempt to really see the beauty in an otherwise VERY slow rotation I am going to start recording the funny encounters.
Started 4th semester, last semester.
I think I understand the greater picture here (regarding what I am about to explain) however I do believe there could have been a better, more impactful way of learning about the elderly.
We are on our community health rotations, which means it is time for us students to leave our (now) familiar hospital setting and venture out, explore, and mingle with "the community". For this, each student is placed either in hospice, a women's clinic, or a senior community center.
I am in the latter.
Initially when I was placed at the senior community center, I had no expectations or really no idea of what I would encounter, except seniors- of course. However, much of what I am doing is completely unrelated (at least in the linear sense) to health.
I am helping tutor a computer class to people age 65 and older. We help them learn how to use the internet, sign up for facebook, surf AARP.
How is this going to make me a better nurse?
Typically I let my optimism override all, plucking positive's from experiences and building them up to form some type of mental structure that to me looks nice, keeps me satisfied, and draws out the deeper side of life. But I have now spent 2 of my clinical days walking around a computer-filled classroom explaining to people that a double click is different than a single click.
So in an attempt to really see the beauty in an otherwise VERY slow rotation I am going to start recording the funny encounters.
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