ODESSA OMANYO

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Collecting patients detailed history. Obtained a detailed maternal, obstetric and newborn history on the patients and mother to serve as a tool to help ensure proper care is delivered.
• Performed a comprehensive physical and gestation age assessment on the patients. Assessed the baby's critical physical and neuromuscular attributes to complete the gestational age assessment. Conclusions about the patient are based on this assessment and will help guide their treatment. This will also include consults with other disciplines to aide in the best care for the babies.
• Collaborated with other healthcare providers from other disciplines. This ensured provision of optimum care for patients by managing all the other disciplines' recommendations to formulate one concise treatment plan.
• Ordering, performing, and interpreting the diagnostic tests. This is dependent on and in strict adherence to the laid down practice procedures in assisting to drive the patient's treatment plan. Based conclusions reached from the data obtained, develop specialized treatment plans for the patients.
• Assessed and intervened where a patient may require respiratory support. In cases where an unstable patient in ICU may require interventions, quick clinical judgement ability is needed. For instance to decide whether a nasal cannula or an advanced airway such as an endotracheal tube is needed or in performing intubation and ventilatory management.
• Line placement. Includes placing peripheral, central, arterial or umbilical lines on the ICU patient.
• Writing orders. These may be in the form of new special equipment that will be needed, medication and fluids or to order physical therapy. The orders may be independent or in collaboration with a physician.
• Newborn Resuscitation. In overseeing the patient's resuscitation efforts from ordering the delivery of fluids to assisting in bedside surgical procedures.
• Education of neonatal families. This is tailored to the patient who requires intensive care in the Neonatal Intensive care Unit or the patient's family getting ready to bring their baby home on using equipment such as oxygen, pulse oximetry, and tube feeds, to name a few as patients do go home with equipment.
• Education of Colleagues. Explaining concepts to colleagues, such as staff nurses, physicians etc. on necessary Neonatal Intensive Care skills or emerging research that will change practice and may provide better outcomes for the patient.
• Assisting in caregiver/baby attachment. This includes training or assisting caregivers or parents of the patient on kangaroo care or just helping the caregiver or parent feel comfortable touching the baby and create a meaningful relationship.
• Transportation of the Neonatal Intensive Care patient. This includes transporting the patient to diagnostic tests and in certain circumstances to other hospitals if more of a specialty care is required while monitoring the patient’s vital signs and implement interventions if necessary to ensure safe transportation of the patient.
• Consultation. This includes working in an assigned area of specialty and being its point of reference. The pulmonary service and consulting on neonatal conditions such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia and aiding in the care of this susceptible population is one of the situations where this is needed.

Cases managed

Prematurity, Neonatal Jaundice, Neonatal Anemia, Congenital Anomalies, Neonatal Sepsis, Respiratory

Distress Syndrome, Perinatal Asphyxia, Meconium Aspiration Syndrome.

Equipment Handled

CPAP Machine, Mechanical Ventilator, Phototherapy machines, Incubators, Suction Machines, Radiant

Warmers, Patient monitors, Mira Cradle.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Participated in patient admission assessment, history taking, physical examination, and collection baseline investigations samples.
• Administered prescribed medications and carrying out nursing procedures that included nursing rounds, care planning, and care of tubes and drains.
• Provided teaching to patient and other caregivers on procedures such as intubation, tracheostomy, central line insertion.
• Initiated and monitored blood and blood products transfusion for reactions and therapeutic response.
• Offered immediate care during emergencies that included myocardial infarction, heart attack and respiratory compromise and poisoning.
• Provided psychological support to families of patients with deteriorating health conditions and those with terminal illnesses. Participated in resuscitating patients and monitored response.
• Carried out nutritional assessment and provided supplements as prescribed to patients through Enteral and parenteral routes.
• Referred patients for psychosocial, spiritual and emotional support and their families.
• Monitoring fluid therapy through input and output charts and assessing for fluid volume deficit or excess as well as electrolyte imbalance.
• Monitored patients on artificial ventilation, and responding immediately to the pressure alarms.
• Did quantification, ordering and forecasting of non-pharmaceutical supplies for the unit and adding buffer stocks to prevent avoidable stock outs and ensure continuity of care.
• Continuously monitored cardiac activity and acted appropriately when abnormal rhythms were detected.

Cases managed

Malaria, Typhoid fever, HTN, Pneumonia, post-surgical cases, Incision & drainage, Burns, Wounds/ pressure ulcers, Fractures, asthma, falls, Arthritis, cardiac conditions, Kidney failure, Tonsillitis, Cancer, HIV/ AIDS, DM, COPD, Incisions & excisions.

Equipment Handled

Patient restraint, Fluid warmer, Pulse oximeter, Patient monitor, Bp machine, Oxygen machine, Weight & scale, Wound drain, Infusion pump, Defibrillator, Suction machine, Syringe pump, ECG, EEG, Nebulizer, Autoclaving machine.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Admitting patients into the unit by performing preliminary examinations, taking medical and surgical history, filling admission booklets, allocating beds, and orientating patients into the unit.
• Receiving and handing over patients at the beginning and the end of each shift to ensure continuity of care.
• Supervising and mentoring nursing staff and coordinating auxiliary staff to ensure cleanliness of the unit, tidy beds, and patient cleanliness.
• Collaborating with other nurses to conduct individualized & organized nursing assessments, prioritizing care.
• Maintaining a safe, calm, and comfortable working environment for patients, their families, and the medical team.
• Providing customized patient health care education based on their diagnosis, planned treatments and level of dependency.
• Provided individualized preoperative, inter-operative, and post-operative care instruction.
• Preparing and administering medications as prescribed while monitoring for effectiveness and any reactions.
• Assessed, cleaned and dressed wounds with different dressings as prescribed and adhered to the aseptic technique while ensuring patient comfort throughout the procedure.
• Acted as a case manager,communication liaison, advocate and a nurse leader coordinating patient care among other disciplines.
• Monitoring patients from time to time, assessing the efficacy of treatments, identifying early signs of deterioration, responding to life-saving situations, proper documentation and updating physicians.
• Ordering unit supplies and monitoring consumption as required.

Cases managed

Pneumonia, post-surgical cases, Burns, accidents and injuries, Wounds/ pressure ulcers, Fractures, asthma, Sickle cell anemia, Cardiac conditions, Kidney failure, Tonsillitis, Cancer, HIV/ AIDS, DM, COPD, incisions & excisions.

Equipment Handled

Weights & scale, Wound drains, Infusion pump, Suction machine, ECG, EEG, Nebulizers, Autoclaving machine, Pulse Oximetry, Patient monitor, Bp machine, Oxygen machine.