In Clinical this semester I felt very comfortable with the environment of the hospital. I have worked as a CNA for almost four years and knew the operations because of my experiences. Doing full body assessments however was completely new to me, and I felt that with each one I did, it became more familiar to me. I felt that I made a difference in each patient I had even if it was a therapeutic conversation or getting them a drink from the kitchen. One patient that I had who really stood out to me was one who had a stroke and was a middle-aged mother to a young teenage daughter. I felt that we really connected through therapeutic conversation and her understanding of my need to learn because she had a daughter who was a student as well. We talked about our families, and our experiences living in New England. She was very strong and family oriented, just like me. Although I didn’t make a big difference in her treatment, or her stay at the hospital during few hours that I was there, I felt that through our time together we related on multiple levels and our connection impacted her in a positive way. 

I was able to see this patient in therapy and during mealtimes and saw what her typical day in the hospital was like. During my assessment, she understood that I was still learning and was open to me asking questions and other tasks in order to complete the assessment. When it came time for therapy, I didn’t want to distract her while she was trying to focus so I observed, and we talked about it when she got back to her room. I made sure to tell her that I observed how strong she was in therapy, which I could tell by her facial expressions made her feel delighted. During dinner time, I made sure that she was set up with all her food and everything she needed to enjoy her meal. Before I left the floor, she said she needed help plugging in her iPad so I made sure that it was charging before I left so she could call her daughter after dinner. So, although I may not have made a big difference in my patient, besides therapeutic conversation and meeting her needs to the best of my ability, she made an impact on me because she was so understanding and gave me a chance to learn from her.