Sample Observation Hospital PDF

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Sample Observation Hospital...

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Behind the Hospital Room Curtain Hospitals can be a great source of abundant social interactions: doctor to nurse, patient to doctor, family member to patient. By utilizing the sociological perspective, the healthcare social setting is an ideal location to incite micro-level qualitative research techniques. Micro sociology is sociological investigation that stresses the study of small groups, often through experimental means. Qualitative research is a study collected from what can be observed form a naturalistic social setting. Through shadowing a nurse in the social setting of NIMC hospital in McHenry, IL, I collected all data through observation (not relying on statistical information or collection in numerical form) of two small groups and their social relationships, thus making this micro-level qualitative research. My observations were set from 2:30pm to 4:30pm in the McHenry NIMC emergency room in which I followed a nurse, occasionally helping with patient care and interacting with doctors, nurses, and patients, making my observations participatory. When I arrived, the ER was full with ten to fifteen nurses and doctors surrounding the nursing station in the center of the room and all patient beds occupied. Surrounding the nursing station were eight patient rooms, divided by curtains and set with medical equipment and bed. Connected to the main room was a separate employee only station where all medicine is categorically stored in computer controlled compartments. Off to the left of the medicine room was a small cubical like station where ambulance calls were received and recorded. Lastly in the hallway surrounding the main ER station were four more patient rooms, where less severe cases were kept. My first observation was between Dr. Baximusa and the nurse I was shadowing, Katie. Dr. Baximusa is a tall heavy-set man whom I presume married due to the ring on the left ring finger. He looked to be of Middle Eastern ethnicity because of his facial features and skin color, around mid forties, and I assume with doctoral level education.

Katie is a twenty-four year old (asked her age) female Caucasian, whom is a nurse. She told me she is not married and has had four years of college and is currently going to school for two more years to obtain a new achieved status: nurse practitioner. An achieved status is a status one earns. By going to school for two more years, Katie is using her own effort to gain a new achieved status as a nurse practitioner. In this interaction, Katie confronted Dr. Baximusa in regards to one of her patients whom had asthma and was being treated for bronchitis. Using a professional tone, Katie inquired through coalition if she should give her patient another nebulizer treatment because his wheezing continued. A coalition is a temporary or permanent alliance geared toward a common goal. In this instance nurse and doctor formed a coalition toward the goal to help a patient. Dr. Baximusa then informed her to wait a half an hour then administer another treatment. He said he would personally check on the patient and if the wheezing continued they might have to admit him. He then instructed Katie to use the ‘face scale’ as a means to use symbols for the patient to indicate pain level. A symbol is a gesture, object, or word that forms the basis of human communication. In this situation Katie was instructed to use the ‘face scale’ which is a scale from one to ten where faces with expressions of slight discomfort to nauseating pain are correlated with numbers and used as symbols to indicate pain level. Katie’s questioning for approval affirms Dr. Baximusa’s master status as a doctor. A master status is a status that dominates others and determines a person’s general position in a society. In this situation Dr. Baximusa’s master status is assigned by Katie and other staff that refer to him and is defined by the context of being at the hospital. My second observation was between Nurse Katie and patient “Maria”. My information concerning Maria was obtained through her chart in which all personal information is recorded and physical status compared to an ideal type. An ideal type is a construct or model for evaluating specific cases. Maria’s chart is a good example of ideal type because her ailments are

compared to a set of ailments and their causes in order to determine her diagnosis. Maria is a small eighty-year-old woman of Latino ethnicity. She only spoke Spanish so her daughter translated, had separate conversations with her mother, and separate conversations with the nurse and doctors, demonstrating bilingualism. Bilingualism is the use of two or more languages in a particular setting, such as the workplace, treating each language as equally legitimate. Maria’s daughter used both English (with doctors and nurses) and Spanish (with her mother) as equal languages thus demonstrating bilingualism. Maria is a widow, does not work, and I can only guess that she has a high school education or less because she could not speak English (unless schooled in a different country). Maria has Alzheimer’s disease and seemed to be very confused, shouting at her daughter and the nurse. Upon discharge Maria was exhibiting loud outbursts and trying to attack anyone who came near her. Katie then obtained a sedative and attempted to administer the pill. Maria refused, the daughter explaining that Maria only believes in home remedies such as curanderismo. Curanderismo is Latino folk medicine, a form of holistic health care and healing. Maria’s refusal of modern medicine and belief in only home and holistic remedies specific to her culture is a prime example of belief in curanderismo. Katie, taking on the role of formal social control, proceeded to administer a sedative through a shot. Formal social control is social control that is carried out by authorized agents such as police officers. Being a nurse Katie is an authorized agent to administer sedatives to initiate control over patients whom are acting outside social norms and are a danger to themselves or others. As I helped hold Maria down, Katie administered the sedative while the daughter told Maria it was only a flu shot. All in all the general activities and interactions where centered on patient care and between four groups: doctor to nurse, nurse and doctor to patient, patient to family member, and EMT to nurse or doctor (ambulance phone calls). The room had an overall professional air with very little violation of social norms (with exception of a few patients).

Through the use of the sociological imagination these micro level observations can be linked to macro-level contemporary social events, issues, or problems. My first observation between doctor and nurse demonstrates the coalition of healthcare professionals for the good of a patient. From patient to patient healthcare employees work together to strive for the improvement of ailments of each individual, and in turn support of their community. Where each hospital is in coalition to support the larger social institution of healthcare which is a building block focused on maintain the stability of the health of American society. For example, the interaction and organization by doctors and nurses help support the annual Labor Day telethon Jerry’s Kids. With the micro-level impute of celebrities and local TV stations money is raised for muscular dystrophy and used on a macro-level for the society. My second observation can be directly linked to the contemporary social issue of minorities and healthcare and racial inequity. During my observation there was no outside translator present and if not for the patient’s daughter, the patient may have gone without treatment. All nurses and doctors on the ER floor as to my observation did not speak Spanish, thus demonstrating the inequality of services provided for the Latino community. This demonstrates the conflict and inequity between the dominant group in the US (Caucasians), and subordinate group (ethnicity other than white). This individual micro social interaction (inequity of resources for a minority) may link to the macro issue of 85,000 African-Americans dieing in the year 2000 due to inequality in health care....