Thanks to everyone who participated in the Health Equity Program placements this year! We hope that everyone had a great experience and learned a lot shadowing in the various locations. We have included some survey responses of individuals experiences shadowing below. There will be lots of opportunities next year for more placements, so stay posted for that! Share any more thoughts or reflections on the experience with us at [email protected], on facebook or in the comments below this post. Was this your first exposure to harm reduction and/or working with vulnerable populations? Please give a brief history of you experience in this area. "I encountered a client who was struggling with a heroin addiction and was being seen for a medical problem related to his addiction. There was certainly a relationship of trust between the client and the nurse responsible for his care and he seemed to be progressing well because of it." "I have had a previous experience working with a nurse from the St Vincent de Paul. That simply involved visiting recurring or current IVD users and managing their medical conditions such as ulcerations from injections." "Yes it was. I sat in on consultations between Dr.O'Donnell and patients who were drug addicts. It was so interesting and made me aware of a completely different world I knew minimal of. The social workers also chatted to me a taught me all on injecting and how to do it best etc. Really great experience, loved every minute of it!" Was there anything you saw or experienced that surprised you? How do you think this experience will impact your future medical career? This survey is anonymous so please take this opportunity to share a story about your observership. "Much of the role of the nurse involved in the HAT is also associated with listening to the client and the social problems that they face. The approach to their care is holistic and not limited solely to medical care. This is something that I will certainly take away with me for my future career, especially when dealing with those who the system have disenfranchised." "While we focus on biomedical science, it is vital that we do not forget the psycho social aspects. Many of the patients I encountered on the observership were all dealing with internal and social problems. I feel I personally need to focus on that social aspect of patient care." "It really conveyed to me the complexity of patients as people. That there are a variety of often misunderstood and underlying variables such as homelessness and drug use which has a direct impact on their personal medical treatment." "I didn't realize/expect there to be a lot of paperwork! It was interesting to see that most of the advocacy work requires writing tons of letters to different organizations (e.g. the HSE)." "The knowledge that what they do was so bad, that they wanted to do something about it, but the addiction was too strong. I have a stronger knowledge of how to address, communicate and understand addicts and their hobbies. I realize the trouble people can get into. A girlfriend and boyfriend came in, individually saw Dr.O'Donnell, both heroine smokers (&girl injects too, unknown to boyfriend). She got a positive unplanned pregnancy test. He went in after unknowing, and Dr. O'Donnell worried he may have HIV w/ his obvious severe weight loss. This one case, had so many complications involved. How long due is the baby? Is termination even an option? Has the baby suffered severe complications? Does the father have HIV, does the mum have it? A very sad situation for them. A very insightful and educating time for me." "It highlighted the 'catch 22' situations that many people are in, especially people with substance addictions. With many patients I met, it is not clear what is the best next step for their healthcare, and healthcare professionals and patients are often faced with very difficult decisions. Every patient I met had so much going on in their life - homelessness, substance abuse, physical and mental illness, self-esteem issues, isolation, trouble with the law. PBL did not prepare me to consider so many factors, so in this respect, the HEP was very educational."
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CaesuraRotating views on various subjects concerning health (in)equity Health Equity NutSome streams of consciousness on the subjects of the tragic and the mundane. Archives
February 2021
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