Significant educational experience

                         INTENSIVE CARE UNIT OF EDUCATION

           As I awoke, to an environment unfamiliar, but adjusting to since five days ago, when my company, 50th General Hospital touched down in the Middleastern country of Saudi Arabia, to provide medical support to our troops that were in nearby Kuwait. The mission of the NATO deployment was to free Kuwait, from a hostile invasion by Iraq. Our companies mission, with the permission of the Saudi government, was to literally take over one of the kings many regional hospitals, staff the facility from the top down, and start receiving wounded troops. The wounded arriving at the hospital as we discovered over the first few days would be anybody. The young, old, female, male, friend or foe, and of any nationality were accepted and treated as they came to the E.R., by helicopter, or through the front door. Many of the severely wounded would come through the I.C.U., or the intensive care unit, where I was assigned.

             06OO, day five, and roughly one third of  our company stands outside our barracks for the morning bus ride into town. We were the day shift team, consisting of individual ward members, administrative officers and enlisted personnel, all prepared to receive report from the night shift, and to receive specific patient assignments on our assigned wards, with the patients up to the minute condition and all vital information. Because we admitted locals, and Iraqi soldiers, our ward also had armed security personnel and language interpretation by local staff members assigned to our unit, and a small handout that the patient and caregiver could communicate by. Except for a couple hostile Iraqi soldiers, that were quite agitated to be injured, let alone at an enemies medical facility, I didn't recall any dangerous situations. All patients entering the ICU, had all ready received a complete body search, and any visitors, though few, would also be checked extensively by the security team

                Patient assignment on the ICU, as on any ward, is generally decided by the charge nurse, who makes the decision based on the patients condition, and associated factors, such as organ involved, type of wound, and the various medications, and/or equipment being used to monitor that patient. Terms, like critical and unstable, VSI, or very seriously ill, and critical but stable, are of just a few identifiers placed on the patients bed (tag), and to the cover of their chart. Another equally important notifier is the patients allergy history, whether it's an allergy to food, medication, or even clothing or plastics even. There seldom occurs another type of patient, which I have cared for in the past, is a patient's religion, that puts limits on their care. 

 The religious background, is vitally important to many patients, and needs to be discussed with the patient and their family as soon as possible to admission

                  Professional, quality, competent, thorough, and attention to detail are just a few of the qualities a healthcare professional should possess. From a orderly to a neuro-surgeon, these qualities are essential, and form building blocks to a career that is always about learning, staying current to healthcare advancements, treatments and medications. As a LPN, or licensed practical nurse, I knew my license limited me in just a few ways from a RN, or registered nurse, with regards to patient care. One limit is that a LPN cant push narcotics intravenously, another is to not take Dr.'s orders by phone, and I recall the administration of a controlled medication needed an RN's signature. And I believe intubation, starting a arterial line, or central line, and a few other ACLS,or advanced cardiac life support procedures, are procedures that require at least the RN credentials. The limitations above are just a drop in the bucket to the many,many procedures, and treatments the LPN is qualified to perform, and most of these things will be experienced on the job. In fact, nearly all of the specialized training and exposure to hightech. equipment and procedures occur well after school, and at the work place for the LPN.