Running head: EVERYONE HAS KNOWLEDGE TO GIVE

Elecia Trowers
Everyone has Knowledge to give
University of South Florida

EVERYONE HAS KNOWLEDGE TO GIVE

According to Black 2005, Clinical exemplars enable nurses to demonstrate the critical
thinking and decision making that define the delivery of excellent patient care. Exemplars are an
important tool for making the invisible work of nursing visible to nursing colleagues, other
health care professionals, and the health care consumer. In today's climate of health care reform,
nurses must showcase their skills and talents if they are not to be replaced with less well trained,
unlicensed health care personnel.
My patient was a 92 year old male who came in with excessive hematuria of an unknown
cause with the presence of a scrotal hernia. The patient had blood draining around his catheter
even though the catheter was properly inserted and secured, urine was not draining well, the
urologist was called and an order for continuous bladder irrigation was received. After setting up
the bag the nurse realized that it was not draining, so I suggested that the line be flushed. The
patients nurse did not seem to have an understanding of this so she enlisted the help of her team
leader who came in with a 10ml flush, I was a bit confused since the patients line had so many
clots and a 10ml flush would not be effective. As a student nurse in this situation I would just
observe, but the CBI was still not draining even after the team leader used the 10ml flushes, so I
told them that they should try a 60ml syringe. After a few minutes the team leader left and two
nurses came bursting through the doors with a 60ml syringe so I figured they knew exactly what
to do. The nurses filled the 60ml syringe and started to instill the saline in the line this caused the
patient significant pain which was making me very uncomfortable since they were looking to me
to hold down the patient. I then noticed that they were not pulling back the fluid that they were
putting in so I spoke up and told them that they had to pull back the same amount that they put
in, but no one listened because they continue to instill fluid and the patient was just screaming in
pain while his pelvic region was getting more and more distended hard. I finally came to the

EVERYONE HAS KNOWLEDGE TO GIVE

conclusion that these nurse had no idea what they were doing so I let go of the patient and said
listen I have taken care of a patient with a CBI before and this is not how its done you have to
pull back the fluid that is being instilled and the clots will also be pulled into the syringe. They
then decided to do what I said and it worked.
The lessons that I have learned from this is that patients are not our guinea pigs and we
should never do trials on patients especially when it results in pain and suffering for the patient,
these nurses disregarded the pleas of the patients and continue to test their skills even though
they did not know what they were doing. I have also learned that everyone has some knowledge
to give and a nursing license does not automatically give you that knowledge, nurses must
always be open to learn and to value other peoples opinions and knowledge. In this situation the
patients nurse should have found a nurse who has had some experience with CBIs and she should
have advocated for her patient when she saw the pain and suffering he had to endure.
Nursing is great and as a nurse I will always remember to keep an open mind to learning,
I know I will never know it all but will seek help in unfamiliar situation and keep my patient at
the forefront. If am not knowledgeable or experienced enough to give my patient the best care
possible then I will find someone who can offer that care.

EVERYONE HAS KNOWLEDGE TO GIVE

Reference
Black, P. J. (2005). Use of clinical exemplar in clinical appraisals. Retrieved from
http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/9325873/Use_of_the_clinical
_exemplar_in_performance_appraisals_