Blog 23: Reflection

Due Date: The day after your block presentation by 8:00 A.M.


(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Block Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
I am most proud of my literal presentation. The way I spoke was do elephant and quick yet sophisticated and thorough. My slides were sleek and modern and solid in information yet minimal. My activity was fun and very interactive and demonstrate my answers clearly.


(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Block Presentation?
P-AE

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

P + to  AE-

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
I think my mentorship worked great in my senior project. It was a perfect opportunity and helped me open doors into the cardiology world

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would have you done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?
I think what didn't work was finding enough information for my third answer that related to my EQ. If I had a time machine I would go back and ask for books from my mentor.
(5) Finding Value
I think this experience helped me open my eyes to the different possibilities in the medical field. For example, during my mentorship, I learned about so many other procedures sucks as alcoholic oblation which is a forced baby heart attack. It has been very eye opening and  blessed to have a great mentor

21: mentorship

L: on blog
Oralia Aragon (323) 494-0094
I: the most important thing I gained from this experience working with Oralia was creating connections and getting resources for my future. I know where to go for help and I have people there to help me. It was just a warm experience and I'm so thankful for my mentor
A: my mentor helped me answer my EQ. We went over the possibilities that lead to a successful angioplasty and while examining her go through her average work day, we concluded that technique, medication and lifestyle are factors in the success of an angioplasty

Blog 20: Exit Interview

1. "What factor is most significant in a successful angioplasty procedure?" and my answers are technique, medication, and lifestyle. My best answer would have to be technique because with angioplasty, judgments need to be made immediately on where things need to be opened and where things need other instruments such as stents or even lasers. This comes from years of training and it really matters how the doctor maneuvers through the body without causing more damage than there already is.
2. I went every Tuesday to Keck Hospital at USC and spent 4 hours every session with my mentor, Oralia Aragon NP, learning the principals of angioplasty. When i confronted her with my EQ, we derived answers from what she had been showing me and we concluded that all the answers were important in there on way but if in a perfect world everything went right, meaning the patient started living healthy and regularly took their medication than technique would be the most important.
3.I faced problems when it came down to research. After the 30-40 article, everything began to seem repetitive and useless. What helped resolved it was the ESA. Using the Bronco ID given to us by Mrs. Pittman, I was able to find hard facts and statistics to back up my claims and expand on what i already knew.
4.My primary source would have to be my numerous private intervews with Dr. Shavelle and Oralia Aragon. They helped me understand angioplasty more clearly and more in depth than just an average procedure. My secondary source would have to be Essential Angioplasty by E. von Schmilowski. It was a book literally on angioplasty, from the procedure and types techniques to the complications and medications.

Independent Component 2

Literal
a: I, Angel Arredondo, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
b: Schmilowski, E. Von, and Howard Swanton. Essential Angioplasty. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. Print.
c: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtzZW_LcuuBHdHhaaTQyY2ZYMGJweG5xcHA5MlhWTGc&usp=drive_web#gid=0
d: I followed my mentor around the entire hospital and evaluated patients and their illnesses regarding their hearts. In certain situations, she got me a "front row" view of a few procedures and they were actually very helpful in writing my Isearch paper. She also taught me about different types of medications we give our patients and how to manage their weight with exercise.
Interpretive
My component is significant to the integrity of my project because it taught me serious subjects pertaining to my answers. My mentor focused on my answers specifically and created a sort of curriculum. For medications, she taught me about the reactions and dosages and all these cool facts. Technique, obviously, was demonstrated in my sitting in's on the various angioplasty procedures. As for lifestyle, the consultations that we gave focused on how the patient should take care of themselves. Regarding the proof, I've turned a type letter to my house teacher with all my mentor's information. I'm not really allowed to take photographs.
APPLIED
Like I said before, my mentor created a curriculum surrounding me in topics related to my EQ. My answers are actually from her with some minor modifications. This component let me get a closer look into the aspects of a successful angioplasty down to the medication dosage. All in all, the component was a great experience and I look forward to continuing volunteering at the hospital.

Blog 18: Third Answer

1. What factor is most significant in a successful angioplasty procedure?
2. A significant factor is lifestyle.
3. Diet- depending on what you eat and where you eat, determines how your body digest and absorbs everything from it and some things are full of cholesterol. Exercise: exercise keeps the blood flowing at a stable rate and helps break down fatty material. Smoking: smoking is harmful to the entire body. As one breathes in the smoke blood that needs to be oxygenated gets contaminated with harmful tobacco substances. These substances eventually lead to atherosclerosis.
4. My main source for this information would have to be my mentor, Oralia Aragon, NP, as well as many of the pamphlets she's handed me regarding how one must treat their body after a angioplasty or stent procedure.
5. In conclusion, the way you live your life really affects the success of the angioplasty because if the occluded artery is fixed, it doesn't mean much it it gets re-clogged because you continue your bad habits.

Blog 17: Fourth Interview

1. What types of medication are administered before a procedure?
2. What are some of the reactions?
3. When the patient is in the operation room, what kinds of substances are given to them?
4. What are blood thinners?
5. What do blood thinners do in the case of an angioplasty procedure?
6. What types of medication does the patient need to be on after the procedure?
7. When in the recovery room, what is necessary of the patient?
8. What assures the success of the angioplasty after the procedure?
9. Do the patients continue prior medications?
10. Will the patients need follow-ups?
11. What types of medications are order for the patient when leaving the hospital?
12. Are dosages different depending on the patient?
13. Are dosages different depending on how many blockages were mover or stents place?
14. Are dosages different depending on one's size?
15. What types of blood thinners are given, generally?
16. How do you go around patients that are allergic to general blood thinners?
17. When the patient is released, what are their duties?
18. What kinds of diets are best suited for an interventional procedure (angioplasty w/ stenting)?
19. When the doctor schedules a check-up, what do they look for?
20. What are the dangers of blood thinners?

Blog 16: Advisory Meeting #2

EQ: What factor most influences a successful angioplasty procedure?
Answer 2: A factor that influences the success of an angioplasty procedure would be the medication.
Details: When an angioplasty is done, it is essential that one takes their blood thinning medication to allow smooth blood flow in the newly opened artery. The second reason why you would need medication or blood thinners would be in the case of a sent. Blood thinners allow for blood to flow around the metal stent and prevent any build up around the "foreign" object. Lastly, medication of for previouse symptoms such as diabetes or high blood pressure should be continued as regulated to improve efficiency of blood flow.
Sources: mentorship has been a huge source for my second answer. My mentor goes into great detail the reason for medication as well as lifestyle. Another item of readership would be Esential Angioplasty by E. Von Schmilowski. It focuses primarily on angioplasty as with also stenting.

Independent Component 1

Literal

a. I, Angel Arredondo, affirm that I complete my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

b. My main two sources that really helped my in my independent component were my mentorship with Oralia and Essential Angioplasty by E. von Schmilowsk, a book that focuses on mainly angioplasty.
c. Independent Component Log on my blog
d. So for my independent component I walked around the hospital with my mentor and learned how to approach patients and address the issues that were going on with them and how to resolve them. I also looked at cases where people needed angiograms, x-ray of the coronary arteries, and looked for lesions. In addition to all the learning, my mentor had me observe an actual procedure be done.

Interpretive

 

This is me in scrubs! When ever I had to go see a procedure, it was enforced I wear scrubs.

This is a letter proving that I did attend mentorship and work all those hours and sum for several months.
I had her write me a letter mainly because I can't prove much using pictures due to liability issues.
(the "USC" after the "Keck Medical Center of" didn't appear)

Applied
I think made my topic and project more clear would be shadowing my mentor and doing this component allowed me to gain that knowledge to develop my first answer and actually two possible other answers for my second and third answer. What really helped during the component was the repetition. I learned why certain medicines needed to be taken and why stents needed to be put in not just one place and how you need to maintain your body to greatly advance your healing and stabilize your well being.

Extra Blog January

This month was fairly busy. I switched my days from Tuesdays to Thursdays and since I've done that, I see more patients. The reason I see more now as apposed to going on Tuesday is because both head interventionist surgeons are there so more procedures are done. I'm walking more so it gets very tiring. So far the most patients we've had to handle was 14. It might not sound like a lot but each person is unique so everything is different which attention is more needed especially  when you have 14. So that's most of everything. The other things I cant say too much about but all is good.

Blog 13 Lesson 2 Reflection

1. I had a lot of fun with the activity. I feel like I cleared a lot of confusion with it because it simulated the procedure in a simple, messy yet fun way.
What I am most proud of is my activity. To find even activity online was impossible. There aren't any out there so i had to come up with one by myself. My mentor thought it was brilliant and I feel accomplished.

2. a: I would give myself a P+.
b: I think I covered my answer very well and explained it with precise examples. I think my activity was fun and I feel my peers enjoyed it and retained the concept of my project. It was simple and got the point across.

3. I think what worked for me would be the process of me getting my answer through my mentorship. It is fun there and my mentor is really nice and explains every detail with seriousness.

4. I think I would try to convey myself better, change the way I said my sources and information.

5. PreOp- getting conscent forms signed

Blog 12: Third Interview Questions

1. What are the most significant factors in a successful angioplasty procedure?

2. What role does time play in a procedure like this?

3. Have you ever had a failure or witness a failure?

4. How does a distorted heart create a challenge?

5. Is this more individual or teamwork?

6. In the case of an emergency, what would be the first response?

7. When making decisions, in what premise do you base on whether or not a stent needs do be placed?

8. Are these decisions instinctual or meditated?

9. Does the patient's history play a role in the procedure?

10. What kind of preparation must be taken before even entering the procedure room?

Blog 11: Mentorship 10 hours

1. I am doing my mentorship at Keck Medical Hospital at USC.

2. My contact is Oralia Aragon. She is a nurse practitioner of cardiology.

3. I currently have 40 hours logged in my mentorship log.

4. The 10 hours I have completed include giving patients food, water and other things like pillows or to their visitors. I also have been with my mentor making rounds throught the departments for patients with problems pertaining to cardiology. At the end of the rounds, I often go back to her office and look at X-ray images and videos called angiograms to learn how to spot clots in the veins while she does notations for doctors.

Senior Project: The Holiday

1. I didn't do much of anything. I was bed ridden with a severe case of asthma and constantly on a breathing apparatus. I'm better now with the medication but still a bit sick.

2. The most important thing I learned is don't stay in the cold too long. I couldn't do much so there was not much learning.

3. I would talk to Dr. Shavel because he is one of the leaders of intervention procedures. I would also contact Dr. Mathews since he is head of the department and has a precise knowledge of my topic.

Monthly Blog: December

I haven't done much over this month because of my extreme asthma attack. I was diagnosed early on and couldn't really go to the hospital and get many mentorship hours. So far though, I am up to 108-110 hours. 50 of which are independent component.

November Extra Post

The mentorship has been going well. I've already help patch up patients cuts and delivered packets of blood to desired departments all over the hospital. I still make rounds with my mentor around the hospital, evaluating patients and consulting them of their upcoming procedure and/or risks. We also check up on them to make sure their vitals aren't fluctuating erratically and if they are, we try to come up with a possible plan to stop it whether it be medication or bed side observation.

Blog 9: EQ

1.I reviewed the rule-of-three of writing an EQ

2. a: It follows the frameworks of the rule-of-three.The reason is because it requires in depth analysis on types of weight loss and allows room for debate. It's clear and concise and gets the point across.
b: This follows the rules because it creates investigation and debatable information. The wording is clear and makes sense.
c: This doesn't really follow the rules because it is bias. The research can be very opinionated.
d: This follows the rule-of-three because information can be gathered from it and can be discussed. The wording is to the point and understandable.

3. What is the most important factor in a successful angioplasty?

Extra Blog 3

The mentorship is going successfully. I meet with me mentor, Oralia Aragon, every Tuesday from 2-6 and do a number of things. So when I arrive to do my mentorship, I ask Oralia if there is anything to do today. In this profession it's a joke because it is almost rare when there isn't something to do. On an average day we go and visit patients and diagnose and inform the patient. I take notes on how to great the patient and how to inform them as well as prescribing them for proper medication. Recently we seen a patient that had a heart attack and didn't know a word of English and was partially deaf and hard of vision. When asked if he had any family, he went on tangents of old stories of how he came to America from Cuba. As his attention began to come together, he told us we he had no family and his house maid is an "untruthful woman" and that she was the reason he was there, that she had poisoned his drinking water. The man was not deranged but confused and in a hospital you need to be ready for confusion, I've learned, and ready with an answer

Blog 8

1. What are the main factors of a successful angioplasty procedure?

• A factor for a successful angioplasty would be the knowledge of the coronary arteries. How can you navigate the heart without knowing which arteries to enter or what artery contains the blockage.
• Sanitation is a key component in every invasive procedure but most crucial dealing with a vital organ. The key to cleanliness is sterilization and temperature monitoring of the environment, keeping it cool.   

3. My most valuable source would have to be a duo. I have a source of a medical article called "Angioplasty with Stent Placement for Heart Attack and Unstable Angina" which focuses on the principles of angioplasty and stenting and "Coronary Anatomy and Blood Flow" which deals with the hearts blood circulation and anatomy with precise names and locations.

4. My mentor is Oralia Aragon, nurse practitioner of the Cardiology Department at Keck Hospital at USC. She deals with patients that have had angioplasties and other procedures for the heart as well as other parts of the body, diagnosing and informing the patients of what is going on.

Independent Component Approval 1

1. I plan on following my mentor all over the hospital and shadow her schedule and learn about different types of invasive procedures of the heart and coronary arteries and eventually start to assist her.
2. Oralia Aragon, my mentor, has agreed to let me shadow her and during the process, we go to every floor looking for patients on her roster that need attention. Before we enter the room, she briefs me on what is wrong with patient and what it means in simpler form. When we enter the room, she introduces me and then she goes through with the patient the things they need to know. When we finish our round helping patients, she sits me down in her office and she has me look at angiograms. Angiograms are x-rays of the coronary arteries using a dye that shows up in the blood stream. I look for legions or clots and look at the final comments the doctors have said pertaining to the angiogram and see if my findings match theirs and go back for correction.
3. Following a nurse practitioner that works in Pulmonary functions lab is already a great qualification as a mentor. Doing check ups on the patients is even a learning opportunity for people who have had invasive coronary surgery.

Extra Blog 2

So far the mentorship has been great. I've met a lot of new people and lots of different doctors and nurses. My jobs have changed slightly in that I get to change and clean the patients telemetry meters. Telemetry meters motor for any abnormal heart fluctuation and are defined as v-tack or ventricle tachycardia. Last Tuesday though, I received my mentor, Oralia Aragon NP, and I followed her literally everywhere to check on patients who had heart problems. She talked me through what they do and different jobs she has then at the end of the day, she had me look at angiograms and spot the clots and legions. It was really easy yet very hard since your looking at a screen of a heart in an x-ray with dye going through the heart'veins looking for clots. The difficulty is that the veins are less then a centimeter thick and the clots are white while the vein is black. Sounds easy, right? Try looking for them as the heart beats at abnormally fast rates, trying to get blood evenly throughout the heart. It was challenging but I loved it. The cool thing is that I saw the results and diagnostics of the angiogram with all of the locations of the clots and I was completely right. Cant wait for next Tuesday!!