Two Styles of Nursing

At St. James place there wasn’t much happening, so I had to leave early because there wasn’t much to do after awhile. But while I was there I saw Ms. Dona giving dance lessons to one of the other volunteers. I stopped to speak to her to see if she remembered me and she did! She said ” I remember all of the volunteers I hang out with, I just don’t remember their names” then she laughed. Eventually I let her get back to her dance lessons. The whole time I was there I was cleaning up Mardi Gras decorations and just returning the place back to its original state. While I was cleaning I saw many of the seniors conversation and enjoying each other company. I noticed that the caregivers and nurses aren’t in the seniors way. During this specific volunteering experience I witnessed a different style of nursing. They leave them alone and let them live their lives. I realized that even though the caregivers are there to take care of the seniors that doesn’t involve being right next to them all of the time. In fact many seniors just press a certain number on their phones or on the keypads on the walls, and the caregivers will show up. I thought it was very interesting to see how nurses and senior patients interact. In hospitals and clinics, nurses are expected to be with a patient 80% of the time, but in this particular nursing home, the nurses where away from the seniors 60% of the time. I think that’s because Saint James Place is an assisted living nursing home. most of the seniors can still take care f themselves, while in hospitals those patients need assistance to take care of themselves.