Today we got an early start, and visited Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) and the Queen’s Medical Center (QMC) in Honolulu. The program at TAMC included two lectures and a tour of the facility. Dr. Brian McLean, the chief medical officer for the Integrated Pain Management Program presented information on the use of complementary and alternative medicine in treating chronic pain. Then Hope Cooper-Oliver, RN presented information on the provision of culturally sensitive care in primary and acute care settings, and the appropriate use of medical interpreters.
Hope Cooper-Oliver, RN (Patient Education Coordinator, TAMC) asking students what they each learned about the appropriate use of medical interpreters.
Then we were split up into two groups of nine people each, and the program at TAMC concluded with a tour of several areas of the hospital including the Integrated Pain Management Clinic, the Emergency Department, the Adult ICU & the in-patient/out-patient Pharmacy.
With Nurse Managers of the Emergency Department (ED) and the Neuro-Vascular Unit (our “tour guide”) in the ED at TAMC.
After a quick stop to pick up lunch “on the go” at the Subway on site at TAMC, we boarded our Roberts tour bus again for the quick trip back to downtown Honolulu for a program at the Queen’s Medical Center (QMC). After a short presentation on the history of QMC, Beth Frietas, MSN, RN – Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) spoke to the students about the importance of caring for one’s self, as a “care-giver”, and providing culturally sensitive end-of-life care.
Then we were taken on a tour of QMC. While touring the Maternal-Child unit, the students had the chance to view several newborn babies in the nursery. One of the students identified “acrocyanosis” in one of the infants, and we had a nice clinical discussion of when it occurs, and what it can signify. We were also taken to a Medical-Surgical unit, the ED, and a psychiatric triage and intake unit.
After the students gave in my request for [yet another] group photo (this time in front of QMC), we headed back to the hotel, where seemingly ALL of the students had plans for a nap!
Great photo of an AWESOME group of students!