Hemolytic disorder

Hematologic disorder
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Instructor’s Name

In the pediatric clinic during my shift, I was tasked to manage three patients. One of those patients had been diagnosed with hemolytic disorder precisely anemia. Being an intern nurse, this was my first encounter with a patient suffering from anemia. Based on the medical records the patient had greatly improved, comparing the day he was admitted and the specific date. The medical report had indicated that the patient had a low iron level and also experienced heavy menstruation. She had been given iron supplements. The day was going on well till around 2 pm when the patient called me complaining of a severe headache, and dizziness. When I touched her hands, they were also cold. I reported those complaints to my supervisor. In 20 minutes, the patient began breathing heavily which was a sign of difficulty in breathing. I could not comprehend at that moment how that was possible and yet the patient had stabilized. Anemia being a condition of low red blood cells affects the supply of oxygen in the body (Rodak, 2002). It is at this moment that I got aha moment when I realized that the patient had to breath heavily to increase oxygen supply into the body. My preceptor who was on shift moved fast to the ward and ordered nasal cannula (NC) to be connected to the patient. At this moment, I have to admit that things were happening too fast that I could not connect my classroom sessions and the working environment. The challenging bit is when the family of the patient walked into the ward and wanted to know what had happened yet the patient had indicated signs of recovery.

I did not have a concrete answer, and my supervisor stepped in and explained to the family that the patient’ blood level had dropped and thus needed blood urgently.
References
Rodak, B. F. (2002). Hematology: Clinical principles and applications. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.