Hi everyone,
I apologize for the late post! The past few weeks have been extremely slow at the ER. Also, my MCAT was on August 2nd, and I found myself using the extra time I had at the ER to study. I am combining my 6th, 7th, and 8th week in this one post. I will combine the 9th, 10th, and 11th week on a following post. The reason for this is because I learned two valuable aspects within these group of weeks: 1) overcoming fears in terms of consenting 2) learning the idea of independence and leadership.
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During the 6th week of EMRAP, we had to perform mock consents with our chiefs during our shifts and with volunteers during our class. Whenever I did my consents, I noticed that I seemed nervous and that I could not explain the elements of consent precisely. I asked Derek (one of the chiefs) for some feedback, and he told me that I was doing fine with my consents. He told me that I should phrase certain sentences so that people would not be scared. He mentioned that research has a certain stigma attached: people sometimes fear that research might use private information and might have extremely great risks. Derek said that we have to mention the risks about the certain research study, but we need to assure the patients that everything is confidential and everything is done with minimal risk. He also told me that I needed to slow down because I tend to speed up as I get nervous.
I took Derek's advice and practiced at home in front of the mirror. During the mock consents in class, I was able to slow myself down and able to phrase certain aspects carefully. I passed the mock consents evaluation, and now, I am able to consent patients in order to be considered independent at my internship. I learned that being nervous can affect the way I present myself to patients: sometimes, it may not seem professional to others or the information that is being delivered might seem confusing. I'm glad that I practiced and applied Derek's advice because I am more confident than before.
Though, I believe that I can still improve in terms of keeping the information concise. I have a tendency of talking too much, but sometimes patients might be too tired to digest all of the information. To help me improve, I will practice with more mock consents and write scripts for myself. By doing this, I will be able to have the correct phrases and will not stumble on my own words!
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On the 7th week of EMRAP, we received a day off due to the 4th of July weekend!
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On the 8th week of EMRAP, I surprised myself with my FIRST SUCCESSFUL CONSENT! I was so ecstatic! Usually, my shifts are extremely slow on Sunday mornings. However, on this particular Sunday, I was able to consent the family members of a patient with sepsis. At first, I was discouraged because my supervisor was not in the office and would have to travel in order to supervise my consent process. (A little side note: we need our supervisor or our contingent chief research associate to supervise and approve our consent process). Typically, if a patient or family members have to wait, they become disinterested and decide not to support the research.
Luckily, I approached the family members and explained the situation. I also explained that it would be my very first consent and that I was so nervous. They were so supportive and gave me tips such as slowing down, marking the pages where signatures were needed, and explaining information in a way similar to selling a car. I took these tips into account along with Derek's advice!
When it was time for my consent, several EMRAPers and my supervisor accompanied me as I performed my first consent. I was so nervous, but I explained things clearly and concisely! I was so proud of my accomplishment! I enjoyed talking to the patient's family members and delivering the information that I feel comfortable delivering more consents in the future!
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Next Up: 9th, 10th, 11th week of EMRAP when I learned how to be independent and changed my perspective about the program!
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