Case Study: Continuation from Part I

Continuation of the Week 2 case study

While in the post-anesthesia care unit, Mrs.Zhang is in an open, large room with many other clients. The ‘rooms’ are separated by a curtain. She can hear other post-operative clients around her. She hears the nurse asking about their pain levels and a client requesting a bedpan. She also hears constant varying monitoring sounds. She has pain from her surgery but is too embarrassed to call for the nurse out loud.

While in the surgical ward, Mrs. Zhang is in a semi-private room. She is in this room with another patient. She can hear the other patient calling ‘Nurse!’ and requesting water and food. She can also hear this client groaning in pain. Her roommate snores loudly and it disrupts Mrs. Zhang’s rest. Her roommate also often receives telephone calls that wake Mrs. Zhang up abruptly. She can see the bright light coming from the hallway. She constantly hears the call bell alarm going off. There is frequent traffic in the hallways and she can hear the staff chatter by the nursing station.

In the ICU, Mrs. Zhang wakes up in a private room. She looks around and sees very bright lights including various monitors and equipment. She hears constant beeping of a machine behind her head. She can see the staff walking outside in the hallways. The big, clear doors are closed and she doesn’t hear anything. She feels like she’s constantly being watched. She is not able to talk because of the breathing tube.