Fieldwork Experience at Vienna Nursing and Rehab Centre

The fieldwork was a learning experience base of transferring the theory course work
to practices. I interacted with some of the tools and documents available in the theories like,
Personal- Centered Activity Assessment Form, Minimum Data Sets (MDS), and Resident
Assessment Instrument (RAI) among others. Through nursing staff and resident interactions,
I gained skills through first hand involvement with the two groups. I was exposed to
utilization of RAI framework in nursing practically from information gained during resident
assessment and physical and electrical medical records. The RN portrayed attributes worth to
be emulated; they were patient, cooperative, humble, working in teams and most of
professionals.
I enjoyed interacting with the resident in the outdoor relaxation modes where we used
physical exercise and storytelling. The residents portrayed great need of company portrayed
by their extreme talks and clings to anyone who showed interest. One lady-on her late
eighties- explained to me her need to be with her family, she termed the institution homely
and comfortable, but she wished she was ‘free’. She viewed the place as a hospital only that it
was her hoe and just death was awaiting her. It was encouraging to watch some of the
residents involved in hobbies like knitting and baking, they explained their passion.
Resident outdoor activities were interesting although some residents were unwilling to
participate, bed bound residents were not left out where therapies such as music and aroma

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therapy were used in identifying their sensory abilities. Those using wheelchairs as assistance
for their mobility used their arms in the exercise. During certificate issuing of the volunteers
in the facility, the staffs planned and were actively involved in the task. Residents present
were happy and appreciated the works carried out by the volunteers, the dessert prepared
enlightened them and it shows the appreciation of resident activities in the facilities. The
social volunteers were working hand- in- hand with the staff as a team and were actively
involved in almost all activities in the center.
Residents lived as families among themselves and it was seen through helping each
other. The physically fit were seen to help each the ones with wheelchairs and the bed bound.
While interacting with them, it appeared many had formed friendship clusters according to
their interests and looked up for their friends. While relaxing, the residents were chit chatting
and engaging in activities of their resident. One lady explained how he bakes loaves and other
snacks for her friends daily explaining her passion. The field study made me appreciate
family, some related their situation with disinterest of families who were too busy to find
time to visit them thus viewing the center as the only home and source of friendship and
companion.
The patient assessment activity was a good foundation of the day to day activities
after qualifying. Using the tool at first was challenging but as I progressed in it, I became
familiar engaging the resident and trying to read the moods and signs. Personal-Centered
Activity Form worked well for the study. It was hard to identify resident problem using the
RAI framework but with assistance I was able to interpret and define problems.
The field work acted as an experience preceptor through exposure and working with
registered nurse who acted as mentors. It gave an interactive leaning opportunity through
teaming up with other nurses in performing the activities. The experience moulded and built

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my confidence due to teams and mentors who supported me in carrying out the task. Meeting
with experienced nurses at work helped in learning how to apply theoretical nursing
principals in my course work to real world experiences. It was an opportunity for
professional autonomy and growth that will help me to be an active member in a clinical team
and it gave me an in-sight experience of a full time job in the few hours in the facility.
The experience was more than my expectation. Before the task, I had fear of
uncooperative staffs that would be unwilling to help. The facility’s staffs were so friendly and
helped me in all areas of my interest. The answered my question with clarity and abandoned
some of their task to help in engaging the residents. I learnt the importance of team work in
an institution where every individual needs another. The RNs were humble and acted as
mentors and I took it as a mandatory attribute to always have in my nursing practice.
The experience will be useful in future as an activity coordinator through adapting the
qualities from the RN. I would help students, interns and other researcher on all they required
to perform an activity. This would be carried through engaging residents and explaining to
them the importance of a specific activity as gained from this fieldwork. Activities are
learning experiences thus investing on them would help in deriving gaps, opportunities and
solution to the existing working programs. All the activities were partly beneficial to the
residents as the tasks included some of their day-day activity.