NewScope [October-November 1980]

              ISuMEWJcope
WESLEY LONG COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
Rebecca Melvin makes a routine tubing check on patient I. V.
O'Guin Becomes Laboratory Manager
The Sanford, North Carolina native
is a graduate of Pfeiffer College in
Misenheimer where he received a
bachelor of arts degree in biology. Following enlistment in the United
States Army, he fulfilled a medical
technology internship at Brooke
Army Medical Center in San Antonio,
Texas.
O'Guin assisted in immunological
research and cell culture studies while
at the Walter Reed Army Institute of
Research. He also was involved in the
initial Swine Flu studies at Fort Dix,
New Jersey while in the army. Upon
discharge from the army in 1978, he
held the rank of staff sergeant.
Before joining Wesley Long's
laboratory staff, O'Guin was Assistant Chief Medical Technologist in
charge of evening personnel at Moore
Memorial Hospital in Pinehurst
North Carolina.
Presently, Mr. O'Guin resides in
Greensboro. He is the son of Doris P.
Riddick of Sanford, North Carolina.
O'Guin
Mr. Richard O'Guin has been
named manager of Wesley Long Hospital's laboratory, succeeding Mrs.
Pamela Shaw. Beginning duties on
November 17, O'Guin will direct
laboratory staff and interact with various hospital department managers
and physicians, insuring the effective
operation of this department.
Holiday Blood Drive
Wesley Long Hospital will be joined by the other three city hospitals in
a joint blood drive effort this December.
The Red Cross Bloodmobile will be at Wesley Long on Thursday,
December 18 from 1:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. in Thompson Auditorium.
This will be our gift to the community for the holiday season. It is
hoped, as in the past, that Wesley Long staff will show its support by
giving blood.
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER, 1980
A Winning Team
This past August marked the third
anniversary of Wesley Long's I.V. Team.
There is, perhaps, no better time to reflect
on the progress this group of nurses has
made.
Intravenous (I.V.) therapy is a type
of medical treatment which most patients fear and often associate with
being critically ill. It means being
stuck with a needle, which in itself
prompts anxiety, and then having to
endure its presence for as long as the
doctor orders.
Wesley Long Hospital has a staff of
nine specially trained nurses who
contantly strive to dispel patient's
fears and deliver I.V. care with as little
pain and discomfort as possible. Each
member of the team is a licensed registered nurse, has at least two years
experience as a staff nurse, and has
completed a minimum of six weeks
intensive on-the-job training with the
I.V. team.
At Wesley Long, caring for the patient's I.V. needs was once the responsibility of the staff nurse.
"Wesley Long has a well qualfied
and skillful group of I.V. nurses. Ihave
watched the maturity of the team
since its inception, and they are a
highly motivated and professional
team."
(Dr. Murray Abrams)
Now, in 1980, the progress and expansion of the team is very apparent.
From a team of three in 1977, the staff
has grown to employ nine nurses. Initiation of an I.V. (venipuncture) is
now the total responsibility of the I.V.
nurse. But the job only begins here.
I.V. maintenance, routine tubing
checks, dressing changes, plus any
special I.V. needs are all a part of this
nursing specialty. These duties are
performed for any hospitalized patient requiring I.V. therapy, and at
least one team member is on duty 24
hours a day, seven days a week. (The
team performs venipuncture for Intensive and Coronary Care and
Emergency Room patients only on request.)
The team's job becomes more involved with the administration of
varied types of I.V.'s. They administer chemotherapy (treatment of disease by chemical agents given intravenously) and hyperalimentation
(intravenous administration of large
quantities of nutrients), as well as
blood transfusions and skin tests.
These treatments demand precision;
there is no room for error. Consequently, I.V. nurses at Wesley Long
continually update their knowledcge
of new I.V. drugs, equipment and
methods of administration.
Says Dr. David Sillmon, Greensboro physician, "Wesley Long I.V.
nurses are very conscientious and are
able to deal with new drugs and
methods extremely well."
In order to provide continuity for
the patient, team member Judi Blaser
works with the majority of patients
requiring chemotherapy. She has recently taken an intensive two week
course on chemotherapy drugs and
their administration at Bowman Gray
School of Medicine with Sue Enright,
the hospital's oncology nurse.
Greensoro surgeon, Dr. Murray
Abrams who works closely with the
I.V. team points out, "Wesley Long
has a well qualified and skillful group
of I.V. nurses. I have watched the
maturity of the team since its inception, and they are a highly motivated
and professional team. Due to the expertise of this exceptional group we
are now able to administer hyperalimentation centrally and without fear
of complication."
Making rounds...
Another area which the team is active in is staff and patient teaching.
Team supervisor, Gail Hall, conducts
in-sevice education and I.V. therapy
for all new staff nurses and will soon
begin presenting similar programs for
any staff nurse. Also planned for the
near future is a teaching program for
nursery staff nurses. Already in prog-
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