Introduction
Medical institutions are some of the most frequently visited places in the community and are characterized by complex human interactions. As a result, the site I selected to complete the exercises is a local private pediatric clinic that serves members of the community. The institution generally attends to children but they can also address the cases of pregnant women, often accompanied by caregivers and spouses. Therefore, the setting provided an adequate environment to keenly observe individuals’ activities and note their social interactions.
Descriptive Notes
Portrait of Subjects and Description of Activities
Description of Physical Setting
The most striking attribute of the pediatric institution is its high levels of sanitation. The setting is filled with posters advising individuals to dispose of garbage at their respective disposal areas, grouped into plastics, papers, non-decomposable, and decomposable materials. Although the facility serves the local community, it is uniquely designed and placed in a strategic position, which makes it more accessible to individuals. However, the facility smells like alcohol swabs, spirit, and a mixture of medicines. All walls are painted white, some are filled with carts, and there is a notice board at the facility’s entrance.
The reception room is arranged with seats and amenities like water dispensers, which are readily available to patients. However, the most striking attribute of the environment is its limited visitors, constituting individuals who are well off and financially stable. The receiving area is well-placed and all nurses are situated in their seating areas, marked for emergency, general purposes, and consultation. The nurses are dressed in white uniforms and situated at specific positions according to particular medical handles. The receptionist caters to all customers who visit the institution while designated nurses address issues of individuals who previously sought an appointment. The setting is also organized and well maintained to meet the standards of high-quality service provision.
Reconstruction of Dialogue and Account of Events
- 11: 02 – Patient 1 arrives with her son and talks to the nurse receptionist. The patient states “I have been experiencing some issues. Could you please help? I am having sleepless nights as he doesn’t sleep at all. Whenever he is tired he cries himself to sleep and I can’t help.”
- 11: 16 – An Asian couple walks in but does not seem to speak a lot of English. Thus, the patient experience notable issues with communication, but is finally led to a room where practitioners attended to them.
- 11:10 – Patient 2 arrives and communicates to the nurse, “My daughter has been experiencing excessive diarrhea over the past two days. I don’t know what I have done wrong as I exclusively breastfeed her. “
- 11:30 – Patient 5 arrives and seems to be under immense pressure. The patient’s mother shouts, “Please help me, my son is bleeding.” I will pay, just help me and I will pay for everything.” The patient is quickly rushed into the emergency room as the nurses follow.
- 11:30 – A patient arrives with her bodyguard and states, “Can I get any assistance as I have an appointment today.”
- 11:50 – An Indian couple walks into the facility, and speaks fluently to the receptionist. The father suggests, “I’d like some antibiotics and painkillers for my kid as he is experiencing some issues.” The nurse advises them, “Halo, I cannot help you unless you first confirm with the medical doctor at the station.
- 11:50 – An Asian female arrives with a bodyguard and her child. The woman addresses the nurse receptionist, “Halo. How are you? I had an appointment could you please confirm whether I can speak to the doctor as I am in a hurry. The nurse quickly hurries to the doctor’s room and the woman follows.
Reflections on the Observer’s Behavior
The most intriguing aspect of the pediatric institution is its levels of the organization. Immediately, after I entered the facility, I noticed that everything was organized and designed to ensure patients’ comfort. Additionally, the environment was clean and full of directions showing individuals how to proceed after parking their vehicles. Moreover, the facility is equipped with the latest technologies, including a security scanner at the entrance, where patients are required to share their personal information and book visits as soon as they show up in the facility. In addition, I noticed that the clinic was overpriced as individuals paid more fees for consultation and other basic services compared to public institutions. Additionally, the staff at the facility was quick to react ad handles issues promptly.
Compared to public facilities, private facilities are more advanced as they have sufficient access to resources and finances to ensure their development. Moreover, the individuals who visited the facility seemed well-off as most of them were smartly dressed and well-presented. However, an observation that I made was that the institution prioritizes wealthy individuals as they were quick to handle the case of the woman who came with her bodyguard, as she did not wait in line. Instead, she was served immediately after she arrived at the institution and was directed to the clinician’s office for assistance. Nevertheless, the institution delivers high-quality healthcare to its customers and patients.
Themes
One theme that I observed is that the institution is a high-pressure environment. The customer that caught my attention was the Black-American woman, who kept pacing up and down seeking assistance as she was under stress. A high-pressure environment in medical settings means that things are disorganized and dynamic, requiring increased attention and more effort. Medical emergencies can end up being disastrous especially when patients are not familiar with what is causing the issue. Thus, the situation creates a strenuous environment where nurses are expected to act fast and assist.
Another element of the medical setting is its high social stature and services offered to individuals of high social class. Most people visiting public institutions do so because of the diminished costs. However, most people visiting the private pediatric institution did not have any issue with the overpriced payments. Social class is a critical theme in healthcare service delivery because medical care is costly. Thus, only those who can part with high bills access higher quality health services.
The final theme that I observed in the institution is illness and disease. All individuals visiting the institution came to address issues associated with their children feeling unwell or seeking medical attention due to appointments. Moreover, the setting was filled with charts and amenities advising individuals about sanitation and what to do when ill. Disease is a feature of populations in the community, and medical institutions offer assistance. Hence, it is a critical theme of the setting as the practitioners handled various cases of children reported sick.
Conclusion
Observation is a reliable technique to obtain information regarding a particular setting or individual’s behaviors as it does not involve a researcher’s participation. Moreover, it allows researchers time to evaluate what they observe and ensure that all information obtained aligns with the study’s initiatives. The aforementioned case focuses on the activities of a pediatric clinic, addressing children’s issues. However, the institution deals with several other issues and is characterized by complicated human interactions. Thus, it presented a reliable environment to conduct the observation exercises and note down relevant activities.