IntroductionAs a nursing student, my work has been very demanding. Throughout my career, I recognized that I played a major role in providing critical care to patients recovering from surgery. I have managed to help a few patients regain consciousness and I am also responsible for managing their condition until discharge. My responsibilities in the post-anesthesia unit were as follows: My roles in the post-anesthesia unit My first role was to monitor patients who were outside the operating theatre. I would do this by making sure to continually assess the patient until they wake up. As soon as he woke up, I helped the patient understand his environment by regaining consciousness. I normally took care of a few patients at a time to ensure that each patient received maximum attention. The main parameters I monitored included pulse and heart rate. My second role on the unit was to respond to various complications resulting from cholecystectomy surgery. If the patient was afraid, I spoke to him in a good and reassuring voice to calm him down. In some cases, patients had difficulty breathing due to lying flat in the same position for a long time during the operation. In these cases, I would make sure to help the patient sit up, breathe deeply, and cough to prevent certain illnesses like pneumonia. In extreme circumstances, I have been forced to insert a breathing line or breathing tube in order to help the patient breathe. My third role on the unit was to educate family members about how anesthesia works and what to expect from the operation. I also played an important role in explaining potential side effects or complications of the anesthesia used, such as...... middle of paper ......ves. I was able to enjoy the practical experience of what I learned in class. By participating in the unit's activities, I learned how critical thinking acts as an important tool in the medical field and how effective use of this tool can help provide quality care to the various patients on the unit post-anesthesia. However, I realized that I needed to develop more skills to educate the patient and family about anesthesia and its side effects, preoperative considerations, and vital signs that indicate patient stability or instability . Works Cited Gulanick, M. and Myers, JL (2011). Nursing care plans: diagnoses, interventions and outcomes. St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby. Keat, S., Lanham, S. and Bate, S. (2012). Anesthesia in motion. London: Hodder Education. Zadock, F. (2010). Fundamentals of Nursing. Sydney: Livorno Publishers.