The purpose of this essay is to reflect on my experience as an adult student nurse from a clinical setting in older adults using Gibbs (1988) model of reflection. Gibbs cycle is systematic , straight forward and encourages a clear description of the situation (Vaughan, no year). It will allow me to analyse and provide better understanding of my experience and draw conclusions relating to personal outcomes. Forrest (2008) described three purposes of reflection: to re-examine our understanding of knowledge, to enhance our own personal awareness and to assess the appropriateness of our action. On the other hand, Smith (2011) mentioned that students can use critical reflection as it uses a number of learning outcomes that may include enhanced thinking, …show more content…
As best practice, patients’ will be screened and assessed if they are at risk of developing pressure sores by using risk assessment tools combined with clinical judgement and skin assessment (Pang 1998). Also, information to patient family and carers are important to be able to identify signs to look out for (Hunter and Davies , 2014). To promote healing, the development of individual care plans and continuous evaluation and revision to meet the patient’s individual needs is essential. Additionally, coordination is needed between different health services which will involve other relevant staff such as dieticians, nurses, doctors, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and tissue viability nurses, exchanging information on different aspects of patient care to be able to provide a patient-centred care plan. (Essence of Care …show more content…
The awareness of the risk assessment tools and methods to prevent pressure sores are essential in my nursing career to help save lives and improve the patients quality of life. This experience also showed me the importance of turning patients to reduce pressure on weight bearing areas or areas with pressure sores, and the use of pressure relieving mattresses In the prevention of pressure sores. In treating pressure sores, I now understand the role of the healthcare staff and the importance of coordination between them to formulate a patient centred care plan. It is also essential to follow the aseptic non-touch technique procedure in changing wound dressings to prevent the risk of developing infection and to promote healing. In the future, I will be more observant and will use critical analysis and reflection in every situation to be able to have better understanding of what is happening around
Willock et al, (2007) developed a detailed questionnaire based on a paediatric and adult pressure ulcer literature. A survey of 265 in patients in a paediatric hospital in the UK was conducted so detailed data could be obtained. The study found anaemia emerged as being a highly significant aspect of determining pressure ulcers. As a result of this study, the Glamorgan scale was
To sustained the PSI a clear recognition from senior healthcare staffs such as continence nurse advisers, the nurse specialist and community nurse and support by training, coping and adopting strategy to change is needed (NHS ΙΙΙ 2008). The role of the nurse involves investigating patient, communicating with the other healthcare team members such as community nurses to help ensuring the use of the cover for the catheter stand is an essential element of care, rather than being dismissed or patient isolating them self due to stigma (RCN 2013).
The field of nursing is one that requires much passion, hard work and critical thinking. It is a nurses job to promote the well being of their patients and help the return to normal function. However unfortunate events occur, resulting in patients receiving adverse health conditions as a result of being in a medical facility One of the most prevalent of these nosocomial conditions are pressure ulcers. Not only do the patients suffer from the pain of pressure ulcers but the hospitals and medical facilities are effected as well. A randomized controlled trial conducted by Pickham et al. reported that “ Pressure ulcers are insidious complications that affect approximately 2.5 million patients and account for approximately US$$ 11 billion in annual health care spending each year” (2016). Pressure ulcers not only cause the patient pain but “even contribute to disability and
Nurses are able to reflect upon their past experiences of work and build and improve this ensuring their level of competence and skills is in line with NMC guidelines. Improving the quality of care provided to patients is an ongoing process and requires practitioners to contently reflect and improve their practice. (Howatson-Jones, 2013) One way in which reflection can improve the quality of care is through the use of professional supervision, as stated by (Daly, Speedy and Jackson, 2014) a focus for supervision should be enhancing a nurse’s skills and ability to reflect on practice. It should reflect on the standard of care provided and highlight areas for improvement such as further training. This, in turn, leads to a greater self-awareness of practitioners’ own abilities. The process is not about finding faults, but to improve and learn to ensure the quality of care is high and professional for all patients. Being self-aware is a skill important to reflection and the provision of quality of
Reflection and analysis of critical incidents is widely regarded as a valuable learning tool for nurses. Practice requires us to explore our actions and feelings and examine evidence-based literature, thus bridging the gap between theory and practice (Bailey 1995). It also affords us the opportunity to change our way of thinking or practicing, for when we reflect on an incident we can learn valuable lessons from what did and did not work. In this way, we develop self-awareness and skills in critical thinking and problem solving (Rich & Parker 2001). Critical incidents? ?
Around the 1960s, nursing educational leaders wanted to formulate a nursing theory that contained knowledge and basic principles to guide future nurses’ in their practice (Thorne, 2010, p.64). Thus, Jacqueline Fawcett introduced the metaparadigm of nursing. Metaparadigm “identifies the concepts central to the discipline without relating them to the assumptions of a particular world view” (MacIntyre & Mcdonald, 2014). Fawcett’s metaparadigm of nursing included concepts of person, environment, health, and nursing that were interrelated. The metaparadigm ultimately contributed to conceptual framework to guide nurses to perform critical thinking and the nursing process in everyday experiences in clinical settings.
The reduction of pressure ulcer prevalence rates is a national healthcare goal (Lahmann, Halfens, & Dassen, 2010). Pressure ulcer development causes increased costs to the medical facility and delayed healing in the affected patients (Thomas, 2001). Standards and guidelines developed for pressure ulcer prevention are not always followed by nursing staff. For example, nurses are expected to complete a full assessment on new patients within 24 hours at most acute-care hospitals and nursing homes (Lahmann et al., 2010). A recent study on the causes of pressure ulcer de...
In order to engage in meaningful communication and develop effective communication skills, nurses must engage in the process of reflecting on how communication skills are utilised in practise. Reflection allows the nurse opportunity to gain a deeper insight into personal strengths and weaknesses and to address any areas of concern in order to improve future practise (Taylor 2001). A further aim will be to reflect on how communication skills have been utilised within nursing practise. Various models of reflection will be examined, and a reflective account of a personal experience which occurred during placement will be provided using a model. This reflective account will involve a description the incident, an analysis of thoughts and feelings and an evaluation of what has occurred. Fin...
Middleton, J. (2004). A Practical To Promote Reflective Practice Within Nursing .Retrieved March 31, 2004 from www.nursingtimes.net.
The following essay is a reflective paper on an event that I encountered as a student nurse during my first clinical placement in my first year of study. The event took place in a long term facility. This reflection is about the patient whom I will call Mrs. D. to protect her confidentiality. Throughout this essay I will be using LEARN model of reflection. I have decided to reflect on the event described in this essay since I believe that it highlights the need for nurses to have effective vital signs ‘assessment skills especially when treating older patients with complex medical diagnoses.
A study conducted by academics found that undergraduate nurses feel reflection is the key to changing and improving their practice. (Bulman, Lathlean, & Gobbi, 2011). Reflection assists nurses to enhance their nursing abilities by encouraging them to reflect on negative experiences, in order to overcome similar experiences in the future. This essay will aim to demonstrate the importance of reflection within nursing, additionally providing me with a platform to reflect on my decision to become a nurse. I will begin by reflecting upon the factors that influenced me to choose nursing, followed by an explanation of the benefits that reflection has on nursing. The essay will conclude by summarising how I will put reflection in practice throughout
It may have been something you did differently that had a positive result and you may conclude you would do it again upon reflection. The most important part of reflection is making sense of situations and events that occur so that our decision making and any actions we take lead to good, effective practice. Nurses have to keep a record of their continued professional development. At annual reviews, nurses are able to present evidence of their development through a portfolio which should contain reflective accounts of their practice. These reflective accounts will help them identify strengths and weaknesses, highlight their performance, improve their skills and highlight any areas that could be developed.
Help improved my clinical skills and professional development, made me proactive and thus have learnt that reflection is an important tool for student nurse to improve on their practice.
Our approach in managing wounds was far from being optimal in our own setting. After having read the article of Sibbald et al (1) and assisting to presentations during the first residential week-end, our approach at St. Mary 's Hospital Center 's Family Medicine Clinic must change. We were not classifying wounds as healable, maintenance or non-healable. We were always considering the wounds in our practice as healable despite considering the system 's restraints or the patients ' preferences. In the following lines, I will define and summarize the methods one should use in order to initial management of wounds and how to integrate it better to our site. The first goal we need to set is to determine its ability to heal. In order to ascertain if a wound is healable, maintenance or a non-healable wound.
Reflection is not something new; it has been used for years. According to the article “Exploring reflective thinking in nursing practice” publish...