Reflection is an active conscious process, which enables us to learn from experience (Boud, et al. 1987). It is a transformative process that changes individuals and their actions (Johns and Freshwater. 1998). All nurses must have the ability to make effective appropriate decisions in practice, as there is an acknowledgment that reflective practice can help them make sense of their experiences, aiding them throughout their professional development (Taylor. 2010). The aspect of care I have chosen to reflect on is the assessment, measurement and monitoring of vital signs. I have chosen this topic as in practice I had difficulty in obtaining an accurate blood pressure reading on a child. The themes comprised include confidentiality, consent, family centred care and verbal communication with the client, family and my mentor. After comparing models of reflection, I have chosen ‘Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle’ (Appendix 1) as this was a clear and precise model, which allowed me to describe, analyse, evaluate my experience and also formulate an action plan. The patient’s name is fictitious to protect her anonymity in accordance with the NMC Code of Conduct 920080, as the code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives’ (2008) denotes that nurses must respect an individual’s right to confidentiality (Nursing and Midwifery Council. 2013).
As a first year student I was allocated an eleven month old patient named Ava who has just arrived at the paediatric assessment unit with bronchiolitis. It was clarified to me by my mentor to record the patient’s vital signs, weight, height and a urinalysis, as these are all included in the admission assessment. Prior to the delivery of care I checked that I had obtained all equi...
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...oader knowledge in gaining consent with a young child and comprehend that consent is then the parent’s responsibility. I have also achieved a greater understanding of communication with a young child, their parents and also my mentor in practice. This has boosted my confidence when communicating with individuals of whom I do not know, both verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
From reflecting on this experience, I have attained efficient knowledge on the importance of using a family centred approach, and understand that to achieve this; it is essential to always work in partnership with the parents, or whoever holds parental responsibilities for a patient in my care. In the future, I will introduce communication through play with the children who I come in contact with, as to me this can help ease their anxiety and also bring normality in a different setting.
The purpose of this Reflective assignment is to demonstrate how the application of the Registered Nurses standards for practise (2016) can be used in reflective practise. The Registered Nurses standards of Practise (2016) states that RN’s should develop their practise through reflecting on experiences, knowledge, actions, their feelings and beliefs and recognise how these factors shape professional practise(RNSP, 1.2).Reflection allows individuals to look back on their day-to-day situations and how they made us react and feel; what we would change if we had the chance, to create a different outcome; and what we would do next time to enhance the way we conduct ourselves in a professional manner.
I believe this can only benefit the hospital and patient care, and have a new way that the patient is cared for. Treating the whole family, instead of just the patient is what the future is all about. Implementation of this type of care requires creating a partnership between the patient, physicians, nurses, and patient’s families. This can only improve performance improvement, and treat the patient the way we would want to be treated. My goal is to decrease the patients and families anxiety throughout their hospital experience, and keep the whole family informed of the patients treatment plan.
This paper will discuss a case study of Liam, a three-month-old boy who is transferred from the General Practitioner (GP) to paediatric ward with bronchiolitis. Initially, Liam’s chief health issues will be identified, following by nursing assessment and diagnoses of the child’s need. Focus will be made on the management of two major health problems: respiratory distress and dehydration, and summary and evaluation of the interventions with evidence of learning. Lastly, a conclusion of author’s self-evaluation will be present.
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? ?
I will be using the Gibbs, G. (1988) model of reflection to reflect upon for this essay, as this six stage cycle will guide me through the process of description to the action plan, as I find myself to be an active/reflective learner and feel that I can relate to, and learn something that is of value to my practice, and future career and lifelong learning skills through this model of reflection. Throughout this reflective account I will refer to the patient as Mr X, in order to respect confidentiality and maintain his anonymity (NMC) (2008), and local trust policies and guidelines (2009).
Burns, S. Bulman, C. Palmer, A. (1997) Reflective Practice in Nursing - The growth of the professional practitioner. London: Blackwell Science.
The ability to become reflective in practice has become a necessary skill for health professionals. This is to ensure that health professionals are continuing with their daily learning and improving their practice. Reflective practice plays a big part in healthcare today and is becoming increasingly noticed.
I believe that learning is a journey that both child and educator set out on together. This journey is a privilege that I take seriously, realizing that a child’s early years are a key formative time in their life. I believe that it is during this time that important foundations are being set in place that will not only impact them in the present but will also influence them later on in life.
Rolfe, Gary; Freshwater, Dawn; Jasper, Melanie (2001). Critical reflection for nursing and the helping professions: a user's guide. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York: Palgrave. pp. 26–35
This assignment focuses on an incident which was experienced during a community placement. The patient suffered from bowel cancer, my mentor and I were visiting her to change her dressing. The names of people have been changed to ensure confidentiality Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2008). Gibbs (1988) cited in Jasper (2013) will be used as the reflective model because it is simple and, easy to understand. Through the model’s six key stages I will describe my experience and how I maintained dignity while giving personal care to patients in the community. Writing a reflective account makes one relive their thoughts and, feelings and make appropriate changes when required (Howaston-Jones, 2013).
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.
Continued Professional Development is now an important part of ongoing registration with the NMC and is essential in maintaining professional standards. In order to revalidate, nurses must write 5 reflective accounts within a 3 year period and each reflective account must explain what the nurse has learnt from the CPD activity and explain how it relates to the Code of Conduct and in particular the 4 themes of Prioritising People, Practicing Effectively, Preserving Safety and Promoting Professionalism and Trust.. Nurses also have to discuss the written reflective accounts with another NMC registered nurse coving the 5 reflective accounts Section 9.2 of the NMC code of conduct asks nurses to “gather and reflect on feedback from a variety of sources, using it to improve your practice and performance” (NMC, 2015) This is why the NMC promotes reflective practice as it ensures the nurse is practicing within their competency and in a safe manner while identifying any areas for improvement in their practice Reflective practice also makes the nurses more accountable for their actions.. (NMC, 2015) Reflective writing is an important feature of professional 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 area that could be
Reflection is not something new; it has been used for years. According to the article “Exploring reflective thinking in nursing practice” publish...