Learning Experience Reflection

Being a student in the UW nursing school, I can not only take advantage of the special classroom settings, but also the advanced technology. With classroom settings designed for active learning, it gives me opportunities to share my thoughts and ideas with other students. Instead of listening passively, we would work as a team to find out the best solution for patients. Besides, the unique state-of-the-art technology allows me to practice and apply my knowledge in a simulated hospital setting. Since every practice is recorded, I can take a look at those videos several times and self-reflect. Thus, I can correct my mistakes and improve.

Discuss a clinical experience in which you had to incorporate one or more learning styles such as visual, kinesthetic, and auditory. Explain the outcomes and how you created an effective learning experience.

My second clinical day at Mercy Defiance Hospital, progressive care unit, was overwhelming but rewarding and very educational. Through the 8 hours I was there, I learned a lot. I engaged myself in many self-directing learning practices to futher promote my professional growth. My first time interaccting with my patient,I was joined with my clinical instructor. While in the room, I got to listen to to my patients heart, lungs, and bowel sounds. I was able to see and examine the patients ostomy bag, as well as help them to the bathroom. There were ways that I can improve my professional growth, suchas,having the confidence to not second guess my self about things to do in assessments. For example, I know how to assess the lungs, I should not second guess where to listen for the sounds. One of my goals for next week dealing with professional growth would be to have the confidence to know what I have learned and use it. My second one being to go into the room with a confident attitude and believe in myself.

Develop teaching methods that will help patients and colleagues to learn about valuable technique for improving care.

This learning will occur in a quiet exam room in a local clinic at a time that will best work for the client. The exam room will be quiet with a window to the courtyard. The teaching will not be rushed. KV and I will be sitting at a table facing each other. I will have written information as well as visual aides to promote learning. This will promote the learning by minimizing distractions, and allowing the learner to feel comfortable. I will include pictures and diagrams in the teaching as the client does learn best hands on. I will also use the clinic resources such as pamphlets and research studies to aid my teaching. I

Friedman, A. J., Boyko, S., Cosby, R., Hatton-Bauer, J., & Turnbull, G. (2009). Effective Teaching Strategies and Methods of Delivery for Patient Education. 37.

The characteristics of my job will require focusing on the advantages and the disadvantages of one-to-one instruction and that of demonstration and return demonstration. Group discussions, team-based learning, cooperative learning, and seminars are instructional areas for which I can recommend my patients to attend. One-on-one instruction allows the exchange of information between the nurse and patient with regards to the characteristics of the patient, behavioral objectives, educator skills, and selection of appropriate teaching material (Bastable, 2014, p. 509). The communication skills are vital for nursing to create a relationship with the patient that would create an environment conducive to teach. Demonstration and return demonstration allows a nurse to show how to perform particular skills and evaluate the reacceptance of the skill by observing the patient perform it with minimal assistance (Bastable, 2014, p. 483). These instructional methods are stretched out over the course of the patient’s stay and are not the sole focus of teaching only at discharge. I take advantage of teaching moments throughout the shift to help plan for an effective final discharge instructions. This hand on approach allows teaching moments to have a positive affect on clients when presented with written material and information upon

My long-term career goal is to combine clinical practice with academia. While my teaching experience was limited to leading small group discussions as a cell biology teacher assistant at UMBC and tutoring Biochemistry and Physiology to fellow medical students, I found it intellectually challenging and rewarding to find engaging ways to help students make connections between the required clinical knowledge and an actual clinical

Remembering biology from various undergraduate courses, I started by explaining the cellular structure of a plant and I enthusiastically continued on with the photosynthesis process. I drew pictures which amplified the process and helped my student to retain her knowledge. From then on, I became a trusted source of guidance and support for students in the program. But more importantly, I realized my own passion for learning and desire to share that knowledge. I have always had a very strong desire to share my knowledge with others, from explaining basic math problems to elementary kids to the importance of proper therapy to patients in orthopedic clinic. I believe patient education is the main road to success in patient care. It empowers them and gives them more control over their recovery and rehabilitation. As a physical therapist, I will make my priority to equip with knowledge not only my patients but also future aspiring therapists in order to make our profession to grow.

For my Community Service Learning placement, I am volunteering for PAAL, which is a program for children and youth with physical and intellectual impairments. Their vision is to offer individuals who otherwise may not get the chance, an opportunity to participate in a wide variety of physical activities.

Reflection is thought by linking recent experience with early experience to promote more complex and interrelated mental models or patterns. The thinking involves looking for commonalities, differences, and interrelations beyond their superficial elements. The goal is to develop higher order thinking skills.

According to Kathleen Flecky and Lynn Gitlow, service-learning is defined as, “learning that occurs in experiences, reflection, and civic engagement” (Flecky & Gitlow, 2011). In recent years more universities are implementing service learning into their curriculum. A key concept of service learning is civic responsibility. Civic responsibility can simply be defined as your responsibilities as a citizen. As will be shown later in this paper, service learning can have many benefits not only to a student, but also to the community members

It is obvious that all of our instructors have a common goal, which is for all of us to learn as much as we possibly can. I honestly think that by allowing as many opportunities as possible to see and experience as much as possible will help us all learn from our clinical experiences.

"…reflection in a mirror is an exact replica of what is in front of it. Reflection in professional practice… gives back not what it is, but what might be, an improvement on the original…" Biggs (1999).

In today’s competitive world, people are expected to be highly effective and efficient. They need specific skills and knowledge for their education or work purposes. This has enforced various skill enhancement programs proposed by fraternity all over the world.