Reflective Practice Essay examples

In this assignment I will be reflecting on a clinical skills formative assessment, to do this I will be using the driscoll’s model of reflection (2007) This model will be used in the essay to show that I have thought critically, relating the theory to practical session I will also be using this model because this is a recognized framework that will assist me in demonstrating how able I am to think and reflect critically on my assessment.

Effective reflection helps the practitioner to see the situation from an outsider's perspective, so that they can develop a better way to respond to a similar scenario in the future. Reflection is meant to achieve a change in practice, rather than simply repeating the same mistakes (Schon, 1983). Many different models exist for structuring the reflective process. Regardless of the framework used, the reflection models are meant to accomplish three things. They are supposed to promote reflecting on events, self-evaluation and analysis, and a plan to change actions in the future. This Reflective essay will utilize Driscoll's 'The What?' model as its structure (Driscoll, 1994). This model has three components"

Reflective practice is often defined as when practitioners engage in a continuous cycle of self observation and self evaluation in order to understand their own actions and reactions they prompt in themselves and in learners (Brookfield, 1995; Thiel, 1999). The goal is not necessarily to address a specific problem or question defined at the outset, as in practitioner research but to observe and refine practice in general on an ongoing basis. (Cunningham 2001). Reflection on practice is a key skill for nurses. Engaging in regular reflection allows practitioners to manage the personal and professional impact of addressing their patients’ fundamental health and wellbeing needs daily (Oelofsen, 2012)

The focus of professional behavior is the therapeutic patient relationship and, requires protection of the patient modesty, privacy and autonomy amongst other patient rights (NCSBN, 2013). When a therapeutic relationship is achieved patient and family members perceive care to be better due to the appeal to their emotion being positive. Additionally, patients and family members described primarily receiving excellent nursing care when relationships were therapeutic (Jeffs et al., 2013). Maintaining a therapeutic relationship between a patient and nurse requires being cognizant of the role of the nurse and being involved appropriately to meet optimal health goals without crossing boundaries, while maintaining a professional image. Nurse’s involvement

Personal reflection in nursing is essential and critical as it allows for continuous development and re-assessment of skills whilst working within a health care setting (Reflective practice: a tool to enhance professional practice 2011, pp.1-3). Personal reflection is important as reflective practice allows for the ability for one to reflect and examine their actions and experiences which overall will increase and enhance their clinical knowledge, as well as developing and improving their practice (Reflective practice: a tool to

Giving myself time to read up on nursing experiences, attending more clinical practice labs, participating and watching these duties in the health care setting will allow me to develop a secure level of confidence the next time that this type of situation may occur. Staying in the room allowed me to experience the feeling of support while looking past social norms and how they are challenged. I met my personal values, and I believe that one should respect another person`s privacy. This understanding allowed me to be there to support the resident during her time of need. In the article `starting out` by Jane Schulz, a nursing student shares her experience of helping her colleague assist an elderly patient with daily care. Observing the compassion and care between nurse and patient from fundamental tasks, she took away a valued lesson of how our support and caring methods affect an individual. My relation to this story allowed me to reflect on the effects my care and supporting actions had on our patient.

Gustaffson and Fagerberg point out that reflective practice has relevance for clinical practice as by understanding the contents of nurses’ reflections, it is also possible to understand the advantages of reflective practice and how and when such measures should be used by the nurses for further professional development.

In recent years, reflection and reflective practice have become well-known term with in the health care arena. They are words that have been debated and discussed with in the health care setting (Tony and Sue 2006). Reflective practice is essential for nurses, as nurses are responsible for providing care to the best of their ability to patients and their families (NMC, 2008). Reid (1993) states reflection is a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice. Johns (1995) notes that reflection enables practitioners to assess, understand and learn through their experience. Reflective practice, therefore, offers nurses an opportunity to review their decisions and

With respect to my feelings, for the first few minutes after the incident, I struggled over the decision to inform my mentor about what I had witnessed or otherwise. I found it particularly challenging because as a first year student on my very first clinical placement, I had little or no clinical experience yet. I can relate this feeling to Carper’s (1978) fundamental pattern of knowing in nursing in which “during the personal way of knowing, the practitioner responds to situations in terms of their own mental models, vision,

One of the hardest parts of being a nurse is not becoming too attached to the given patient at hand. Although it is incredibly important to have a good relationship with patients, for you are the main person interacting with them on a day-to-day basis, it is also essential to create an emotional distance. According to an article regarding doctor, nurse, and patient relationships, “Despite the need for nurses to be able to emotionally relate to their patients, being able to maintain a certain distance or detachment from their patients is also considered an important part of the relationship because it allows nurses to keep an objective point-of-view” (Murata). This idea can also be seen within Florence Nightingale’s fundamentals of nursing, for she too, stresses the idea of being aware of a patients’ conditions. In order to keep the professionalism of a nurse, they must learn to balance out their emotional sides and focus more on the job at hand. With this in mind, nurses must not let toxic feelings toward a patient get in the way of their work. No matter if a patient is rude or hard to work with, all health care experts must remain professional and handle the situation as etiquettely as possible. As said before, without becoming too attached to a patient, it is critically important to provide a patient with the best care and respect while they are under your responsibility as a nurse. It is not

As nurses, it is hard at times to remain neutral and not favor one patient

During my clinical competency placement, I was working on a surgical ward when a registered nurse on duty asked me to assist Mr. A with his shower. This incident happened on the fifth day of my clinical practice. He was a dementia patient and had undergone right knee total joint replacement. She also informed me that the patient did not like too many people in his room because of his dementia. When I went into his room, his wife was there with him. I talked to the patient about having a shower and getting dressed to look smart and he agreed to have a shower. The patient got out of the bed and walked to the bathroom and sat on the shower chair to have his shower. Then I asked his wife if I needs to stay with him to assist with shower, she said she can help him as she was taking care for him at home since he has been diagnosed with dementia. Therefore, I left the patient with his wife to help with his shower and told her to ring the bell if she needs any help. After some time I left the room, the wife rang the bell. As soon as I entered the room, I heard him shouting at his wife and she started crying and left the hospital. So I had to stay with him. He was very capable of washing himself and I just had to help him wash his back as he requested. After he had washed, I asked him if he was ready to get out of the bath, he started shouting at me.

Reflective practice is important because it accurately assesses the need of each service user. It is essential that all care workers become familiar with reflective practice as our profession depends on shared support, care workers.

Before I first started my essay, I looked and noticed that I had to do a documented research essay. I then had to come up with a topic for my essay. I chose ADHA for my topic, then I have done some research on this topic. I had to find all the information I wanted to know about this topic I had chosen to write about. I had to write down everything I could find about this topic, so I could write my essay. With this topic, there is a lot of web pages that have a lot of information that will help you get everything you need.

Reflective practice engages practitioners in a continuous cycle of self-observation and self-evaluation in order to understand their own actions and the reactions they prompt in themselves and in learners (Brookfield, 1995; Thiel, 1999). Reflective practice is considered as an evolving concept which views learning as “an active process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice.” (Reid, B 1993 cited in Garfat, T. 2005).