Introduction
Serving as a nurse requires a few self-strengths to enable one to perform better when dealing with patients. In turn, poor memory can be a disadvantage for a nurse when dealing with patients since it comes with making costly mistakes that can lead to patients’ death. The event that this paper addresses concerns the failure to administer medication to a patient on time due to poor memory in a nurse. Specifically, as the nurse’s memory was weakened by the increase in the amount of workload and the range of responsibilities, several medications were not administered to several patients. Nurse mentors are always required to be well-behaved so as to serve as role models to other nurses. All mentor nurses are required to have strong interpersonal and communication skills and set a positive example for other nurses.
Determining the specific instances of the event, one must mention an occurrence during which a patient was not provided with the necessary injection that had been planned accordingly. Specifically, the patient did not receive the required antibiotics despite the presence of a severe case of influenza. The specified case had nearly led to a noticeable deterioration in the patient’s health.
Self-Strengths and Weaknesses in Communication
The problem of poor memory and the associated concerns started developing gradually, which was the main reason for them to be overlooked. At the beginning, I started misplacing items and tools in the workplace, which led to the delay in respective healthcare services, and, eventually, failed to administer medication to patients on time. The specified issues were addressed by introducing tools for better task management, ranging from traditional to digital ones, and including reminders and schedules. Eventually, I realized that the issue had to be addressed as a healthcare issue and consulted several resources in order to determine the medication to use as the means of keeping my memory functioning properly. Admittedly, the entire experience as quite troubling and unnerving to me. The threat of losing such an important part of my cognitive skills affected my attitude toward the issue drastically. Eventually, I developed a framework for training my memory and consuming the medicine necessary for keeping it sharp.
Some of my communication self-strengths are empathy and respectful listening, while poor memory is my communication weakness as a nurse. Empathy allows me to connect with my patients on a deeper level and create a compassionate, healing environment (Bullington et al., 2019). The openness leads to better patient compliance, as patients are more likely to follow instructions when they feel supported by their nurse.
On the other hand, there are a few ways in which poor memory in communication may affect my professional practice as a nurse. First, it is important to be able to remember key information about my patients in order to provide them with the best possible care. If I am unable to remember important details about a patient, I may make mistakes that could potentially be harmful (Novek & Wilkinson, 2019). Thus, rapid management of the observed situation is strongly recommended.
Good Nurse Mentor Characteristics
A good nurse mentor is patient, tidy, and task-oriented to be an example to the rest of the nurses. A good mentor needs to be patient because they are dealing with people at a vulnerable time in their lives (Ndou, 2017). These nurses need to be able to listen and offer advice and support when needed. They also need to respect their mentee’s autonomy and allow them to make their own decisions. A good mentor should be available when needed but also know when to step back and let their mentee take the lead. Additionally, a nurse mentor needs to be tidy and task-oriented to be an effective role model for new nurses (Ndou, 2017). Lastly, by completing tasks promptly, the mentor shows new nurses the importance of meeting deadlines while their tidiness keeps the patients safe from unhygienic diseases.
Team Work in Communication Importance
Nurses rely heavily on teamwork and communication in order to provide the best possible care for their patients. By working together, nurses are able to share knowledge and expertise, identify potential problems early on, and develop solutions that meet the unique needs of each patient. Good communication among nurses also promotes a positive work environment and aids in building trust. Moreover, effective communication is essential for nurses in creating a positive work environment in several ways (Rezvani et al., 2018). Nurses are responsible for the health and well-being of their patients (Rezvani et al., 2018). In order to provide the best care possible, they must be able to rely on knowledge and expertise from other nurses on their team. Sharing information openly and sharing different points of view can help nurses find solutions to challenges they may face with a particular patient.
Principles Learned in Class and Readings
The principles learned in class and reading that can be translated into professional nursing practice principles include active listening, non-verbal communication, and being non-judgmental in therapeutic verbal communication. Active listening is a communication principle that can be translated into nursing practice (Bullington et al., 2019). Nurses can apply active listening at work by paying close attention to what the patient is saying and reflecting on their words. This close attention assists in ensuring that both the nurse and the patient understand the situation correctly. Additionally, it allows for a two-way conversation in which patients feel more comfortable expressing their concerns.
Action Plan
Genuine communication and non-verbal cues are some self-communication skills that will improve my future nursing career. Genuine communication involves understanding the wants and patient needs and communicating in a way that is respectful and considerate. It requires taking the time to listen attentively and responding with compassion and honesty. In order to develop this skill, it will be important to be empathetic to my patients. Similarly, I will learn communication skills and study sign language, which will aid me in conducting warm and empathic communication. Learning non-verbal cues will aid me in communicating with the deaf and the dumb, which will advantage me over other nurses without such skills.
Therefore, the current advice to be given in the described situation concerns keeping calm, continuing to use memory training techniques and the necessary medicine, and ensuring that team members are aware of the issue and supportive of me. Thus, instances of failing to meet workplace responsibilities will be avoided. Thus, next time, I will make sure to introduce relevant tools for supporting my memory, as well as confirming the completion of tasks with other nurses. Furthermore, communication improvement will require incorporating tools for quick information sharing, such as the alignment with the EHR standards. Overall, the experience was quite challenging and demanding, yet it informed my further focus for personal and professional improvement.
Conclusion
In conclusion, nurses are on the frontline of patient care, and as such, it is essential that they have excellent communication skills and caring virtues. Communication skills entail both verbal and non-verbal, but they are both essential for nurses because they help to ensure that patients receive the best possible care. Some of these communication skills include respectful listening and empathy, while bad communication skills encompass poor memory. Conversely, the nurses should be caring in nature by being patient, task-oriented, and tidy to provide a better healing environment and act as an example to other nurses.
References
Bullington, J., Söderlund, M., Sparén, E. B., Kneck, Å., Omérov, P., & Cronqvist, A. (2019). Communication skills in nursing: A phenomenologically-based communication training approach.Nurse Education in Practice, 39, 136-141.
Expenice clinical placement, principles, and readings: Class Material.
GS2202 effective communication and team building: Class Material.
L6 communication styles & respectful and effective listening: Class Material.
Ndou, N. D. (2017). Instrumental support for professional nurses caring for patients living with HIV/AIDS in the Tshwane district of Gauteng, South Africa. Africa Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, 19(3), 13-pages.
Novek, S., & Wilkinson, H. (2019). Safe and inclusive research practices for qualitative research involving people with dementia: A review of key issues and strategies.Dementia, 18(3), 1042-1059.
Rezvani, A., Barrett, R., & Khosravi, P. (2018). Investigating the relationships among team emotional intelligence, trust, conflict and team performance.Team Performance Management: An International Journal.