Introduction
Healthcare givers utilize Gibbs’ reflective cycle to develop a learning structure from experience. It was created in 1988 by Graham Gibbs and has been very critical in the field of medicine (Ezezika & Johnston, 2022). Repeated experiences and encounters with the patients in the hospital enable nurses to be familiar with different conditions and learn how to handle them better. Cases of emergencies are given priority to save lives and facilitate the healing process. This essay examines Gibb’s reflective cycle, specifically on the triaging system, with an explanation of the role of nursing leadership and education based on a reflective situation.
Leadership and education roles are essential in nursing emergencies and disasters. In case of emergencies, healthcare givers who have been educated on the need to respond immediately save the lives of many individuals by acting immediately. This includes administering first aid procedures and administering medications that relieve pain. Effective communication skills enable nurses bear in mind the differences in culture and preferences and respect them (James et al., 2022). Being sensitive to beliefs and establishing boundaries enables each person to take their duties as assigned. Leadership role entails being a personal driver and taking duties without supervision. Workers must motivate each other on the need to collaborate to achieve the set goals and objectives.
Additionally, nurses must be aware of conflict resolution and problem-solving strategies and their application. Dealing with people from different cultures is complex and requires strategic approaches. The idea of resource management also can be associated with leadership. Facilities used in the hospital must be taken care of as they support patients in many ways. Since they are expensive to purchase, the available ones should be maintained regularly. The policies and guidelines of the set healthcare system must be obeyed to eliminate disagreements with the managers. These combined skills make the health professional complete socially and physically. Patient privacy is kept by keeping their data reports confidential. Strong passwords are used, and access to stored data must only be limited to authorized individuals.
Description
I will explain an incident that I experienced when attending to a patient in the hospital’s emergency unit. It was during my internship, and I had not acquired so much competency in the profession. He had chest pains and had difficulties in breathing. Upon examining his medical history, it was highlighted that he had a lung infection resulting from smoking. He could barely communicate appropriately due to verbal problems making the diagnosis difficult. The specific areas of reflection focus on how other nurses and I utilized practical communication skills to show compassion to the client. His wife, who had accompanied him, was so stressed, and all she could cry was crying because of fear. However, we calmed the patient and addressed his individual needs appropriately.
Feelings
Since it was my first time to handle a patient with such conditions, I was mindful of the patient’s condition and how to handle it effectively. Therefore, I allowed one of my colleagues to take the prominent role since she was more experienced. This resulted in a vulnerable state which required the most care for healing. However, the other nurse could not take the case as an emergency, increasing my anxiety about whether to act. She kept on shouting at the wife, who was in the patient’s company, telling her to be quiet. Despite the condition, the nurse felt that she could be more concerned about the remedy to be administered than causing unnecessary tension. As a nurse, treating all individuals with care is essential since it is difficult to understand the damage resulting from rude responses.
Evaluation
A deep examination of the incident illustrates both bad and good experiences, which are critical in my role as a nurse. As a healthcare practitioner, many roles have been assigned to me and must be attended to effectively. Performing physical examinations, prescription and administering medication, giving support to patients, and recommending of laboratory tests are some of my duties. However, from the incident that happened, I feel that I did not take my responsibilities as required. I could have talked to my other nurse about the need to handle patients and their families with care. On the positive side, I was able to apply effective communication cues to handle the patient. Failure to work as a team in the hospital can lead to death, especially when handling patients with critical conditions. The other nurse was concerned with the wife who accompanied the husband instead of focusing on the needs. To console her, words of encouragement could be used instead of harsh treatment. I learned that understanding a patient’s medical history is critical before undertaking a step aimed at healing. This is because some conditions are associated with past events or hereditary conditions, making them require special attention.
Analysis
The nursing codes of ethics require that every healthcare giver must be well-equipped with practical communication skills. They play a role in facilitating the diagnosis process by creating a conducive environment in the hospital. Nurses must maintain eye contact and avoid the use of non-verbal cues of communication which suggest some intentions (Hwang & Chang, 2022). They should further learn how to interact with other people who accompany the patients by addressing them with respect and bearing in mind their emotions. The patient’s needs should be given first priority and care by bearing in mind their likes and dislikes.
Conclusion
From the above experience, the importance of being competent and assertive in my profession has been mastered appropriately. The position in my team should not act as a barrier to taking my roles. In the encounter with the patient, I was afraid to respond to the patient since my experience was insufficient. Since communication is vital, all healthcare professionals must learn how to effectively take control of any situation that occurs in the hospital, whether formal or informal. Creating a conducive environment will lead to the offering of quality services.
Action Plan
In the future, I will confidently respond to any emergencies by eliminating anxiety, as it can lead to worsening the situation. The interests of the patients must be given priority and action. A strong working relationship must be created with fellow workers such that if mistakes occur, they can be corrected in a friendly manner. Compassion is a crucial trait and nurses should consider the patient’s situation and handle it with caution. I will ensure the other nurses learn to be mindful of events that trigger fear and offer guidance and counseling to the target team.
References
Ezezika, O., & Johnston, N. (2022). Develop and implement a reflective writing assignment for undergraduate students in a large public health biology course. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 237337992110699. Web.
Hwang, G.-J., & Chang, C.-Y. (2022). A reflective cycle-based virtual reality approach to promoting students’ learning achievement, sense of presence, and higher-order thinking in professional training. Interactive Learning Environments. 1–16. Web.
James, A. Hn., Watkins, D., & Carrier, J. (2022). Perceptions and experiences of leadership in undergraduate nurse education: A narrative inquiry. Nurse Education Today, 111, 105313. Web.