Reflective Essay Sample on A Healthcare Assistant

Introduction

Jasper, (2013) classifies reflection as a form of learning that is gained by experience. The latter is identified as a mandatory approach for professionals who seek long term knowledge acquisition. The essay is written briefly following the Gibbs guidelines on reflective writing. Reflective writing can, therefore, be based on impactful experiences such as books, TV shows, and daily life experiences. This essay focuses on the creative encounter in a medical facility setting where a doctor forgot to sanitize his hands when attending to two different patients- an HIV and fatal accident patient.

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Gibbs' Reflective Cycle has six stages which enable the reflector to critically think through the various activity phases (Gibbs, 1998). Gibbs' model suggests that experiences are repeated while emphasizing on the crucial role played by knowledge, actions, and emotions to influence future changes.

Description

After my graduation from a medical college, I immediately got a job at a nearby medical clinic; not far away from our residence. During the first week, I worked in a surgical ward. In the ward, I was assigned a mentor by the department head. The mentor was in charge of delegating to specific duties. The primary responsibility, however, was to take care of an 81 years old woman called Mrs. Baldwin. Mrs. Baldwin had been involved in a fatal road accident. Initially, she had been rushed to a nearby dispensary from the scene for first aid, but the facility noticed her deep cuts and blood lose needed specialized attention from a higher-level medical facility. Therefore, she was transferred to the facility I was placed. This was my first emergency to be in charge. I quickly read the medical notes given to me by the accompanying registered nurse. I explained to the doctor the nature of first aid applied to Mrs. Baldwin and immediately asked me to remove her wound dressings for the doctor to assess them once again all together. At the moment. Mrs. Baldwin was groaning in immense pains.

Using a non-touch procedure which was the recommended procedure by the facility and by all standards hygienic, I slowly removed the dressings under the close supervision, my mentor. After successful undressing of the wounds, I cleaned them as requested by the attending doctor. At this point, the hospital physical address system called for my mentor to another patient situated in the left wing, men's ward. According to the hospital layout, the wing was approx. 5-8minutes walk from the emergency section so at her request I stayed behind with Mrs. Baldwin while waiting for the doctor to come and attend her. I noticed that some of the patient's wounds could not stop bleeding and so I pressed the wound with a ball of cotton wool to help prevent as help was on the way.

Immediately the attending doctor who was attending to a HIV patient came straight to Mrs. Baldwin and two other nurses. He began to examine her injuries even without using alcohol gel to sanitize his hands. Similarly, he did not have his medical overall, and I noticed that his long-sleeved shirt had blood stains and I feared that since he was handling open wounds of Mrs. Baldwin. The doctor posed a threat to the patient as he could have infected her with HIV.

Feelings

The act was a great concern on my end despite being unsure of my position in the team. Weighing options and addressing the issue in a manner that the doctor would not feel embarrassed and avoiding unnecessary panic from the patient were vital considerations. I thought of bringing the alcohol gel and the medical overall to him but felt intimidated since he had over 20 years of experience unlike me who had just graduated. I gathered enough courage to speak my mind and told one of the nurses who seemed experienced enough. The nurse requested that the doctor follows hygienic procedures to ensure that the patient has adequate help.

Upon the successful dressing of the wounds, the doctor instructed me to take Mrs. Baldwin to the ward for rest and close examinations until she recovered and was ready to be discharged. After some time, Mrs. Baldwin regained her consciousness but could now speak. I mentioned the positive recovery of the patient regularly to my mentor. After one day I told my mentor of what I had happened while attending to Mrs. Baldwin earlier the previous day and he called upon the attending doctor to discuss the issue.

Against my expectations, the doctor agreed to his mistakes and promised to be more vigilant in the future. He explained that he had been swamped for the past three days and had not noticed the error. The issue was, therefore, handled amicably and professionally. The doctor even requested my mentor to always work alongside him a feeling that was unique for me. My mentor did not resist and congratulated me for being the preferred nurse to the most respected and experienced doctor in the facility. I felt honored.

Evaluation

Although the activities were somehow challenging to me to handle being placed at the facility for less than a week, I felt happy that I did not act in a way like am challenging the doctor in front of the patient and other nurses. To me, the experience had both good and bad aspects. However, I am much humbled, pleased and honored that the doctor responded so positively to mentors' feedback. The incident further made it easy to understand my role as a nurse practitioner.

Again, the doctor having requested to that I work alongside him, from the very many other examinations conducted before being assigned, Mrs. Baldwin. That incident made the doctor more observant and hygienic. Similarly, I have also personally appreciated the need for a healthy communication structure in every organization, especially on sensitive matters. Examining my role at the facility which was to be a caregiver to patients, administer medication, and manage treatment side effects that the patient may develop as well as give support to patients. From a personal evaluation, I feel I fulfilled all my responsibilities as required, and failure to act as a team can lead to catastrophic effects on patients.

Analysis

According to medical health guidelines, it is essential for health professionals to observe hand hygiene as a simple way of reducing cross-infection among patients. In this way, health professionals should ensure they decontaminate their hands after attending to patients. Also, specialized uniforms for the medical staff should be availed to avoid the possibility of transmitting infections through their non-disinfected uniforms.

As defined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Professional Conduct, nurses should be able to identify and act accordingly to minimize the risk of patients and clients getting infected.

Conclusion

Having responded fast to the incident to ensure that the doctor cleaned his hands before attending to the patient was important. This is because examining Mrs. Baldwin without first washing his hands would have put the patient into a grave health risk. Even after discussing the incidence with my mentor, I learned that acting confidently and using an active channel of communication is critical to developing good working relationships with other members of the team.

From the discussions with my mentor together with the attending, the nurse helped me recognize that it is essential to develop the necessary confidence to be able to correct the practice of colleagues. Also, I became appreciative of the fact that putting the well-being of patients in the forefront while at the same time being supportive to my colleagues and understanding the pressures that they may be under, but ensuring that their practice does not put patients' lives at risk. Expressing professionalism is essential at all times rather than feeling belittled due to the position held, length of experience or personal reputation. By doing this, I will be able to handle similar situations in the future, by immediately responding to them in the right manner and time. The incident prompted my thinking that healthy working relationships should be developed at every level of the work to develop a cohesive group.

Action Plan

As I proceed in my career, I aim to develop a strong working relationship with all my colleagues through effective communication. To achieve this goal, I will ensure I talk over issues with my mentors to demonstrate the best strategies that I may employ. I shall strive to be more proactive in dealing with challenges despite the role, safeguard of reputation or the level of my experience without assuming that other staffs are observant and mindful of the patient's well-being and that they act an utterly professional manner. Also, as a way to better my skills and attend to assigned duties, I will be up to date with the current policies set by the national health bodies and strive to implement those principles for the safety of the patients and colleagues.

References

Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit. Retrieved from https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/10013454789/

Jasper, M. (2013). Beginning reflective practice (ed.). Hampshire: Cengage Learning. Retrieved from https://www.cengage.co.uk/books/9781408075265/

Nursing Times Clinical. (2004). Managing the needs of people who have a learning disability, Nursing Times 100 (10) pp. 28-29. Retrieved from https://www.nursingtimes.net/download?ac=1256725