Reflective Essay on Medication Management in Nursing

Module Title: Developing the Practice of Nursing
Module Code: SHN286
Assignment Title:
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Introduction
The purpose of this essay is to reflect on the journey into my second year of nursing
studies. Itwill demonstrate through presenting patch work and snob analysis, my experience
and learning achievements. I will be using snob analysis (strength, need, opportunities and
barriers) in order to identify and analyse my learning journey and thus achieve my desired set
of goals. Snob analysis has become a fundamental tool used in nursing for personal
development needs (Darville, Stephens & Leigh, 2018). Transition to nursing practice: from
student to registered nurse. The essay will highlight a total of four patches that link to my
main topic. The topic chosen is medication management.
Medication management is selected as the main topic of interest in this reflection
because my skills and knowledge about effective medication management needs
improvement.Medication management of the administration of medication requires proper
thought and application of the critical thinking skills of the nursing professionals. National
Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2015) stated that proper knowledge about
the effective medication management is important in order to provide safe and effective care
to the patients. In order to complete my learning journey have used ,SNOB analysis(strength,
need, opportunities and barriers) .A snob analysis is a tool that helps plan and organise
information it helps to identify problems, offer solutions and gives opportunities to learn from
previous mistakes. SNOB analysis is also popularly known as SWOT analysis (strength
Weakness Opportunities and Threat). The pattern of illustration of the reflection will be done
in patch work text format. Moen and Prescott (2016) are of the opinion that reflection is a
good medical practice that is central to medical revalidation and appraisal. Patch work text
consists of different patches such as records or stories of practice, writing and observations
that are shared in a reflective manner in small meeting exchanges.

Medication
Administration
Enteral
Route
Parenteral
Route
Topical
Inhalation
Enepidermic
Swabbin
g
Instillation
Insufflations
Irrigatio
n or
Douchin
gEpidermic
Sublingual Per rectum
Oral
Subcutaneou
s
Intrapleural
Intramuscula
r
Intravenous
Intraperitone
al
Intra-arterial
Intrathecal
Intradermal Intracar
diac
Injection
in bone
marrow
2
The essay will highlight a total of four patches that link to my main topic. Two SNOB
analyses will be included in the appendix section. As per the guidelines of the Nursing and
Midwifery Council (NMC) (2018) confidentiality will be adhered throughout the discussion
of the reflection.
Patch 1: Routes of drug administration (all different routes)
Date: 14/11/2018
Figure: Concept Map of Router of Medication Administration
Source: Created by Author
The concept map created by me and illustrated here has helped me to explore my pre-
existing knowledge about the different routes of medication administration. Designing my
own concept map has also assisted me to identify the areas of my knowledge that needs

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further exploration. Kaddoura,Van‐Dyke and Yang (2016) stated that a concept map is a type
of graphic visual presentation used to help students to organise and represent knowledge of a
subject. Concept maps help in the promotion of the conceptual thinking approach and thus
helping to increase the competence in the critical thinking skills of the nursing students.Thus,
use of concept map approach also helped me to increase my critical thinking and problem-
solving skills. Jaafarpour, Aazami and Mozafari 2016(ref is not right)stated that it is
important to simplify the process of learning within the nursing professional practice in order
to improve the critical thinking and creativity skills. However, there are certain limitations of
concept maps as well. Concept maps have an inconsistent level of detailing and thus creating
a gap in knowledge. However, the study conducted by Kaddoura, Vandyke, Cheng and Shea-
Foisy (2016) over the nursing students highlighted that the use of concept mapping helps to
deliver an interactive way of learning that fosters the development of clinical judgement
skills among the nursing students. Similarly, the systematic review conducted by Yue, Zhang,
Zhang and Jin (2017) highlighted that concept mapping technique has a significant effect on
the critical thinking cognitive skills and the critical thinking effective disposition of the
nursing students. However, Yue, Zhang, Zhang andJin (2017) further highlighted that there
are limited source of evidences in favour of the long-term effect of concept mapping
techniques over the critical thinking skills of the nursing students.
During my first placement of my second year I was caring for a patient who had
received an intrathecal anaesthetic. I was unfamiliar with this route of administration. My
mentor gives me a brief description about this route, but she encouraged me to do further
research on drug administration routes. I carried out my research using a concept map. While
doing the concept map in illustrating the different routes of the medication management, I
have understood that how difference in the route of administration of drug helps in
modulating the effect of the overall drug. Gupta, Gupta and Yang (2018) stated that routes of