Intestinal Failure in Adults

Running head: ESSAY
Post Graduate Reflection
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ESSAY
Introduction- Reflective practice refers to the procedure of explaining and expressing
one’s own views and experiences. This reflective assignment will look at the management of
pain and wound dressings during placement at a surgical ward. The Gibbs reflective cycle will be
used as a guideline, and it comprises of six steps namely, description, feelings, evaluation,
analysis, conclusion, and action plan (Gibbs, 1988).
Description- During my placement as a second year nursing student in the surgical ward,
I came across the male patient X (pseudonym), aged 55 years. The actual name will not be
revealed due to confidentiality issues since the code of conduct guides us nurses to respect rights
of patients to confidentiality, and disclose information only when the patients are at a risk of
harm. When I arrived at the ward on the third day of placement, I had been briefed by the senior
nurse about the patient who underwent operation for intestinal obstruction and was under post-
operative care. When I arrived at the patient bedside, I found him screaming in tremendous pain.
I started looking for his drug chart and immediately administered oral morphine, as per the
prescription since the last dosage had been given more than five hours ago, and he had been
prescribed 10 mg four hourly oral morphine. I had prior clinical knowledge about wound
management and later tried to assist the senior nurse while changing the vacuum dressings.
However, the patient advised that he would only prefer the senior nurse to change the dressing
and did not want me to intervene.
Feelings- My initial feelings were that the patient X was in severe pain due to surgical
complications, and there was an immediate need to administer strong analgesics, in order to
provide him relief. On observing the patient scream with pain I was extremely taken aback and
started sympathizing with him. However, the uncertainty expressed by the patient regarding my
capability of successfully changing the wound dressing reduced my self-confidence and served