Application of Gibbs Nursing Reflective Model in Reflective Writing

Running Head: GIBBS NURSING REFLECTIVE MODEL IN REFLECTIVE WRITING 1.
Application of Gibbs Nursing Reflective Model in Reflective Writing
Name
Institution

APPLICATION OF GIBBS REFLECTIVE MODEL IN REFLECTIVE WRITING 2.
Introduction
Reflective writing is very critical in the development of a health professional and plays a
crucial role in enhancing career progression. It provides students with field experience on how to
respond to specific issues in line with his or career by using the right information gained and
developed the right strategies to solve it (Dubé & Ducharme, 2015). This study is aimed at
providing an understanding of how to establish reflective writing on health based on an
interaction with a health consumer who describes or narrates his or her journey and experience
with the illness. The study will be developed through the use of Gibbs Nursing Reflective model
that will help in understanding how the patient assessment will inform my development as a
health professional (Emery & Chang, (2017). The model is made up of six steps in which each
step leads to the other. These steps include; Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis,
Conclusion as well as the development of an action plan. The development of the arguments
applies the use restitution narrative where a description of a patient experience goes from
sickness to an experience of successful recovery.

APPLICATION OF GIBBS REFLECTIVE MODEL IN REFLECTIVE WRITING 3.
Synopsis
My clinical interaction with a heart failure patient happened during my six months
internship experience at hospital cardiac surgical ward. The patient had gone through a cardiac
surgery that saw him undergo a heart transplant. He was an aged man of between the ages of 50
to 65 who spend most of his career in the construction industry as an engineer. In my assessment
to establish the nature of his condition on whether it was chronic or was an acute problem, the
patient narrated his experience or journey of persistently fighting the heart failure condition
(Wald, White, Reis, Esquibel & Anthony, 2018). He described that the state began at his early
40s when he developed some small signs and symptoms however he could not detect whether it
was a severe problem. Due to the nature of his construction works, he usually associated these
signs and symptoms with associated career risks such as fatigue, coughing as a result of exposure
to dusty conditions, increased chest pain as a result of hard labor among others.
Application of Gibbs Narrative reflective model
Description
It was my responsibility in the cardiac medical ward to conduct a medical evaluation on
how the patient was responding to treatment or recovery from the surgery process which was
successfully done by our hospital cardiovascular specialists. The patient was in the ward for
seven days within which he was able to share with me his experiences that resulted in the cardiac
surgery. In most cases, cardiac surgery or heart transplant is done as the last end option for heart
failure which informed me that indeed the patient had gone through painful experiences before
the surgery (Spaling, Currie, Strachan, Harkness & Clark, 2015). The management of heart
failure from my professional background can be a very daunting task, and therefore he motivated

APPLICATION OF GIBBS REFLECTIVE MODEL IN REFLECTIVE WRITING 4.
me because he showed great positive strength in overcoming the situation unlike in most patients
who end up succumbing to death not necessarily because of the condition but because of the
psychological and emotional experiences they undergo in their fight.
The condition becomes worse during his early 50s which showed that he did not visit any
doctor for diagnosing when he first began experiencing signs of fatigue and weakness, persistent
coughing, chest pains, lack of appetite, rapid and irregular heartbeat as well as increased
shortness of breath (Duke et al., 2017). These conditions and the failure for medical checkup and
examinations for diagnosis were the results of worsening of his health. However, he was forced
to visit a doctor when the conditions became worse by experiencing increased chest pain,
fainting, and severe weaknesses, rapid and irregular heartbeat as well as sudden, severe shortness
of breath and coughing (Lee & Riegel, 2018). Upon examination and the doctors recommended
that he undergoes a heart transplant as he was at the end stage of the health failure which could
result to death at any moment. He shared his experiences of social isolation where he felt
abandoned by friends and family, physical restrictions from his career, increased living in fear
which was caused by the increased uncertainty of his condition as well as losing a sense of
control (Overbaugh & Parshall, 2017). However, his experience with the modern medical or
health technology, he gives an account of giving him another hope of living. He responded very
well after the heart transplant, and within very few days at the medical, surgical ward he could
feel healthier than before with reduced feelings of fatigue, chest pains and other associated
symptoms such as respiratory conditions. The brief therapy and medication are given to him after
the surgery was very critical to improvement on his health and was able to be discharged after
spending ten days in the facility.