Essay on Gibbs Reflection - Reflective Learning Cycle

Running head: GIBB’S REFLECTION
GIBB’S REFLECTION
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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GIBB’S REFLECTION
Gibbs (Reflective Learning Cycle inspires a detailed explanation of a situation, analysis
of feelings, evaluation of the experience and analysis for developing clinical skills. In this
context, to maintain confidentiality of the patients and places, no names of the patients and
places will not be used throughout this essay.
Description:
The purpose of the essay is to reflect on the aspect of individual professional practice
which will facilitate the development of a role as a registered nurse. Hence, in this section of the
essay, while on the clinical placement at the respiratory ward in XXX hospital, I got
opportunities to conduct vital sign assessment of patients. The daily activities in the clinical
placement were to shower patients, dressing patients, a feeding bed making, and sometimes
manual handling including hoist and slide sheets. However, during clinical placement, I have
encountered an aggressive male patient of 58 years old who refused to involve in the care. He
was agitated, he used to yell and scream at every staff. Since I was feeling apprehensive before
starting the clinical placement, I was nervous and develop a fear of clinical errors, fears of
dealing with aggressive patient, fears of failing the subject and fears of committing error.
However, my nurse mentor manages to settle him by using the calming approach. I learned that
I might get same kind of patient in the future.
Feeling:
This section of the assignment will discuss the feelings during the clinical placement. I
was apprehensive and nervous before joining the clinical placement in the respiratory ward.
Before the clinical placement, I was also nervous as it was my first clinical placement.
Moreover, I was feeling anxious while dealing with an aggressive patient since I have developed

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a fear of committing clinical errors and failing the subjects. This fear and anxiety before clinical
placement, fear of committing errors left me realizing that I needed to learn various skills that
will help me to improve my clinical practice. I have realised that as a registered nurse my
priority of addressing the need of the patients and provide the best possible care to the patients .
After the practice incident of providing care to aggressive patients, I have realized that I needed
to improve self-regulation skills, self-esteem, and self-confidence in order to provide the best
possible care to the patients. However, I felt better after the first day of clinical placement which
facilitated my practice.
Evaluation:
This section of the essay will focus on the positive and negative experiences during the
first clinical placement so that the skills required to develop for professional practice can be
identified. Considering the positive experience during clinical placement, this clinical placement
provided me with opportunities to learn various necessary skills for appropriate professional
skills. During the clinical placement, I got an opportunity to use my learning activities from the
school into the clinical placement such as I have developed communication skills 5 moments of
hand hygiene, ISBAR handover, ANTT dressing techniques, pressure injuries and falls risk
assessment. I will use these skills in my clinical practice in order to provide quality and
affordable care to the patients. Apart from these skills, I have developed fundamental skills of
professional practice such as effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills, time
management that will facilitate the development of therapeutic skills with the patient. Moreover,
I got chance to listen to the narratives of my, I learn the effective ways of approaching aggressive
patient, I got opportunity to use new equipment, learn to DO ANTT DRESSING. I have
gathered skills for administering schedule 2 and schedule 3 drugs, cardiac assessment,

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respiratory assessment and pain assessment. I have got opportunities to learn generic name of
drugs, brand name, side-effect which will help to avoid medication error. I was able to develop
these skills and gather evidence-based knowledge due to the support of nurse supervisors and
facilitators. The positive feedback from my facilitator during my three weeks placement
enhanced my journey as a registered nurse.
Considering the negative experience during clinical placement, I was nervous, anxious
before clinical experiences and apprehensive to deal with the aggressive patients, I had of
committing clinical errors that may subject patients to high risk of experiencing harm. As an
accountable practitioner, I must have adequate knowledge and skills to involve in safe and
effective practice.
Analysis:
This section of the assignment will analyse the clinical experience with the assistance of
the evidence gathered from the literature. According to NMBA standard 3, maintains the
capability for practice, nursing professionals must be responsible for ensuring safe practice by
developing self-management skills and responding to the unique need of the patients
(Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au, 2019). While through the development of communication skills
and time management skills I was able to align with standard 2 of NMBA (engage in therapeutic
and professional relationships), I have developed a fear of committing errors during the practice
which reduced after the practice. As discussed by Harper and Maloney (2017), in order to
provide the best quality and affordable care to the patients in the clinical practice, nurse
professionals must have self-regulatory skills, self-confidence, and self-esteem. Elliston,
Ferguson and Schüz (2017), suggested that the purpose of the self-regulatory skills to involve in
the safe practice by controlling the emotions and impulses, improve self-esteem and self-

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confidence so that desired of the goal of an accountable nurse practitioner can be altered. In this
context, while I have excellent communication and time management skills, I have identified that
I have low confidence which are the contributing factors behind the development of
apprehension and nervousness which I would require to reduce for becoming a registered nurse.
Consequently, the impact of this apprehension and nervousness while providing care to the
patient can be the frequent medication of clinical error, low satisfaction of patients, side effects
of the inventions that are provided to the patients. I would require to develop self-regulatory
skills, improve my self-esteem and self-confidence that will further facilitate my journey of
becoming an accountable registered nurse practitioner. I would require to reform the professional
values that I can provide care to each patient according to
Conclusion:
On a concluding note, it can be said that self-regulation in the clinical setting is
considered as one of the fundamental skills that provide practitioners with an opportunity to
involve in safe and effective practice. Considering this clinical placement, the positive
experience is that I was provided with various opportunities to develop clinical skills such as
communication skills, time management skills and application of learning activities. I have got
opportunities to learn various essential skills which are necessary for becoming accountable
registered nurse. For developing these skills, I have got constant support from nurse supervisor
and facilitator. However, I have identified that I have low self-esteem and low confidence. In
this context, learning opportunities I have encountered improved my self-esteem and self-
confidence. By incorporating these skills, I will be able to improve the quality of care, restore
patient safety and improve patient satisfaction.

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Action plan:
This part of the essay will provide the action plans required to develop the skills
mentioned above for improving knowledge and clinical practice. With the increasing emphasis
on efficiency and effectiveness of quality and safe clinical practice in a health care setting, how I
manage my emotions and impulses will be an important consideration. Previously I was unaware
of the importance of various skills required for involving in safe and effective clinical practice
and becoming accountable registered nurse practitioners. After involving in reflective practice, I
gathered the understanding that I lack self-regulation, self-confidence, and self-esteem. As a
registered nurse new to this experience, reducing my fear of dealing with aggressive patients and
clinical errors will be the prime focus. In order to develop such skills, I would involve
workshops and training. The training from skilled professionals will reduce the fear of handling
aggressive patients, provide opportunities to be empathetic and compassionate towards every
patient and empower them to involve in clinical practice (Abrams et al., 2017). On the other
hand, involving in workshops will provide the exposure of dealing with various patients that will
in turn boost self-esteem and self-confidence (Matsumori, 2016). This exposure also reduces the
impulses by providing opportunities to think through the situation and make rational decisions
according to it. I will seek assistance from my nurse mentor to support me in gaining the skills
of approaching patients calmly. I will also seek help from my peers to develop such skills.
Moreover, in order to gather other learning skills, I will research on the recent advancement in
nursing practice, watch YouTube video regarding how to approach aggressive patient, learn to
use new medical equipment, learn more about disease terminology and learn more about
different medication. It will improve patient satisfaction and improve practice.

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Reference:
Abrams, R. C., Nathanson, M., Silver, S., Ramirez, M., Toner, J. A., & Teresi, J. A. (2017). A
training program to enhance recognition of depression in nursing homes, assisted living,
and other long-term care settings: Description and evaluation. Gerontology & geriatrics
education, 38(3), 325-345.
Elliston, K. G., Ferguson, S. G., & Schüz, B. (2017). Personal and situational predictors of
everyday snacking: An application of temporal self‐regulation theory. British journal of
health psychology, 22(4), 854-871.
Harper, M., & Maloney, P. (2017). The updated nursing professional development scope and
standards of practice. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 48(1), 5-7.
Matsumori, N. (2016). Nurse’s impressions and changes after the workshops using the pediatric
nursing care model. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 6(9).
Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au (2019). Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Professional
standards. [online] . Available at: https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-
Guidelines-Statements/Professional-standards.aspx [Accessed 28 Jul. 2019].