Health Assessment Experience: Using Gibbs Reflective Cycle Analysis

This report presents a student's reflection on a health assessment experience, structured using the Gibbs Reflective Cycle. The report begins with a description of the clinical placement, specifically focusing on the assessment of an adult patient with lung disease, including the interview process and data collection. The student then details their feelings before, during, and after the assessment, noting nervousness and satisfaction. The evaluation phase assesses the positive and negative aspects of the experience, highlighting the time taken and the successful gathering of relevant information using ANSAT behavioral cues. The analysis phase delves into the use of ANSAT cues, the time constraints, and the difficulty in structuring safe healthcare. The conclusion summarizes the experience, and the action plan outlines strategies to improve time management and healthcare formulation skills for future assessments. The report references the NMBA standards and ANSAT tools.

Running Head: Gibbs Reflective cycle
Gibbs Reflective cycle
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1Gibbs Reflective cycle
Introduction
Gibbs reflective cycle is introduced in 1988 by Graham Gibbs. It gives structure to the
learning from experience. It gives a framework to reflect the experiences or incidents we
faced. It is divided into six phases such as, description, feeling, evaluation, analysis,
conclusion, and action plan (Howatson-Jones, 2016). In this essay, learning experience
gained while conducting a heath assessment of the individual. In this essay the experiences
during the health assessment, feeling positive and negative aspects of the interaction is
explained. Learning that is gained by considering both the positive and negative effects of the
events or experience is also explained. During the assessment, the NMBA standard 4 which
is, comprehensively conducting the assessment of ANSAT behavioural cues is followed
(Cashin et al., 2015).
Description:
In the last semester of my clinical placement. I get to learn about the standards or
behaviours that should be used while conducting a health assessment of the patient. During
the last semester, I was asked to assess the health of adult patient suffering from lung disease.
I was assigned to take an interview and to gain all the important information that can be used
in preparing a care plan and medication management of the patient. The patient I was asked
to take an interview is suffering from chronic lung disease. He is 45 years old mad also has a
past medical history of hypertension and obesity. In, addition to the past medical history,
current medical condition, diet habit and the regular daily routine was also assessed. As, lung
disease is mainly caused due to air pollution or especially in person addicted to smoking
(White & Dixon, 2015).

2Gibbs Reflective cycle
Feeling:
In this step of the Gibbs cycle, the feeling that has been triggered before, during or
after the events is discussed. In the last semester of clinical placement, I have learned how to
conduct a health assessment of the individual, but then also before the interview, I was very
nervous and tensed as interviewing a patient is one of the major steps in designing a care plan
and to obtain effective result after the treatment of the patient. During the assessment, I tried
to use all the learning such as, using differing assessing techniques (physical and sensory) in
order to collect all the important information related to the patient’s health. I also collected
information about the current health condition of the patient by measuring blood pressure and
body temperature, pulse rate or respiration rate. As the patient is suffering from lung disease,
hence information regarding the risk factors (smoking) is also gathered (Sarna et al., 2014).
Before conducting a health assessment, I was unsure that whether I will be able to gather all
the information from the patient, but during the assessment I used the behavioural cues of
ANSAT tools, which is encouraging the patient to provide all the information without any
hesitation or embarrassment (ANSAT, 2019). After the interview, I felt satisfied with the way
I have conducted the health assessment of the patient.
Evaluation:
In this step of the Gibbs reflective cycle, the learning gained during the incident or
events is evaluated. The positive or negative aspect of the situation is discussed in this step.
According the ANSAT behavioural cues, assessment should be completed in the appropriate
time (Cashin et al., 2017). However, this was my first health assessment, I took more time to
gather all the information. Though I took a little longer to complete the assessments, but I
collected all the information (medical information both present or past family medical
history, daily regime) that is required for the further treatment of the patient. By conducting
the health assessment of the individual, I understood my weakness and strengths. I realized

3Gibbs Reflective cycle
that, I can conduct a health assessment of the individual and can gather all the relevant
information. I also responded appropriately to the patient cues that helps in the maintaining
the therapeutic relationship with the patient and also helps in reducing the anxiety and
hesitation of the patient. If the anxiety or hesitation of the patient will reduce, they will be
able to interact more with the nurse and will share each and every information related to their
health. After assessing, I efficiently arranged the findings that has been obtained from the
interview. After prioritising the information, I compared them to the normal range to evaluate
the pains and worries of the patient.
Analysis:
In this phase of the Gibbs reflective cycle, analysis of the evaluation is discussed.
From my experiences I analysed that, I used most of the ANSAT behavioural cues to conduct
the assessment comprehensively. I asked different question to collect the relevant
information, politely controlled the health assessment, appropriately responded to the
patient’s cues, encouraged patient to gather more information by reducing their
embarrassment or hesitation and prioritised the findings and compared it with the normal
(NMBA, 2019). Only limitation I faced is the time as, I took a little longer to conduct the
assessment. I also faced difficulty in structuring the harmless and goal oriented health care.
Conclusion:
In this phase, the essay is concluded. To conclude, I tried to use all the ANSAT
behavioural cues in conducting the health assessment of the individual. If I will be placed in
the same situation again in the future, I will try to manage the time and will try to conduct the
health assessment of the patient in the appropriate time (Ossenberg, Dalton & Henderson,
2016). Hence to do that I will have to develop my time management skill. In addition, I also
faced difficulty in structuring the systemic information in the formulation of goal oriented

4Gibbs Reflective cycle
and safe health care. Hence I also need to develop my skill in the formulation of the
healthcare to provide effective treatment to the patient.
Action plan:
In this step of the Gibbs reflective cycle, the action plan is evaluated based on the
limitation that has been faced during the health assessment. I analysed that, I need to develop
my time management skill in order to complete the assessment in appropriate time. Hence
will engage myself in such activities more often so that I will be able to complete the
assessment on given time. Also I need to work on my safe and goal oriented health acre
formulation in order to improve my experience in the nursing field.

5Gibbs Reflective cycle
References
ANSAT. (2019). CLINICAL PLACEMENT ASSESSMENT TOOL - ANSAT. Retrieved
from http://www.ansat.com.au/home/tools
Cashin, A., Buckley, T., Donoghue, J., Heartfield, M., Bryce, J., Cox, D., ... & Dunn, S. V.
(2015). Development of the nurse practitioner standards for practice Australia. Policy,
Politics, & Nursing Practice, 16(1-2), 27-37.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1527154415584233
Cashin, A., Heartfield, M., Bryce, J., Devey, L., Buckley, T., Cox, D., ... & Fisher, M. (2017).
Standards for practice for registered nurses in Australia. Collegian, 24(3), 255-266.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2016.03.002
Howatson-Jones, L. (2016). Reflective practice in nursing. Learning Matters. Retrieved from:
https://books.google.co.in/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=0OaICwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=gibbs+cycle+in+nursing&o
ts=1kSMyKqRdD&sig=fP_n2A4LE8SB8dZ87huHidujMgA#v=onepage&q=gibbs
%20cycle%20in%20nursing&f=false
NMBA. (2019). Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Registered nurse standards for
practice. Retrieved from https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-
Guidelines-Statements/Professional-standards/registered-nurse-standards-for-
practice.aspx
Ossenberg, C., Dalton, M., & Henderson, A. (2016). Validation of the Australian nursing
standards assessment tool (ANSAT): a pilot study. Nurse education today, 36, 23-30.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2015.07.012

6Gibbs Reflective cycle
Sarna, L. P., Bialous, S. A., Kraliková, E., Kmetova, A., Felbrová, V., Kulovaná, S., ... &
Brook, J. K. (2014). Impact of a smoking cessation educational program on nurses’
interventions. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 46(5), 314-321.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12086
White, J., & Dixon, S. (2015). Nurse led Patient Education Programme for patients
undergoing a lung resection for primary lung cancer. Journal of thoracic disease,
7(Suppl 2), S131. Retrieved from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419031/