Safe and Effective Practice in Healthcare

This article discusses the importance of safe and effective practice in healthcare, focusing on teamwork, communication, and patient safety. It also explores the significance of effective communication and interpersonal skills in providing holistic care. Additionally, it highlights the role of professional values and working effectively within a team in healthcare.

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Safe and Effective Practice
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Introduction
Holistic care is normally a behavior that recognizes a person as being complete and
recognizes the interdependence amongst one’s social, biological, spiritual and psychological
features (Strandberg et al., 2007). It is centered on the philosophy of holism that stresses that in
people, the total is bigger than the combination of its portions and that spirit and mind impact the
body. It includes extensive approaches such as communication, education, medication,
complementary treatment, and self-help. It also considers all patients characteristics and their
impacts on cure because they contribute to satisfaction, happiness, and recovery. Holistic care
plays a significant role in residential care in promoting physical well-being and encouraging
individual spiritual and emotional well-being (Fahy et al., 2010). Residential care was my
placement care setting in which I utilized holistic care to take care of patients. In my residential
setting, there were people who had disabilities, learning difficulties, mental health problems and
who were frail aged. This report describes my placement experience in residential care in
relation to holistic care.
Holistic care relates to respect and dignity because it compliments human dignity.
Usually, the affiliation amid patients and health care providers is centered on respect, mutuality,
equality and comparative openness. Respecting the role of patients in the process of treatment by
letting them participate in the course and reassuring self-care. This results to therapeutic session,
self-discipline, dignity, hope, sense of autonomy, social growth, vitality and vigor (Jasemi et al.,
2015).
Importance of Effective and Safe Practice

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The safety of a patient is the cornerstone of effective and safe practice. The first benefit is
that it can promote teamwork and collaboration within health and social care. Research shows
that effective and safe practice promotes high-quality delivery to patients (McSherry, 2008). It
also promotes the safety of patients and minimizes the emergence of other health problems.
Furthermore, safe and effective practice promotes good communication among Healthcare
professionals, patients and those who are providers of health care.
The implications of teamwork are that it promotes collaboration and enhances good
communication within social and health care sector. Studies have depicted that when medical
professionals work together, there are fewer numbers of medical errors likely to occur and
elevates the safety of patients (Bosch and Mansell, 2015). Teamwork reduces risks that can
expose health practitioners to burnout (Mayo and Woolley, 2016). This is because there is a
division of labor that enables practitioners to share duties and responsibilities. It also reduces
one’s responsibility to one patient’s health because an entire team of health workers can come
together to coordinate the wellbeing of a patient. Health team can also assist in breaking down
the centralized and hierarchy organizations power of health. This eventually provides more
advantage to workers of social and health care delivery. Research has also shown that it
contributes to solid communication (Dow et al., 2017). This makes patients and their families
feel more at ease and make them feel more satisfied. Health workers also tend to be more
satisfied with their respective role of providing services to patients. Teamwork also creates a
better environment for both healthcare workers and patients. This is because each individual
feels valued which makes him or her work to his or her best. This ensures that quality care is
provided to patients who are likely to recover much quick from illnesses.
Significance of Effective communication and Inter-personal Skills

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Effective communication plays a very significant role throughout the whole experience of
a patient especially those in residential care and a large portion of responsibility fall to workers
of healthcare. Studies have shown that communication between healthcare workers and patients
have several benefits (Adigwe and Okoro, 2016). First communication in residential care setting
enables service users, staff, visitors and other medical assistants to establish relationships. This
applies across all health and social care sector. As a way of practicing safely and promoting
diversity, various forms of relationships can be established by the use of different types of
communication. For instance, in my placement setting of residential care, I used effective
communication with my patients to establish a more personal relationship with them, which
helped them with their personal tasks on several occasions. I realized that the more I became too
close to my patients, the more effective the treatment was. Therefore, good communication
enabled the provision of holistic care to my patients while working at residential care.
Research has shown that effective communication promotes respect in the health and
social sector between service providers and patients (Kim and White, 2017). This promotes
effective treatment. Patients, who feel that they are receiving the respect and attention of nurses
when interacting, tend to disclose more information about their feelings and symptoms much
faster. This occurs especially in holistic care, which respects human dignity largely. Patients are
likely to feel satisfied with the kind of care provided by nurses with undivided attention.
Research has also shown that good communication helps patients to feel at ease because it
relieves them from anxiety.
Effective communication assist patients to feel in control of their lives (Smart and
Featheringham, 2006). For instance, when they are in hospitals or residential care, they can
perform their simple regular jobs like when they are waking up from the bed. Often, patients tend

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to lose control that makes them feel hopeless and helpless that affects their body ability to
recover from illness. However, with good communication, such feelings can be avoided and can
make such individuals feel like they are still in control of their own lives. From my experience, I
noticed that, while working with my patients in residential care, good communication with
enhanced my practice. I encountered various incidences of some patients who had lost track of
their lives. However, I utilized my Communication and interpersonal skills to encourage them
and make them feel at home. At the end of the day, they were happy patients who took life as
normal.
Research also shows that good communication can make patients feel valued (Morgan
and Yoder, 2011). Patients require our time and attention in whichever the situation they are.
With good communication, patients feel that they are valued. Thus works closely with
interpersonal skills such as active listening, compassion, attitude, teamwork, and problem-
solving skills. For, when working with patients, it is advisable for the caregiver to actively listen
to the patients and use empathy skills to understand his or her personal needs. This is what
entails holistic care because it will not only cater to physical needs but also spiritual,
psychological and environmental. When such needs are met, the patient is able to respond to
medication more effectively and can recover from illness much quicker. Good communication
and interpersonal skills also promote teamwork among medical professionals, caregivers and
social workers (Lee and Doran, 2017). This helps in addressing any health care concern that can
come up for instance during emergencies. For instance, during my placement in residential, I
worked together with my colleagues as a team and collaborated with each other effectively.
Good communication enhance safe practice because in the health and social sector. When
medical professionals are able to communicate effectively with each other, it can ensure that

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patients’ needs are met and the right medications are administered to patients. Good
communication can also help in interpreting the symptoms and signs of a patient. For instance,
non-verbal communication can help a caregiver to assist in meeting the patient needs.
Professional Values in Health and Social Care
Values entail basic convictions of what social group or individual regard as right,
desirable or good. Professional values help in providing behavior guidance to health and social
care practitioners. Research has shown that professional values may affect the decisions of health
care professionals on their patients (Groves, 2014). Usually, Professional values are an extension
of personal values such as helpfulness, generosity, and honesty. Some of the professional values
include social justice, human dignity, autonomy, altruism, knowledge, safety, freedom, trust,
integrity, accountability and giving care. In my placement setting in residential care, I utilized
these values to enhance my service delivery to patients.
The first professional value is altruism, which refers to the ability to be selfless and
dedicating one’s life to other people’s welfare (Feldman, 2017). As a professional in health and
social care, one is required to depict kindness and provide love to all concerned parties. As a
professional, I utilized this professional value to remain calm when I was attending my clients to
support them fully. However, during my practice, I felt burnout but I worked very hard to
prevent any signs of stress and burnout that could have impeded me from carrying out my duties
and responsibilities efficiently. I, therefore, exhibited unending love, mental awareness, and
kindness at all times. Research shows that altruism is very significant in unlocking empathy,
compassion and vital elements of health and social care professionals. Altruism helps
professionals in health and social care to take care of clients and stop anything that might
endanger their lives. For instance, on one occasion I came across a psychotic patient who was

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very violent. I used altruism professional value to protect other patients who were at risk of being
harmed physically. I used altruism in most cases in residential care to secure the most
appropriate and care and accommodative environment for healing.
Another professional value in health and social care is autonomy, which provides the
patient with the right to informed consent (Entwistle et al., 2010). This value helps to enhance
the relationship between the caregiver and the client or patient. In my practice, I used this value
to provide patients with facts about their conditions and advised them on the available options of
healing that was not limited to some underlying repercussions. This allowed the patients to go
through the procedures in which they used the freedom to resort to their own alternatives. For
those patients who were mentally unfit, I could make these resolutions after consultation with my
fellow colleagues in residential care. In autonomy, the patient has the right to refuse treatment
and hence a health care provider is obliged to respect despite their opinion, which is contrary to
theirs. I maintained friendly relationships with my clients to enhance discretion in decision
making at the time of autonomy application.
Another professional value in health and social care is human dignity to all patients.
Under human dignity, all individuals are equal and both are warranted to equal treatment
regardless of any external factors (Jones, 2015). In health care, the principle of human dignity
requires that a professional should attend all patients just like the way they could have treated
their loved ones (Rolfe and Paul, 2018). I utilized this profession value human dignity to give
equal services to all my clients regardless of their health status, sex, age social or ethnic group
religious affiliations or their political ideologies. Human dignity is part of holistic care. I
remember in one circumstance, I was attending to an alcoholic client who I felt uneasy and
uncomfortable to deal with. However, I used my professional value of human dignity to provide

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the best and comfortable care to the patient. In health and social care, a professional is required
to use this value to respect the wishes of the client while providing care.
Health and social care providers are obliged to act honestly, ethically and fairly while
adhering to their role of taking care for their clients. I used the honest value to interact with my
fellow colleagues in residential care and to those who depended to my services. I also exhibited
accountability in providing safe and effective care to all clients within the residential care. In
health and social care, service providers are required to advocate for the rights of their patient
while avoiding compromising their dignity. As a professional in residential care, I promoted the
best interests of my clients to guarantee their best care in an effort of alleviating their suffering. I
did this by acting in a non-injurious manner by avoiding any situations that could cause injury to
my clients. This ensured that all of my practices were safe and effective.
Working Effectively Within a Team
Good teamwork plays a significant role in fulfilling and implementing common goal
better and quicker while working in health and social care sector (Morley and Cashell, 2017). In
residential care, I worked with a team of five members and each team member was given a
different role with specific responsibilities to play. Research shows that effective teamwork is a
significant tool for constructing a more effective and patient-centered system of healthcare
delivery (Borrill et al., 2000). In my placement setting of residential care, I worked with my
fellow team members to assist people who had various health problems. I used my personal
values to work effectively with my fellow team members while providing holistic care.
One of the values I used to work effectively with team members was honesty. Research
shows that honesty is very significant in facilitating continuous development and maintaining

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mutual trust (Ezziane et al., 2012). As a team member within the team. Another personal value
was discipline. In this case, I was given certain responsibilities and roles to play within
residential care. I carried out my roles with the discipline to develop and stick to the established
goals of residential care. Other personal skills used to work effectively with the team were
creativity, humility, and curiosity. I was motivated and excited to tackle all the emerging
problems I encountered in my practice in a creative manner. I saw any anticipated bad outcomes
as potential opportunities for improvement.
I used my knowledge and professional skills along with that of my team members to help
recognize and avert failures. Each member of the team was dedicated to reflecting upon the
lessons we learned in our day-to-day activities. We utilized the reflective experience to develop
our professional skills and to enhance the functioning of the team. During the day, we could
work as a team together, from one patient to another. At the end of the day, we could gather and
evaluate our experiences. Any problem experienced by team members would be addressed
accordingly and then we could evaluate our set goals and objectives. To work effectively, we
shared our goals, which included that of our clients, family members, and other supportive
individuals. The goals were clearly defined with a common purpose that included collective
interests. We also had our team leader who coordinated all the activities. Effective
communication and effective leadership facilitated teamwork.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the report has demonstrated has defined holistic care how it relates to
respect and dignity. It has shown that respect and human dignity is one of the essential elements
of holistic care. The report has demonstrated an understanding of the significance of safe and
effective practice; and how it affects the delivery of health and social care. The report has also

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discussed the importance of communication and effective interpersonal skills while practicing
safe practices across health and social care sector. The report has shown how professional and
are relevant in practicing safe and effective practice and how I used them in placement
residential care. Finally, the report has reported how was done effectively within a team during
my placement.

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