THE NURSING ASSIGNMENT

Running head: NURSING ASSIGNMENT
Nursing Reflection
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

NURSING ASSIGNMENT1
Introduction
A clinical reflection is necessary for a nurse who needs practice and exposure in the
medical field because it helps to think and consider different options during emergencies.
Reflective practice is included in the course of nursing education so that nurses can include
theoretical knowledge in their practical experiences. It makes them develop thought process
so that they can think about their victories and failures in situations, which can lead them to
enroll into effective future practices. A critical reflection can help in postoperative
complications, missed diagnosis, treating dissatisfied patients and failed medical procedures.
This essay will have a description of an incident, which will help me reflect on therapeutic
relationships and provide me with an opportunity to critically analysing the situation of the
patient. After the description, it will have a critical analysis of the patient and the procedures
used for her treatment. This incident will showcase me as an intern in a healthcare
organisation, and I will be placed in the geriatric ward. Interns need to be more aware and
alert about the procedures going around them because they are hired to get trained and learn
for their future practices. The patient in this context is suffering from pressure ulcers grade 2,
and that requires intense care and support from the medical team. Her real identity will not be
revealed because of the implementation of Professional Codes of Conduct and Data
Protection Legislation, which focuses on the anonymity and confidentiality of a patient’s
personal information. This assignment requires me to follow the safety and privacy policies
for the effective confidentiality of the patient. My reason to choose this incident is that it
made me understand some complicated issues during a treatment that gets affected by the
condition of the patient. Erin was vocal about her pain, and this was an input for me, which
made me explore and learn more about the medical field.

NURSING ASSIGNMENT2
Description of the Incident
I was working as an intern in the geriatrics ward in the hospital under the supervision
of a senior nurse. During the internship, I was given the responsibility to take care of a 65-
year-old patient named Erin, along with other nurses, to speed up health recovery. Erin was
suffering from Grade II pressure ulcer and required extensive care and support from the
nurses (Legg, Sissons, & Cleary 2017). One of the other nurses in the responsibility of Erin’s
care took me to her and introduced us to each other. As the patient was suffering from partial
thickness loss of dermis and epidermis, the patient was diagnosed with grade 2 pressure ulcer.
In such condition, the nurses are required to actively assist the patients in their daily activities
and provide interventions such as turning the patient to other side every two hours, keeping
the skin dry and clean, help maintain patients range of motion, mobility and activity and
ensure adequate intake of calories and protein by the patient (Davis et al. 2018).
As an intern, it was my responsibility to look at her past medical history and relevant
records that can help me with understanding her case in detail. She had a medical history of
diabetes mellitus, which was another reason for her increasing complication found in her
pressure ulcer. My senior nurse used to administer her vital signs and medication that was
prescribed by the doctor for her fast recovery. I used to assist in some of the procedures done
to Erin such as dressing, medication and daily assessment of her condition. The nursing team
used to be in adamant about her requirements and necessities because she had a critical
situation, which needed supervision and monitoring. Her pressure ulcer was easily
contaminable because she had grade 2, and it is observed that it caused due to pressures in a
certain area (Bhattacharya and Mishra 2015). This requires changing sides and increasing the
pressure relief, which will help in reducing the intensity of the complication. When the ulcer
is not uniform than the infection is more widespread, and friction might be the cause. This
ulcer is found in patients who are physically inactive due to certain reasons such as

NURSING ASSIGNMENT3
immobility or serious health complications, which is not allowing them to perform their daily
chores or nature’s call. Unhygienic practices or direct contact with faeces or urine increases
the risk of bedsores or pressure ulcers (Kusens 2016). Erin is suffering from pressure ulcers
due to her old age, which is not letting her be physically active, and that is one of the major
reasons for her slow recovery. When I got a chance to interact with Erin after a day, I realised
that she needs to be made aware of the consequences of this complication because she has to
be equally corporative during her treatment. She was easy to approach, but due to the issue of
ageing she was not able to comprehend certain things, which I used to talk about (Nazarko
2016). I helped her in taking her medicines, taking water, and going to the washroom and
made her bed before going to sleep. She acknowledged my efforts and expressed that her
wound pains are not letting her sleep properly during the night. People around her needed to
be completely sanitised and had a habit of using gloves and masks when they were treating
her. This made me realise that some nurses will not be able to empathise with the needs of
such critically ill patients because they have shift timings that are not flexible for them to
look after every patient. This can lead to burnout and stress in nurses and dissatisfaction in
patients (Fan and Taylor 2016). I was an intern so I was able to be with her and check her
recovery every day, which includes meeting her needs and daily requirements because she
was immobile.
This made me realise the importance of a therapeutic relationship between a health
practitioner and a patient. It also made me reflect on my inbuilt skills that are required in the
field of nursing and which will help me in providing holistic care to every patient. A nurse
should be compassionate, patient and easily approachable so that she can deliver quality care
and safety. Patient’s mental health should also be made a priority so that they do not suffer
from anxiety or mental stress during their treatment because older people generally get
anxious about their lifespan (Andreescu and Varon, 2015).