Nursing Driscoll’s reflective cycle | Report

Running head: NURSING
Driscoll’s reflective cycle
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1
NURSING
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
What?.........................................................................................................................................2
So what?.....................................................................................................................................3
Now What?.................................................................................................................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References-.................................................................................................................................7

2
NURSING
Driscoll’s reflective cycle
What?
In this assignment, my personal experience while handling needle during the clinical
placement is delineated with the help of Driscoll’s reflective cycle. I was allocated to a busy,
urban hospital during my first placement as a PEP (Professional Experience Placement).
During my placement, I was given the responsibility of providing insulin injection to a
patient. I was able to give the injection properly but during disposal of the needle, I realized
that I have forgotten to bring the kidney dish for proper disposal of the needle. Australian
Government Department of Health (2019) informed that any sharp materials including
needles, must be placed in a proper disposal container, where the containers should be
organisation approved or according to Australian standards. It was also emphasized to
restrain from recapping the needles, or to dispose it in a plastic regular use dustbin. So,
according to the guidelines and my knowledge from under graduation, I could not recap the
needle or dispose it anywhere, so I hesitated about my next course of action. The RN
intervened, and advised me to recap the needle. However, I did not do so as I knew the
consequences of recapping the needle. Marjadi et al. (2018) revealed the fact that while
recapping, accidental puncturing of the skin may lead to various contactable blood-borne
diseases, or exposure to drugs, chemicals or even various infections. So, I could not follow
the instruction of the RN, and was very nervous. On being further emphasized, I became
extremely tensed and accidentally pricked my thumb with the needle, while recapping the
needle. The RN became furious of the outcome, and involved the patient in the situation and
exclaimed that blood tests need to be performed to test for any probable blood-borne
diseases.