Nursing Reflection

Running head: NURSING REFLECTION
NURSING REFLECTION
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

NURSING REFLECTION1
Introduction:
Reflective learning can be explained as the process of learning that involves acquiring
knowledge from personal experiences (Nicol & Dosser, 2016). The process of reflective
learning is extremely prevalent in the profession of nursing (Smith & Roberts, 2015). The
strengths of the learning process involves critical appraisal of the personal experience to
identify the strengths and weaknesses and accordingly adapt appropriate interventions to
improve the scope of practicum. Research studies mention in this regard that a number of
reflective models can be used to present a reflective journal (Johns, 2017; Cooper &
Wieckowski, 2017). This paper intends to present a reflection on the practicum experience of
removal of an active surgical drain tube. In order to reflect on the mentioned topic, I would
make use of the Gibbs Reflective Model. The Gibbs Reflective Model was developed in the
year 1988 by Graham Gibbs who was an American Sociologist and a proficient Psychologist.
The model comprises of six stages that includes, description of the event, description of
associated feelings, evaluation of the clinical event, analysis of event, concluding summary
and an action plan that can help to improve the quality of practice in future. An elaborate
description of the six stages help to critically appraise and reflect on the clinical experience
and the following paragraphs would cover each of the stages.
Description:
The clinical event comprised of a post-operative nursing management of a 54 year
old, aboriginal male client K, who had recently underwent a knee replacement surgery. The
post-operative nursing management procedure required the removal of the active surgical
drain tube in order to ensure drainage from the wound bed and prevent the probability of
microbial infection. Prior to the commencement of the surgical technique, the patient
complained about experiencing pain within the operated area.

NURSING REFLECTION2
Feelings:
The clinical incident took place in the first year of my clinical placement. The process
of surgical removal of the drainage tube was complicated and I was unsure about my skillset
to manage the task efficiently. In addition to this, I was not from the same cultural
background as that of the patient and the clinic where I was placed only had one Aboriginal
RN who was on duty that particular day but she was busy with another patient and was
therefore unavailable to attend Patient K. I could sense that my contrasting cultural
background might make the patient uncomfortable and all these factors added up to my
nervousness.
Evaluation:
On attending the patient, I greeted the patient and engaged in a positive interaction
process. I asked the patient about his specific cultural preferences and asked whether he
would like to be attended by an Aboriginal RN. The patient however mentioned that he was
comfortable with me attending him and I believe this counted as a positive clinical outcome.
Another positive aspect associated with the clinical incident can be mentioned as the manner
in which I stringently complied with the safety considerations that must be followed before
commencing the clinical procedure. I efficiently performed hand hygiene, checked the room
for required additional precautions, efficiently introduced myself to the patient, confirmed the
patient ID using the two patient identifiers, explained the process to the patient and offered
analgesic, attended patient queries and ensured patient’s right and dignity and proceeded with
the procedure only after obtaining consent (Opentextbc.ca, 2019). In addition to this, I was
also able to demonstrate competency in using the anti-septic non-touch technique which
ensured that patient safety was prioritized by me (Olchc.ie, 2019). However, one negative
aspect of the clinical event involved me overlooking the protocol of closely assessing the