Reflection on Clinical Skills Assessment in Nursing Simulation

Running head: REFLECTION
Part B: Written Reflection: Clinical Skills Assessment
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1REFLECTION
Description- Nursing simulation scenarios generally involve three components
namely, preparation work, simulation, and debriefing that allows nursing students to review
their performance, while considering the application of nursing theory to their practice,
followed by obtaining feedback from an instructor (Campbell & Daley, 2017). One such
simulation scenario involved caring for a female patient who was aged 65 years, and had
been admitted to the hospital, following a diagnosis of fever, four days ago. During the
simulation, three second year nursing students were permitted inside the clinical laboratory,
and had to select a nursing clinical role for attending to the needs and requirements of the
patient in quick succession. I was assigned with the duty of conducting venipuncture on the
patient and was able to perform the steps accurately. However, I demonstrated a failure by
missing out sharp disposal. I did not reach the patient bedside along with the sharp disposal
container. The following sections will contain a reflective account for this incident.
Feelings- The process of venipuncture helps in obtaining intravenous access, with the
primary objective of blood sampling or intravenous therapy, and it is imperative to show
adherence to the standard protocol during collection of blood specimen in order to obtain
appropriate laboratory results (Courtois et al., 2016). While treating the patient although I
was able to perform all the steps accurately, I did not give attention to bring a short disposal
container at the patient bedside. On noticing my mistake I became nervous and immediately
started worrying about the harmful impacts that it might create. This realisation increased my
level of anxiety, and I became fearful and concerned about repercussions of the event when it
would be detected by my supervisor. Prior to the event I was well aware of the fact that it is
imperative for a healthcare professional to use the sharps container for safely disposing sharp
medical instruments and hypodermic needles, in order to prevent any health hazards.
Nonetheless, on noticing my mistake during the clinical simulation, I became
immediately fretful and restless about out the fact that the needle and sharp medical

2REFLECTION
instruments could injure several people and might also result in transmission of infections,
thus leading to serious health conditions.
Evaluation- This clinical simulation had both bad and good elements, which increased
my understanding about the process of venipuncture, and the steps that should be followed
while collecting blood sample from any patient. My role was to who conduct venipuncture
using syringes and needles for obtaining blood that would be used for diagnostic purpose,
and for monitoring different levels of blood components, as per the best interests of the
patient. However, my failure as a nursing professional in not following the safety protocols
suggests that there was a lack of understanding on my part regarding the importance of
appropriate sharp disposal in healthcare settings and the health concern that they are
associated with.
Analysis- Acute Care Nursing is a speciality where nursing professionals are entitled
with the responsibility of restoring stability and health of the patients, following a chronic
illness or a surgery. It has often been established that healthcare workers across the globe are
concerned about sharp or needlestick injuries that have been associated with life threatening
infections. Sharps comprise of syringes, needles, autoinjectors, infusion sets, and lancets.
Therefore, failure to dispose sharp in a proper container results in an increased contact with
the contaminated needles and equipment that spread infections, most common of which are
hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (Coppola et al., 2016).
Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia’s (DASSA) Clean Needle Program (CNP)
also governs the sharp disposal service for individuals who inject drugs, and emphasizes on
the dissemination of sterile disposing containers that have injecting equipment. In addition, it
highlights importance of creating sharp disposal bin or facilities for returning used sharp
equipment (SA Health, 2019). It has also been emphasised by the NSW Work Health and