Reflection on Nursing Practice

This reflective essay throws light on the issues along with the factors that have an impact on the nursing leaders. The essay also elaborates on the clinical leadership expectations on the part of the new graduate nurses. The essay also elucidates on the strategies that can help in the development of the personal along with the professional resilience.

Running head: REFLECTION ON NURSING PRACTICE
Reflection on Nursing Practice
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1REFLECTION ON NURSING PRACTICE
Introduction
Nursing refers to a profession within framework of healthcare sector that lays
emphasis on taking care of the individuals, families along with the communities. It helps in
the recovery of the optimal health of a person and helps the people in maintaining the quality
of the life. Nurses help in developing the plan for the care and they work in a collaborative
manner with the physicians and the therapists (Bender 2016). They focus on treating the
illness of the patient so that their health can be restored. Clinical leadership refers to term that
helps in encapsulating concept of the clinical healthcare staff who takes up the roles of the
leadership. The people use the clinical experience along with the skills that helps in taking
care of needs of the patient. The clinical leaders have an important role to play in enhancing
the quality that helps in transforming the clinical experience. This reflective essay throws
light on the issues along with the factors that have an impact on the nursing leaders. The
essay also elaborates on the clinical leadership expectations on the part of the new graduate
nurses. The essay also elucidates on the strategies that can help in the development of the
personal along with the professional resilience. The essay also discusses about the elements
that can help in offering support to the leadership.
Issues and factors affecting nursing practice
There are various kinds of factors that have an impact on the nursing professional
practice. The nursing leaders have to face challenges in the area of the staff retention,
recruitment of the nursing staff along with the nurse engagement. The shift length of the
nurses is a cause of high turnover among the nurses and the retention of the nurses acts as a
challenge for the nursing leaders. The nurses in the present age lack the essential skills that
acts like a challenge for the nurses. The lack of the engagement of the nurses has an adverse
effect on the quality of care that is delivered by the nurses within the framework of the

2REFLECTION ON NURSING PRACTICE
healthcare profession. The Nursing Unit Manager (NUM) should approach the situation in a
particular manner that can help in resolving the issue in relation to Kim. Kim is undertaking
the Transition to Practice (TTP) program within tertiary hospital of Western Sydney. In the
course of the program, she had to involve herself with a patient who had met with a cardiac
arrest within the ward. The patient had been resuscitated in the successful manner and she
was later on transferred to that of Intensive Care Unit. The registrar scolded Kim for not
knowing regarding the equipment that is to be provided for intubation. Kim was confident
however this incident had a negative effect on her life. This incident made Kim feel that she
would not be able to cope with the demands of the ward work. Kin was demoralised on
account of this incident and she felt useless on account of this incident (Chávez and Yoder
2015). Kim started to feel hopeless on account of this incident and she felt that she would not
be able to prove herself in the position of the nurse. I would approach the situation in a
positive manner in the event of being the NUM that can help in restoring g the confidence of
Kim on her abilities. I would try to understand the situation from the point of view of Kim
that can help in understanding the situation from the perspective of Kim. The NUM should
provide Kim with the counselling that can help Kim in relieving her anxiety. In the event of
being the NUM, I would not raise the issue in front of colleagues and the other patients that
can make Kim feel embarrassed. The issue should be raised before her but she should be
called secretly that does not harm her image. It can make Kim feel less embarrassed that can
help in resolving the situation in the right manner (Ennis, Happell and Reid‐Searl 2015). The
registered nurse (RN) should have the ability of thinking that can help him in making the best
decisions. The registered nurse should have the capability of developing the practice by
reflecting on the experiences along with the knowledge. The Nursing and Midwifery Board
of Australia( NMBA) standard of practice that is available in the case of NUM is in relation
to the engaging of the therapeutic and the professional relationships (Anmf.org.au 2019).

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According to NMBA, the NUM should be imbibed with the ability of showing the generosity
that can work to the benefit of the people who are involved in the professional practice
(Longo, Cassidy and Sherman 2016). The NUM should be respectful of the dignity of a
person that can help in the maintenance of the professional relationships within the nursing
profession.
Clinical Leadership expectations
There are obligations of the new graduate nurse that can help in successfully carrying
out the nursing duties. The graduate nurses have to carry out work within an environment that
helps in facilitating the ethical practice that is on the basis of Code of Ethics for Nurses in
Australia.According to NMBA, The graduate nurses have the moral, legal along with the
professional standards that can help them in maintaining the quality of the clinical profession
(Park and Han 2015).The graduate nurses are entrusted with the work of promoting the
welfare along with the social well-being of the patients who are within the services of the
nurse. I think that the graduate nurses have to understand the needs of the patients that can
help in carrying out the treatment in an effective manner.In my view, the nurses have to carry
out the care in an empathetic manner that can work for the welfare of the patients within the
clinical setting. Kim did not meet the obligations of the new graduate nurse as she did not
know how to use the equipments in relation to the intubation (Spehar, Frich and Kjekshus
2015). Intubation refers to standard procedure which involves around passing the tube in the
airway of a person. In the case of intubation, the flexible plastic tube is inserted in the throat
of a person and this is a common procedure which is carried out within the operating rooms
along with the emergency rooms. Kim should have been acquainted with this procedure as
the clinical practice is a critical job that can jeopardise the health of the patient.Kim was not
able to work on the basis of the NMBA standard of the practice. Kim should have been aware
about the equipments that should be provided at the time of the intubation

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(Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au 2019). In my opinion, the nurses have the responsibility of
maintaining the high standard of the professional behaviour and they should be held
accountable in relation to their practice (Scully 2015).Kim should have been able to deliver
proper treatment to the patient who had undergone the cardiac arrest within the ward. It is
important to know about the minute things in the clinical profession as it can endanger the
life of the patient (Anmf.org.au 2019). I think that the patients have to face the consequences
in the event of aberration of the duties of the nurses and hence it is of crucial importance that
the nurses carry out all the activities in the proper manner that can help in rejuvenating the
health of the patients (Nieuwboer et al. 2019).
Strategies for developing resilience
Gibbs Reflective Cycle makes the people think in a systematic manner regarding the
experiences that they have in relation to a specific situation. The reflection on the
experiences can be further divided into the different phases that helps in revealing the
feelings of the individuals.
Description
Kim had to face rebuke from the registrar as she was not acquainted with the
equipments that can be of help in carrying out the process of the intubation.
Feelings
In the event of being in the situation of Kim, I would have the feeling of remorse at
my incapability of not being able to handle the situation in the proper manner. I would have
been embarrassed at the initial stage however I would have made myself understand that I
had just come out of the University of Technology of Sydney and I would require more
amount of time before I can hone the skills in relation to the clinical profession. I would have
made myself understand that I am doing the Transition to Practice Program in the tertiary

5REFLECTION ON NURSING PRACTICE
hospital and it is my time of learning important things pertaining to the clinical profession
(Connolly, Jacobs and Scott 2018).
Evaluation
The evaluation of the incident reveals that Kim at this stage should try to learn from
the NUM’s that can help them at a later stage of their clinical profession.The analysis of the
incident reveals that Kim should have been eager to learn from that of the attending Registrar
that can help her in realizing her duties in the right manner.
Analysis
The positive effect of the experience would be that it would instill in Kim the ability
of learning from the mistakes that would help her in emerging as a successful professional in
the future (Regan, Laschinger and Wong 2016).There are strategies that can help in the
development of the personal along with the professional resilience of the nurses.
Action Plan
The action plan that can be made use of by Kim is that Kim should take the help of
the other clinical practitioners that can help in the professional development of Kim. The
nurses should have the resilience that can help them in dealing with different kinds of
situations within the nursing profession. The nurses have to face the workplace diversity
owing to the excessive amount of workloads within the setting of the nursing practice. The
nurses can build the resilience in the event of the maintenance of the good and the positive
relationships. The nurse should have the ability of accepting the fact that there are some
situations that are out of control of the nurses that can help them in the maintenance of their
mental equilibrium. The nurses should try to embody the long term perspective that can work
well for the future of the nurses (West et al. 2016). The nurse should have the capability of
making himself free from the negative feelings along with the emotions that can work to the

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benefit of the nurses. The nurses should remain optimistic that can help them in rising above
the difficult situations. It can help them in developing the positive mind set that can work
well for the future of the nurses. The nurses should have the accepting mind that can help
them in remaining purposeful in relation to their choices. It can help the nurses in the
achievement of their personal goals (Al‐Hamdan, Manojlovich and Tanima 2017).
Authenticity should be reflected in the actions of the nurses that can help them in creating
honest relationship with the patients. Kim should have a positive bent of mind and she should
have the ability of learning from the events. Kim should not have felt distressed when the
Registrar lashed out at her but she should have tried to understand the situation that could
have relieved her of the feeling of the hopelessness.
Elements in the effective leadership
There are certain kinds of knowledge and communication that the nursing leaders
should instill in the graduate nurses so that they can treat the patients in the right manner.
Concept of the leadership can be said to be of significant importance in the nursing
profession. The nurses should develop the leadership role that is effective that can help in the
process of delivering the high-quality care to the patients (Reinke, Hendricksen and Lynn
2018). The leaders like NUM should impart the knowledge to the graduate nurses that the
effective communication along with the collaboration can prove to be of vital importance in
relation to the clinical profession. It should be communicated to the graduate nurses that they
should have a vision that can help them in driving the change within the framework of the
high quality care. The graduate nurses should be made knowledgeable regarding the fact that
they are accountable for securing the health of the patients and they should involve
themselves in constant observation that can help them in recognizing the critical situations
(Scully 2015). I think that the nurses should monitor the health of the patients very closely
that can help them in lending out effective care that can help the patients in regaining their

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health. NUM can communicate the new nurses that they can form a network with the other
members of the team that can prove to be useful in the arena of collaboration (Miles and
Scott 2019). The nurses should be able to direct and support the healthcare teams that can
help in maintaining the health of the patients.In my view, the nurses should have the
capability of influencing the other people that can help them in achieving the shared objective
and in working towards the change (Rich et al. 2015).
Conclusion
Nursing Unit Manager can provide Kim with the relevant amount of counselling
which can prove to be useful for Kim. Kim should try to learn from the manager that can help
her in evolving as a successful practitioner in the future. It can help her in the area of
realization of her duties. Kim should have the ability of learning from the mistakes that can
aid in her professional development. The knowledge should be communicated to the new
graduate nurses that communication along with collaboration are of pivotal importance in the
healthcare profession. The nurses should have the vision that can help them in treating the
patients and recovering the health of the patient.

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