Reflections on Your Personal and Professional Development | Report

Running Head: Reflection
REFLECTIONS ON YOUR PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors Note

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REFLECTIONS ON YOUR PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Introduction
Nursing profession requires learning and effective implementation of the skills every
day. Different communication styles are important as the nurses need to talk and collaborate
with the other professionals to treat the patients. The practical needs assessment and accurate
professional conduct will help the nurses to improve quality of care. Patients’ safety and
security. Betterment of health and wellbeing of the patients are the priorities of a nurse.
Anonymity and confidentiality are the measure aspects of nursing practices. According to the
NMC guidelines, nurses must protect the anonymity and confidentiality to protect their
dignity with autonomy in the treatment. The NMC standards for nurse, codes and guidance
for the professional conducts are taken under consideration. This essay will reflect my
experience in the earlier days of my career and how the learning and communicating styles
are significant in the process of treatment. I will explain that the different leaning models and
approach in the field of nursing during implementing the practice guidelines. There are
different nursing principles which influence the career of a nurse in different ways. These
principles not only help to improve a nurse but make a nurse competent in various sectors of
personal lives. Due to our profession we come across many patients and their families and
each and every cases teach us different lessons. The cases improve us as a better human
being. As Florence Nightangale said, “Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses...we
must be learning all of our lives”; we should develop our skills every time by observing or by
taking some proactive steps for learning new things to improve the practice. This essay will
reflect how a case study would contribute to my nursing career and how it inspire me to look
into my inner self to make myself professionally more confident.
Discussion
Case study

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REFLECTIONS ON YOUR PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
6 months ago when I just completed my graduation from the nursing college, I got a
placement in the emergency ward as the nursing assistant. A patient was admitted to the
emergency department after having Transient Ischemic Attack. The person was admitted to
the hospital by some workers of the local supermarket. They told us that they did not know
him and he was found in unconscious state in the backyard of the market. One of them found
him and immediately called the ambulance. The paramedics did FAST assessment and they
informed that it was a case of stroke. The patient transferred to the ICU after 24 hours, he was
transferred to the ED. I was assigned to take care of the patient and executed my duties
properly during my night shift. Next day when I came to the hospital I found that his son did
not want me to take care of his father. However, my supervisor called me and I had a talk
with the person. I was so nervous to talk to that person and my supervisor helped me to
handle the situation. Nigel (a pseudonym is used to maintain the NMC guidelines’
anonymity and confidentiality), the patient was very disturbed by all the incidences and when
I went to ED to check him, that 70 year old person seemed very confused. I assured him that
he would be fine after the treatment. I came to know that Nigel lived alone in the town and
his wife died in a car accident 3 months ago. Therefore he was living alone for 3 months and
he did not want to live with his son for some personal reasons. After assessing him, we came
to know that he has diabetes, hypertension, mild COPD and irregular bowel movement or
constipation. He also has arthritis for which he used to take therapy and medication but after
his wife’s demise he had not availed those. After the TIA, he has hemiparesis in the right side
of the body.
Principles of professionalism
Professionalism is the act to provide better quality patient care with maintaining the
respect and dignity of thee patient. Nurses should communicate clearly and do self-reflection

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REFLECTIONS ON YOUR PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
on their behaviors and the actions. According to a report, professionalism depends on
cognition, attitudes and psychomotor movements of the nurses. According to the NMC
standards, nursing professionalism depends on some aspects such as prioritizing the care,
patient centered approach, maintaining respect and dignity, cumulative effort, high quality of
care provision, honesty and integrity and upholding the reputation. The skills incorporates in
the practice are conflict resolution, ethical consideration, adaptability, leadership ability to
overcome the critical situation and collaboration with patient and other professionals.
According to the nursing principle of RCN, nurses should treat everyone with equal dignity
and respect. They should understand individual needs and must be compassionate and
sensitive. As Nigel was very confused and worried about his health, I chose to counsel him
and to make a good bond with him. I involved him in the effective communication where I
used to listen to him more and let him decide the next step of his treatment. I obviously
assisted him with suggesting the pros and cons of his preferences. NMC standard always
focuses on prioritizing the patient which is directly indicates patient’s empowerment and
autonomy (www.nmc.org.uk, 2020). As per the anti-oppressive practice theory, nurses should
be empathetic to the patient. Interventions should support needs of the patient and maintain
the standard practices (RCN principle A, C, E) (www.rcn.org.uk, 2020). HCPC standards are
also support the ethics and values in the treatments of the patients (standard 2”communicate
appropriately”, standard 5”Respect confidentiality”, standard 8 ” be open when things go
wrong ”, standard 9 ”be honest and trustworthy”) (Standards of conduct of HCPC, p., 2020). I
tried to maintain the aspects of individual professionalism and inter-professional
collaboration during the treatment of Nigel. Often I used to get confuse to follow the
framework of “Enabling Professionalism in Nursing and Midwifery Practice”
( www.nmc.org.uk, 2020). However I took help of my supervisor. Diabetologists, nutritionist,
neurologists, and physiotherapists were included in the treatment of Nigel. Additionally Nigel