Reflective Nursing Assignment Using Gibbs' Reflection Cycle

This reflective nursing assignment uses Gibbs' Reflection Cycle to explain the clinical practice unit experience of the student nurse. The assignment highlights the importance of drug administration and hygiene in nursing profession.

Running head: NURSING ASSIGNMENT
REFLECTIVE NURSING ASSIGNMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1NURSING ASSIGNMENT
Gibb’s reflection cycle is the model using which people reflect on the situations which
led them learn important lessons which they could not learn in their normal life. There are six
steps of the reflective cycle such as description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, and conclusion
and action plan through which clinical experience of any particular situation could be explained
that affected the learnings of the person positively or negatively (Potter, 2015). In my clinical
practice unit, I was asked to provide my patient with oral medication. I will be, therefore, using
Gibb’s Reflection cycle to explain my experience about clinical practice unit in the following
section.
Drug administration is one of the major and crucial parts of the nursing profession. After
the drug prescription and dispersions done by the pharmacist, it is the primary duty of the
nursing professionals to provide the patients with correct drug so that quality care could be
provided. While undertaking the CPU, all the student nurses were asked to form group and each
group member was asked to chose one of the drug administration route for their CPU. In this
situation, I was observing each of my members CPU practice and was observing their drug
administration techniques and their hygiene level. Most of the student nurses were following the
five stages of drug administration, however few of them were lacking in few important steps.
Sophie missed her hygiene steps whereas Sarah forgot to count the dose of medication dose.
While observing the situation, and continuing with my CPU, I was very confident and I
was continuously observing all of the steps and stages of oral drug administration. With every
student performing his or her CPU, I was becoming more confident and positive and was
thinking that I will be able to perform my CPU properly without any mistakes. I was
continuously repeating the steps of oral drug administration, patient identification and labeling

2NURSING ASSIGNMENT
and distribution or counting of drug prior to administration so that while performing the CPU I
can follow the steps diligently.
While evaluation the scenario, I can say that due to the close observation and experience
of others mistakes in their oral drug administration related CPU, I was able to concentrate on
important steps such as patient identification, checking MRN number, observing the medication
chart, taking care of hand hygiene and providing the patient with oral sip so that his or her ability
to swallow the drug could be identified (Neuss et al., 2012). This was an important learning
experience prior to my CPU as learning from others mistakes helped me to perform the oral drug
administration related process with minimal mistakes. However, while performing I forgot few
steps such as checking MRN number and using the hand sanitizer prior to drug administration.
Therefore, while evaluation I will be using these two negative points to determine the success of
my CPU about oral drug administration to my patient.
From this reflective study I was able to analyze that in the complete process, I was
confident and determined that I will be able to complete my CPU without any mistake and I will
be able to administer accurate and proper oral drug to my patient. To some extent I was able to
complete the process without any issue (Ensign, Cone & Hanes, 2012). However; two mistakes
affected my complete performance. These mistakes were effective as hygiene is one of the
primary care measures which a nursing professional should undertake to protect their patients
from nosocomial infection. Further, checking the patients identity or the MRN number allotted
by the hospital management is also an important aspect as without watching the patients identity
administration of drug is considered risky (Schiff, Jaffe & Freundlich, 2014).

3NURSING ASSIGNMENT
While concluding, it could be said that I was able to remember all the major steps of oral
drug administration and it helped me to understand my mistakes and loopholes which I will be
taking care of in my future CPU or professional life. Further, I was able to figure out the degree
of my mistakes and others mistakes in affecting the patient’s health and wellbeing. Therefore, in
conclusion, I was able to perform my oral drug administration related CPU properly.
My action plan will be understanding the issues in my performance and find out the key
points using which I can reinforce the correct knowledge and use them to practice more and
more so that I can bring accuracy in my performance and I can understand the medication
administration related issues and minimize the risk of mistakes in my further performances.

4NURSING ASSIGNMENT
References
Ensign, L. M., Cone, R., & Hanes, J. (2012). Oral drug delivery with polymeric nanoparticles:
the gastrointestinal mucus barriers. Advanced drug delivery reviews, 64(6), 557-570.
Neuss, M. N., Polovich, M., McNiff, K., Esper, P., Gilmore, T. R., LeFebvre, K. B., ... &
Jacobson, J. O. (2013). 2013 updated American Society of Clinical Oncology/Oncology
Nursing Society chemotherapy administration safety standards including standards for
the safe administration and management of oral chemotherapy. Journal of Oncology
Practice, 9(2S), 5s-13s.
Potter, C. (2015). Leadership development: an applied comparison of Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle
and Scharmer’s Theory U. Industrial and Commercial Training, 47(6), 336-342.
Schiff, M. H., Jaffe, J. S., & Freundlich, B. (2014). Head-to-head, randomised, crossover study
of oral versus subcutaneous methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: drug-
exposure limitations of oral methotrexate at doses≥ 15 mg may be overcome with
subcutaneous administration. Annals of the rheumatic diseases, annrheumdis-2014.