Skills for Learning in Care: Reflection and Coping Strategies for Healthcare Managers

This report discusses the skills required for learning in the care sector and provides reflection on personal learning process using Kolb's learning cycle. It also identifies stressors related to healthcare managers and provides recommendations on coping strategies.

Skills for learning in care

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................3
Question 1...................................................................................................................................3
Reflection upon own learning process by using Kolb's learning cycle: ................................3
Question 2...................................................................................................................................7
Two stressors related with healthcare managers and provide recommendation on different
coping strategies.....................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Skills are refers as an ability of an individual to perform a task with ascertained results
within specified time. In health and social care sector, different skills required by an individual
for getting employment includes communication, team work, stress management, confidence,
work ethic, etc. Apart from this, there are some core skills which are require in health and social
care includes English, number, digital and employability skills (Arnold and Boggs, 2019). This
report includes two tasks. In the first part, reflection on own learning process is provided by
using Kolb's learning cycle. In this, strengths and qualities are determined and reflection is
provided on personal development along with own action plan about further development of
learning skills. In the second task, two stressors related with health care managers are identify
and recommendations are provided on different coping strategies on report.
MAIN BODY
Question 1
Reflection upon own learning process by using Kolb's learning cycle:
In today's competitive business environment, for getting growth and success, an
individual requires to have different skills. These skills helps in performing tasks in more
effective way and attaining personal goals and objectives. There are various basic skills that are
required by each individual to attain a significant position in life (Billett, 2016). These skills
includes communication, interpersonal, learning, computer, organisation skill etc. But, in context
of health and social care, the skills required by an individual includes communication,
confidence, team work, stress management, work ethic, problem solving, listening skills and
many other. All these skills will help an individual in getting good employment in future and
attaining high growth and success in his/ her area of study. Having appropriate skill will ensure
care worker in providing high quality support and care to users and meeting the set standards.
This reflection is based on my own learning experience that I got while undertaking the
the module. For providing the reflection in an appropriate and systematic way, Kolb's learning
cycle is used by me. Kolb's learning cycle is a reflective model that includes four phases named
as concrete learning, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active
experimentation (Bramhall, 2014). All these phases helps in providing reflection on my own

experience in systematic way. By properly executing all the four stages of model, an effective
learning happen (Cunningham, Foote, Sowder and Cunningham, 2018). The four stages of cycle
and detailed description of own experience based on these are mentioned below:
Concrete Experience:
This is the first phase of cycle which is based on a new situation or experience which is
encountered by an individual or reinterpretation of some existing experience. I am a student
studying in University. My tutor assigned me with the project portfolio named as 'Skills for
Learning in Care'. This was the first time when I assigned with such kind of project, and I haven't
any knowledge regarding it. At that time, my confidence level goes down and I am not able to
understand what I need to do. Various questions were arise in my mind like how I will do this,
how this portfolio will complete etc. All these questions declines my morale. But, after that I
communicated with my tutor and my other class mates, they helped me in this module. They
insist me to complete the project and this contributed highly in improving my confidence level.
In the class room, my tutor thought me about various skills which are required to be employable
and how to apply these skills within management or practitioner context. All the things taught by
my tutor are new to me and there are various questions arise in my mind after listening (Eppich
and Cheng, 2015).
Initially I encountered various difficulties as all the topics are new to me but, after some
time, I my understanding gets improved and then I was able to understand that what my teacher
wants to taught to me as I was then got families with the topics. I learnt about different skills
that in need to possess for getting employment in care organisation and providing high quality
services to service users. By this module, I got to know about some core skills which are very
necessary to possess by a health care practitioner. These skills includes English, numeracy,
digital and employability skills. I learnt that team work is very necessary for a health care worker
and is a crucial trait that must be posses by an individual. Apart from this, I also learnt about the
importance of stress management in care sector. Having positive attitude, flexibility and
confidence is very necessary while providing care to patient (Expósito and et. al., 2018).
Reflective Observation:
This is the second phase of reflective cycle which includes observation of experience of
specific significance are any kind of inconsistencies between understanding and experience.
While undertaking this module, I learnt about various skills which are required by me for getting

employment in health and social care sector (Farrell, Payne and Heye, 2015). Initially, I thought
that an average communication is enough while providing care services to patients, but after
getting learning I understand that it is very crucial for an individual to have good
communication skills as it helps in maintaining good relations with patients by effectively
communicate with them. This also enable other person to clearly understand what an individual
wants to say. In the module, I learnt that team working is very necessary at the time of providing
care to patient. It is very necessary for all the care providers to have good team working skills
as this helps in working collectively in coordinative and collaborative manner which help in
handling difficult situations effectively. After some time of attending the module, I enabled to
grab things very quickly in comparison to other students in the class. In the module, I also
learnt about how to resolve an issue in effective way. Initially, when I joined this module, my
problem solving skills were not good and I was not able to resolve an issue effectively. But,
after getting learning, I am able to effectively resolve the issue that may faced by me while
offering services to patients. This module taught me various things that further help me in my
career development.
Abstract Conceptualization:
This is the third phase of cycle in which reflection gives rise to the idea which is new or
transformation of an existing concept (Gabbay, le May, Connell and Klein, 2014). By getting
experience in this module, I have learnt so many things. I get knowledge about the significance
of good communication skills in care sector as well as another skills that must be possess by an
individual in order to employ at good position and get high success in career. From the learning
experience, I identified that along with the strong areas that I possess, there are some weak areas
also on which I need to work upon. From the learning, I identified that it is very important for
me to have good communication skills as this help me in not only my personal life, but in
professional life also. Apart from this, I learnt about so many other things in the module which
will highly contribute in my future career growth. My communication skill was very weak
initially, but after attending the module, I felt improvement in my communication skills. I am
now able to communicate effectively with others in more proper way. But, still I feel that I need
to work more on my communication as it is very necessary to get employment in health and
social care organisation and offering effective and high quality services to patients (Greeson,
Toohey and Pearce, 2015). Apart from this, my team working skills are average on which I feel

that I need to work upon. As by effective team working skills, I will become able to work in
more effective manner with others and enable to accomplish personal as well as organisational
goals appropriately. The another trait which I need to work upon includes my confidence level.
I loose my confidence easily when I encounter new things or any difficulties which also lowers
down my morale. Due to lack of confidence, sometimes I commit lots of mistakes which resulted
in my poor performance (Griffin and Care, 2014).
Active Experimentation:
This is the last stage of reflective cycle in which the ideas are applied by learner to see a
what happens. Apart from all the learnings which I get from the overall learning experience in
the module, my various skills gets improved. All this will help me in my future career growth.
In future, the team working skill which I have learnt from the module helps me at the time when
I will employ in any organisation and need to work in team. At that time, this skill will help in
working collectively with other and coordinate my work with others in proper manner. This will
support me in handling different situations in more effective way. In future, the learning
experience will help me in getting good employment and learning more advanced things. In
addition to this, I have learnt various another skills which will also help in personal as well as
professional growth. My overall learning experience was good, but still there are some areas on
which I think that I need to work on in order to attain best results in future (Hemingway and et.
al., 2015).
Action plan for further development of personal learning skills:
There are some skills which I need to develop further as it helps in my personal growth.
The action plan for developing the skills are mentioned below:
Skills requires to develop Way of developing the skill
Communication skill In order to improve communication skill, I will attend
communication classes, seminars on communication etc. apart
from this, I will take help of online videos related to improve
communication.
Team working skill For improving my team working skills, I will participate more
on group working task. This will help me in improving my
ability to work in group more effectively (Lin and Magnuson,

2018).
Confidence For boosting my confidence level, there are various things
which I will take into consideration. These includes visualize
myself as I want to be, question my inner critic, set myself up
to win etc. all this will help in improving my confidence level
.
Question 2
Two stressors related with healthcare managers and provide recommendation on different
coping strategies
Stressor is chemical or biological agent, environmental condition, external stimulus or an event
which seen as causing stress to an organism. In psychologically terms, a stressor can be events or
environmental which specific person will consider challenging, demanding as well as also for
threatening individual safety (Meehan and Menniti, 2014). There are several reason behind stress
level of health care manager as well as it is important for them to implement proper strategies
which will provide assistance in coping with level of stress. Moreover, healthy job is like one in
that pressure on staff members is not appropriate in terms of their abilities as well as resources.
Health is not related to the absence of diseases but it is positive state of complete mental,
physical as well as social well being. Thus, healthy working environment is the one in which not
only absence of harmful condition but also abundance of health-promoting ones.
Stress affects people in several ways as well as what one person find stressful can be
normal to another. Numerous factors which result in stress such as background and culture, skills
and experience, personality, health status, individual characteristics and so on. There are several
reasons which may result in stress level of health care manager some of them are mention
below :-
Overwork – It result in self-imposed because of workaholic tendency as well as
sometimes in healthcare sector there is huge work for manager. Such as they are to check
patients and schedule operations for doctors as well as several other task also they have. If
individual is continuously doing over work then it will result in high level of stress after

sometime (Parikh and et. al., 2015). It is important to manage work in such manager within
organisation that particular person will not do overwork. Along with this, overworking is not
only result in stress but also have negative impact on health because stress result in several
physical issues. It is important to resolve overwork issues so major steps which healthcare
manager have to take are as follows :-
 Overwork only result when individual person handle each and every task by themselves.
Thus, it is essential for healthcare manager to delegate or divide task among employee's.
Because such practices will result in reducing overwork related issue on particular
person. In simple term it can be said that, delegation of authority result in reducing stress
level and also give satisfaction to individual as they feel relaxed by dividing work among
employee's. Moreover, manager have authority in organisation as they can delegation
authority to other peoples in effective manner (Ross, Bruderle and Meakim, 2015).
 Above mention strategy is related to work area but there are some other major steps
which healthcare manager can take outside the organisation for reducing their
overworking stress. As after finishing daily basis work healthcare manager have to do
meditation as it will provide them assistance in reducing their stress level. Because
meditation is the best tool through which particular person can relax their mind.
Meditation is the practices in which individual uses several techniques such as
mindfulness, focusing on particular object, thought and some other activities for
achieving mentally clear and emotionally clam as well as stable state.
Situational stress – This type of stress will happens only when everything will go beyond control
as well as work load is more. Within healthcare sector situational stress appears suddenly as well
as manager will have no clue on what they have to do. In simple term it can be said that, it is the
time when everything was smoothly but at sudden everything goes downhill and give negative
impact on daily basis operations of company (Walker and Li, 2016). Along with this, it is a
situation when chances of conflicts also increase and result in increasing level of stress. It is
important to get over with this situation as everyone react to situational stress in different
manner. Below mention are some major steps which individual have to take for getting out of
situational stress because it may result in negative effect on physical health also. Explanation of
these major steps are as follows :-

 It is important for healthcare manager to be self aware in what they will be doing. Which
simply means that manager should be being aware of themselves along with the action
taken by them as well as everything around them. Because such practices will provide
assistance in thinking of solution rather then getting stress. As implementation of
appropriate solution result in reducing level of situational stress within effective manner
(Greeson, Toohey and Pearce, 2015).
 Along with this in some situation it is important for healthcare manager to be clam and
use their mind in effective manner instead of getting emotions or temper. Because
keeping clam will provide assistance to manager in handling the situation before doing
anything that will have negative impact on themselves or working of company. In simple
term it can be said that, before implementation or taking major steps it is essential for
individual to think about it with clam mind and select appropriate solution of the
situation.
 As it has been already discussed that some situation may result in conflict within
company. Thus, it is important for healthcare manager to be patient and hear each side of
conflict in effective manner before giving any solution related to that. Thus, it is essential
for healthcare manager to hear each and every part of conflict in effective manner for
coming out to a specific solution.
Above mention are different type of stress which healthcare manager will face while
working in any healthcare institution. It is essential to overcome with these stress in effective
manner because it will not only impact negatively on mentally health but also on physical
(Gabbay, le May, Connell and Klein, 2014).
CONCLUSION
As per the above mentioned report, it has been concluded that there are various skills
which an individual requires to have in order to grow and get succeed in his/her professional and
personal life. These skills includes communication, team working, problem solving etc. all these
skills are very necessary to attain growth in career. Reflecting on own experience provides an
insights to individual on his/her weak and strong areas and qualities which further helps in
taking appropriate measures to improve them. Kolb's reflective cycle includes four phases which
helps in reflection on own learning experience in appropriate and systematic way.

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