Transition to Professional Practice: Clinical Reflection Assignment

This assignment presents a nursing student's reflective analysis of a clinical placement experience. Using Gibb's reflective model, the student describes an instance of medication error during the care of a geriatric patient with diabetes who had communication barriers. The reflection details the description of the event, the student's feelings, an evaluation of the situation, and a subsequent analysis of strengths and weaknesses. The student identifies a lack of communication skills and medication management problems as key areas for improvement, concluding that effective communication, proper medication management, and patient assessment are essential for quality patient outcomes, particularly in geriatric care. The assignment includes an action plan for future practice, focusing on improved communication and assertive medication handling, along with the student's commitment to enhance clinical knowledge through supervision and training. Relevant references support the reflection.

Running head: TRANSITION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE EXPERIENCES
TRANSITION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE EXPERIENCES
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author name:

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TRANSITION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE EXPERIENCES
Reflection is designated as one of the most vital process in the nursing profession and is
commonly used by the health care as it benefits the healthcare staff in order to comprehend the
limitations and the strength of the nursing process based on the previous experience. Reflection
of the previous experience of the nurse and the healthcare staff helps them to recollect upon the
previous activities and can be improved accordingly. It helps the nursing students to enhance
their professional skills by identifying the errors in the previous experiment (McKinnon, 2016).
Reflection is based on the two standard formulated by the NSQHS (National Safety and
Quality Health Service), which is medication safety standard and communication for the safety
standard (Safetyandquality.gov.au, 2019). The reflection includes my experience during the
second year of the clinical placement, where I was assigned to assist a registered nurse to take
care of the geriatric patient, who has been suffering from diabetes and is not able to speak
English properly. The reflection is structured with the help of Gibb’s reflective model, which is
one of the most common reflective models used in the health care setting (Husebø, O'Regan &
Nestel, 2015). The assignment consist the medication error or communication error that has been
conducted by me in the clinical placement and evaluation and analysis based on that and the
action plan is formulated accordingly to avoid the error.
Description:
During the second year of my clinical placement, I was assigned to work under a
registered nurse in the management of the geriatric patient, who has been suffering from
diabetes. The patient belongs to the aboriginal population and is not able to speak English
properly and hence she communicates less with us. The training is done to enhance our clinical
skills which are required to provide quality care to the patient. After joining the clinical

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placement, I decided to perform the job by maintaining all the codes and conduct of the nursing
to provide safe and improved health outcome.
As per the care plan of the patient, the patient needs to take the prescribed medication in
morning before having breakfast. Despite of having knowledge regarding the codes and conduct
of the registered nurse, I administered the medicines to the patient without even looking at the
patient’s documentations or asking with the patient or my buddy nurse.
In the evening, I observed that the patient is sweating abnormally and is also feeling
restless and anxious. After assessing the documents, I realized that the patient had been
administered twice with the medication due to my mistake. I narrated the whole incident to my
buddy nurse, she immediately called up a MET meeting and the patient is treated. Though, no
harm had been occurred tie the patient, only the blood pressure has been increased, such incident
could have led to adverse impact.
Feeling:
When I got the knowledge regarding my area of practice for the clinical placement, I was
excited about the experience or the knowledge that I was about to gain from the placement. I was
confident about my clinical knowledge before treating the patient. I was aware about the
registered nurse standard which aims to provide safe and quality care of the patient. Despite of
having knowledge regarding the standard 2 of the registered nurse standard formulated by the
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2019), which states that the a nurse should maintain
a therapeutic and effective relationship with the patient and the family, I was not able to develop
a rapport with the patient. According to the standard 4 of the nursing standard formulated by the
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2019), comprehensive and appropriate assessment is

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vital to ensure safe practice. However, I administered the medication without assessing the
patient. I felt debauched because due to my mistake the life of the patient was into the risk.
Evaluation:
This experience helped me to analyze my strength and weakness which needs to be
considering for the future treatment of the patient. Despite of having the theoretical knowledge
about the NSQHS standard 4, that is medication safety standard, I made a mistake in the
medication administration which resulted to patient health deterioration. One of the reasons
which caused error in the treatment of the patient is the communication errors (Riley, 2015).
According to NSQHS (2019), standard 6, communication among the healthcare staff and the
patient is vital in order to get improved patient outcomes (Safetyandquality.gov.au, 2019). I was
able to identify my weakness which is lack of communication skill and medication management
problems, and hence I need to work on this skill to avoid the chances of error in future.
Analysis:
From the above solution, it is analyzed that apart from the theoretical knowledge of the
clinical practice, the practical knowledge is significant. I also learned that effective
communication among the health care staff, patient and the family member of the patient is
necessary for the effective treatment. I also gathered knowledge about the consequences of the
medication error and the strategies to avoid such mediation error (Feleke, Mulatu & Yesmaw,
2015).

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Conclusion:
From the above solution, it is concluded that the risk of infection among the geriatric
patient is very high and a small clinical error can cause health deterioration (Manias et al., 2016).
Effective communication, medication management, proper assessment of the patient is essential
during the treatment of the patient and should not be avoided as it might lead to poor patient
outcomes. The reflection helps to analyses my strength and weakness, which needs t0 be
considered and modified accordingly.
Action plan:
From the above experience, I analyzed weakness which is lack of communication skill
and improper medication management and hence needs to work on that. I will work on my
communication skill in order to maintain professional relationship with the patient in future to
avoid such medication error (Lavan, Gallagher & O’Mahony, 2016). Apart from that, I will also
work to improve m medication management and will be more assertive while handling a patient
in the future clinical practice. I will gather more clinical knowledge by working under the
supervisor to provide safe and quality care.

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Reference:
Feleke, S. A., Mulatu, M. A., & Yesmaw, Y. S. (2015). Medication administration error:
magnitude and associated factors among nurses in Ethiopia. BMC nursing, 14(1), 53.
Husebø, S. E., O'Regan, S., & Nestel, D. (2015). Reflective practice and its role in simulation.
Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 11(8), 368-375.
Lavan, A. H., Gallagher, P. F., & O’Mahony, D. (2016). Methods to reduce prescribing errors in
elderly patients with multimorbidity. Clinical interventions in aging, 11, 857.
Manias, E., Geddes, F., Watson, B., Jones, D., & Della, P. (2016). Perspectives of clinical
handover processes: a multi‐site survey across different health professionals. Journal of
clinical nursing, 25(1-2), 80-91.
McKinnon, J. (2016). Reflection for Nursing Life: Principles, Process and Practice. Routledge.
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2019). Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia -
Registered nurse standards for practice. Retrieved 22 August 2019, from
https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Professional-
standards/registered-nurse-standards-for-practice.aspx
Riley, J. B. (2015). Communication in nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Safetyandquality.gov.au. (2019). Clinical Governance Standard | Australia Commission on
Safety and Quality in Healthcare. Retrieved 20 August 2019, from
https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/clinical-governance/clinical-governance-
standard

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