Community Practice Portfolio Report: Bolton Clarke Analysis

This community practice portfolio report analyzes the nursing care provided by Bolton Clarke, an Australian-based provider of independent living services. The report begins with an introduction to community practices and the specific health services offered by Bolton Clarke, followed by a detailed discussion of the roles and responsibilities of preceptor nurses within this setting. It explores how nurses support, prepare, and empower family members and carers to provide effective patient care. The report also delves into the practical aspects of community nursing, including maintaining patient records, administering treatments, and educating patients on self-management. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of ethical principles, technological aids, and creating a respectful environment for patients. The report concludes with a critical reflection on the community practice experience, highlighting key insights and concerns. This report provides a comprehensive overview of community nursing practices and is designed to help students understand real-world applications in healthcare.

Community Practice
Portfolio

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
PART 1............................................................................................................................................3
Introduce your Professional Practice setting and describe the health services this practice
setting provides.......................................................................................................................3
PART 2............................................................................................................................................4
Discuss the roles and responsibilities of your preceptor nurse in the practice setting...........4
PART 3............................................................................................................................................7
Find out how the nurses in the practice setting you have attended support, prepare and
empower family members/carers in order to care for the patient/client.................................7
PART 4............................................................................................................................................9
Critical Reflection on your community practice....................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Community practices refers to activities conducted by a group of individuals by sharing concern
or passion for improving healthcare. It includes to focus on specific care section in order to
provide effective services and facilities for boosting up health status of people living in a
community (Berman, Snyder and Frandsen, 2016). The present report is based on Bolton Clarke
which is known as an Australian based provider of independent living services through at home
care, retirement living and Community nursing. It was founded in 1885 as a charity in nursing,
healthcare, education and training which is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. This
assignment will focus on professional practice setting and roles & responsibilities of nurse in
practice settings. It will also include the way of nursing staff to support, prepare and empower
family members for care of an individual. The reflection on community practice including own
thoughts and concerns are given below.
PART 1
Introduce your Professional Practice setting and describe the health services this practice setting
provides
The professional practice settings consist to provide care in Community nursing to make old age
of people healthy. Professional practice settings conducted by professionals of Bolton Clarke
includes various care activities and procedures for providing in community care at home of
patient for their well being. It includes to focus on clinical problems and support to daily routine

activities of patients to deliver overall facilities in order to improve their health condition
(Billings and Halstead, 2015). However, it is necessary to involve patient and their family
members to gain more information about an individual in terms of making appropriate decision
making to render correct treatment as well as medication for achieving their better health
condition. In addition to this, it consist to determine actual requirements of a sick person and
them establish an effective goal to make plan of action to give proper medical facilities and other
services to them.

(Source: Community nursing , 2019)
Meanwhile, it has been analysed about requirements of community nursing care that care
professionals should remain careful because old age people face several difficulties or falls
which are required to be avoid by taking desired actions (Chadwick and Gallagher, 2016).
Moreover, there are different care facilities are to be given including care for supporting patient
to conduct their daily routine work and taking medications on correct time to become well being
and comfortable.
PART 2
Discuss the roles and responsibilities of your preceptor nurse in the practice setting
Nursing staff has various kinds of roles towards patient for improving their comfort level and
make them healthy. It includes to establish health relationship and mutual understanding with an
individual by effective communication. However, if patient feel easy and comfortable with
nursing staff then they can share their every problem easily which is favourable for nurse to
make appropriate decision for providing correct treatment (Cherry and Jacob, 2016). Meanwhile,
it is necessary for nursing staff of Bolton Clarke to remain aware about respective roles ad
responsibilities which facilitate to render effective care facilities for welfare of an individual.
Moreover, specific roles of nurse in community nursing care is to remain supportive to improve
Illustration 1: Community nursing

health status of patients by taking care of them. There are number of roles and responsibilities of
nursing staff while working in community nursing care to be fulfilled for making an individual
well being.
Roles of nurse in Community nursing
Initially, nursing staff has a role to maintain proper records of medical history and symptoms for
making correct decision of treatment process. Basically, it is necessary for them to collaborate
with their team members in respect of establishing plan of action for patient care to make them
well being. However, it consist advocate for health and well being of an individual by carrying
out effective clinical practices to make them comfortable. In addition to this, it is necessary for a
registered nurse to monitor patient health and record signs which helps to evaluate progress in
their condition along with requirement of changing the medication (Clark, 2015). Moreover, they
plays an important role of administering appropriate treatment procedures as well as medications
which are favourable in Community nursing care provided by practitioners of Bolton Clarke for
improving health status of old patients properly. Meanwhile, nursing staff is required to focus on
operating medical instruments and maintain their cleanlinesses along with appropriate condition
to conduct surgical procedures in correct way. Furthermore, they have to attempt conduct of
diagnosing activities which helps to understand cause of specific health problems and
effectiveness of provided medication after treatment. It involves the duty to provide proper
education to sick people in Community nursing care relevant to management of sicknesses by
taking effective precautions to maintain their fitness. They have a role to render desired support
as well as advice to patients for conducting practices related to self management that improves
their activeness and facilitate to increase their recovery.
In addition to this, various roles are required to be carried out by a registered nurse to provide
appropriate care facilities to patient in Community nursing care. They have a responsibility to
prepare rooms and comfortable environment for an individual with the help of decontaminating
instruments as well as equipments accordingly (Dunphy and et. al, 2015). It is quite difficult to
manage medical activities and supportive actions for welfare of a person while visiting home of
patient daily for several times to tale care of them. Basically, nursing staff of Bolton Clarke
should fulfil duty of conducting preparation of physical examinations of sick people on daily
basis to ensure their stable situation. Meanwhile, they should provide proper information to
patient and their family members related to effective precautions about particular health problem

along with the treating process of the same. However, nurse working in Bolton Clarke has a role
to analyse issues of patient for resolving and completing their needs with the help of
implementing multifaceted team strategy. In addition to this, nursing staff of Bolton Clarke is
required to interact with other care teams to maintain harmonious relationships. Moreover, they
should prefer to attend education sessions and workshops for enhancing their professionals as
well as technical knowledge that is favourable to improve performance in Community nursing
care. Furthermore, it is necessary for them to fulfil role of working in laboratory and provide
regular information about patient's situation by daily visiting at home (Kaakinen and et. al,
2018). It is necessary to recommend medications and other treatment options including physical
therapy, inhalation therapy and many more.
Responsibilities of a nurse in Community nursing
Registered nurse has number of responsibilities while working in community nursing care in
terms of providing overall desired medical facilities for welfare of old age patients. Firstly, it
includes to observed and make records of behaviours as well as symptoms of as an individual.
Secondly, they are required to establish more effective as well as efficient co-ordination with
physicians and other care practitioners of Bolton Clarke for generating along with conducting
evaluation of customised plan of care. Thirdly, it consist the criterion of providing psychological
and emotional support to sick individuals and their family members which facilitate to create
harmonious atmosphere. However, nursing staff is responsible for carrying out required
diagnosing activities for specific health issue in order to analyse actual signs along with
attempting appropriate actions to gain improvements in their situation. In addition to this, they
have to fulfil the responsibility of maintain the patient records including medical histories and
monitor respect modifications in their medical status (Lindquist, Tracy and Snyder, 2018).
Basically, it involves to conduct effective treatment procedures and give accurate dose of correct
medication for attaining better health of people in community nursing care. Moreover, these
responsibilities should be focussed by registered nurse while providing care on daily basis to old
age person in community nursing care for gaining better patient outcomes respectively.
At the other hand, a registered nurse should focus on changing medications of an individual as
per requirement created by their responses as well as situations. It involves their duty of adhering
with norms, rules, regulation and protocols in terms of maintaining records of medical records
completely. However, they should fulfil responsibility of maintain safety and hygiene of

atmosphere in compliance with healthcare processes for ensuring stable condition of an
individual. Meanwhile, it is necessary for a registered nurse to carrying out investigation related
to clinical procedures in respect of improving nursing practices as well as care outcomes.
However, they have to focus on giving instant facilities of care at the time of medical
emergencies such as burns, heart attacks, strokes and so on. Moreover, nursing staff is required
to make an effective discussion with physicians and pharmacists regarding the respective
treatment in complicated cases of patients to reduce chance of occurring mistakes (McCormack
and McCance, 2016). Additionally, it is essential for them to render important indication on
maintenance of health condition as well as prevention of diseases. Furthermore, a registered
nurses is responsible for monitoring each and every aspect related to care services if a sick
individual including intake of proper balanced diet as well as regular routine of physical activity.
PART 3
Find out how the nurses in the practice setting you have attended support, prepare and empower
family members/carers in order to care for the patient/client
The supporting factor is very important in Community nursing care that is provided by Bolton
Clarke to improve health condition of an individual. It involves the criterion of following ethical
principles and regulations while providing care facilities. However, it consist communicate with
patient and provide introduction by a registered nurse along with explaining purpose of visiting
their home for care. It is necessary to pay respect and maintain dignity of an individual by
nursing staff of Bolton Clarke to make patient understand about importance of instructions to
become disease free. Meanwhile, it is essential to ask an individual to share preferences and likes
to care for along with their expectations from care professional to make suitable routine plan for
them. It is important to secure the physical privacy and put efforts to data protection of patient
which facilitate to maintenance of their dignity in an appropriate manner (Smith and Parker,
2015). However, it is necessary for nursing staff to protect personal data of an individual because
a minor medical issue may create major social problem for them which is not favourable for their
image and survival in society. Moreover, it includes to support patient by visiting their home to
give proper care facilities and assist them with their personal grooming which make them more
comfortable with care practitioners. Additionally, it is required to put efforts for establishing and

maintaining respectful atmosphere which is suitable to conduct care practices cooperatively
which helps to gain better patient outcomes.
Supporting criterion consist the utilisation of more effective as well as efficient technological
aspects for increasing easy living of people in Community nursing care provided by Bolton
Clarke. It includes the use of various technical aids and devices which are helpful to make people
capable to conduct their regular routine work by their own. However, it is significant for Bolton
Clarke to make sure about knowledge level and training requirements of nursing staff who were
working in Community nursing care which facilitate to ensure about appropriate delivery of
desired care services. In addition to this, there are number of technical aids which are suitable in
Community nursing care such as walkers, wheelchairs, canes, crutches, prosthetic devices,
hearing aids, cognitive aids, screen readers, automatic page turners, books holders, ramps, grab
bars, adaptive switches, utensils and many more (Townsend and Morgan, 2017). Meanwhile,
these assistive devices can be used by care professionals and provide them to patient for their
support to feel independently living which is symbol of activeness and comfortability. Moreover,
assistive technology is also supportive to maintain live connection between a registered nurse of
Bolton Clarke and respective patient when practitioners are not at home of an individual as they
can monitor them 24 hours. Furthermore, effective technological equipments are helpful for a
sick person as they can immediately contact with care professional while feeling uneasy to gain
medical attention for remaining healthy.
In context of Bolton Clarke, it is necessary for them to make sure about quality of nursing home
staff so that they can give proper care services to desired people for their welfare. It involves
conducting professional training and development session for increasing skills as well as abilities
of nurses to boost up patient outcomes. However, it includes more transparency about quality of
care so that appropriate actions can be taken for the same which facilitate to deliver appropriate
facilities in Community nursing care. Basically, it is important to make evaluate the capabilities
of nursing home staff which is favourable to reduce chance of occurring risky situations at the
time of dealing in context of community nursing care at home. In addition to this, it has been
analysed that empowering family members of an individual is significant for attaining better
patient outcomes. Moreover, it is observed that family members can provide any kind of past or
present information which is important to be considered while making plan of action to render
appropriate medical services for well being of an aged patient.

Empowering family members is an important aspect for preparing more effective as well as
efficient care plan of action in order to deliver an appropriate medical facilities to patient in
community nursing care home. It involves to conduct effective communication in terms of
establishing mutual understanding and healthy relationships with them to gain overall desired
information related to specific patient. However, it will provide support to reduce drug errors and
other mistakes in care planning which facilitate to increase patient outcomes respectively.
Moreover, involvement of family members is very essential to gain cooperation of an individual
for providing better services to make them disease free (Zaccagnini and Pechacek, 2019).
PART 4
Critical Reflection on your community practice
Context and details of the situation
According to my point of view, it has been analysed that it is an opportunity to work in
community nursing care and gain an experience of working in different atmosphere. It is quite
difficult for me but at the same time it is beneficial as well in terms of achieving skills to deal
with aged people by visiting their homes. However, I have faced as situation of in which patient
is having problem of kidney disease which create some of issues while providing medications
and helping them in daily routine. In addition to this, it will become difficult to conduct various
aspects without help of other colleagues at home of an individual for supporting them to gain
better health condition as soon as possible. Meanwhile, I prefer to take suggestions from my
superiors to make an effective attempt towards that old age patient for providing desired
treatment services in order to make them healthy as well as comfortable.
My thoughts, feelings and concerns
Considering my thoughts and feeling, I have got frustrated some times because of attempting all
the tasks alone without cooperation of other colleagues by visiting patients home. I got training
for this task but this is the first time for me to provide Community nursing care practically which
is difficult initially. However, I have faced several problems that associated physician was not
available every time if it is required to gain their recommendations regarding medication in
specific condition which become challenging. Basically, I have a concern about availability of
physicians to be ensured for emergency situations because delaying in services may create
complications for specific sick individual in Community nursing care. Meanwhile, it is required

to provide practical training to nursing staff before providing entire responsibility of particular in
patient which is favourable to deal with the situation. Additionally, I think that training and
learning sessions should be more effective so that a registered nurse can render appropriate
treatment in Community nursing care.
Identified areas for professional development
Considering my working in Community nursing care, it has been analysed that there are several
professional areas which are required to be developed. I have to learn about the way to deal with
old age patients and gain knowledge to solve problem related to their daily routine. However, it
is necessary to gain proper experience for supporting an individual in their regular routine
aspects along with providing effective medications with accurate doses on time. Moreover, it is
necessary to learn for making accurate decisions in emergency situations while giving medical
facilities to a person by visiting their home. Additionally, it has been analysed that calm
behaviour and gaining trust of an individual is required to make them understand significance of
obeying their instructions to gain better health condition.
Impact on my future career
As per my opinion, working in different department and areas is favourable to generate new
skills as well as abilities which make a care practitioner more capable to perform their tasks
properly. It is suitable for nursing staff to create effective abilities and increase their level of
knowledge which provide support to perform clinical practices as well as other relevant aspects
more efficiently. Meanwhile, it is important to earn new and innovative skills which are
favourable or future career and generate fresh opportunities to facilitate growth in professional
career. Working in different department of health & social care increase beneficial opportunities
for a registered nurse that can be grab to gain success in future career.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that community practices can be described as a set
of actions carried out by a group of people by sharing concern or passion for improving
healthcare. It includes roles and responsibilities of nursing staff in Community nursing care
including maintaining records of information, giving proper doses of medication and support to
conduct daily routine work. However, it consist the role of empowering family members in order
to deliver appropriate medical services for well being of an individual. Moreover, it provides

different experiences to work by visiting at home of patient and give care facilities for their
wellness.