NRSG138: Reflective Journal on Application of RLT Model and CRC

This reflection paper explores the application of the Roper-Logan-Tierney (RLT) model and the Clinical Reasoning Cycle (CRC) in nursing practice. It covers concepts from weeks 5, 6, and 7, focusing on person-centered care, biological factors, and psychological factors influencing health. The author reflects on their understanding of NMBA standards, the impact of biological and psychological factors on patient care, and the importance of these models in improving nursing practice. The reflection highlights the integration of theoretical knowledge with practical application, emphasizing continuous learning and research to enhance future professional practice and patient outcomes. The student aims to apply the CRC model effectively and deliver person-centered nursing care by committing to periodic reading and research.

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Self Reflection on Week 5, 6 and 7
Introduction
Nurses require models to standardize and continuously improve health care delivery. A Clinical
Reasoning Cycle (CRC) is a commonly used process by nurses or health practitioners to consider
patient’s situation, collect clues, process information, and identify problem issues (Kuiper, Pesut,
& Arms, 2016). The CRC is an important process to understating a patient illness to administer
treatment or medication. Rapor-Logan-Tierney (RLT) model on the other hand is a model where
nursing care is based on activities of living (Aydın, & Mucuk, 2015). The RLT model factors
that influence activities of living are biological, social cultural, psychological, environmental,
and politico-economic. Learning and understanding CRC and RLT models enables a nurse to
understand a patient problem in order to plan and implement an intervention (Williams, 2015).
The following write-up is my reflection on concepts covered in week 5 on person centered care,
week 6 on biological factors on health (RLT) and week 7 on psychological factors on health
(RLT).
Week 5 Personal Centered Care
The fifth week involved study of personal centered care and code of conduct from NMBA
standards. The NMBA (2018) outlines standards for professional practice where person centered
care is fitted in the principle 2 domain. The nursing practice should be safely effective and
collaborative to achieve person centered nursing care (McSherry, 2016). I was able to realize the
importance of person centered care. Person centered care enable a nurse to consider a patient
situation and gather relevant information that is important in providing clue on a patient problem.
I was able to easily learn how person centered care enhance therapeutic relationship and help
nurses to gather patient information. On the other side, I had difficulties figuring how NMBA
standards for professional practice relate to person centered care. The difficulty was as a result of
being unfamiliar with NMBA Standards for professional Practice. I had little understanding of
the objectives of the NMBA Standards in delivering holistic nursing care to patients. I also didn’t
understand the personal centered care was an important approach to creating a therapeutic
relationship. Person centered care approach is a useful approach that will help e to create

objective therapeutic relationship with patient. This will enable effective application of CRC
model in understanding patient problem, planning and implementing interventions (Murphy, Mc
Mullin, Brennan, & Meehan, 2018). Therefore, the CRC and person centered care are important
concept in my practice and professional development. In order to maintain my knowledge on
CRC and person centered care, I will continuously research on the concepts while am practicing
nursing. This will expose me to new NMBA standards and effective application of CRC model
in my professional practice that will improve my delivery of nursing care.
Week 6 Biological factors RLT
In week 6, the five factors of Roper Logan Tierney model of care were outlined with a focus on
biological factors that relate to TLT model of nursing. Biological factors in the RLT model
addresses impact of overall health that involve current illness or injuries and the scope of a
patient anatomy and physiology (Feo, Conroy, Alderman, & Kitson, 2017). The biological
factors are weight, height, genetic ability, and age. Another important concept learnt in week 6
was medical terminologies. The medical terminologies are composed of suffix, prefix, root and
combining of vowels (McEwen, & Wills, 2017). I was happy to learn biological factors that
affect living and how they can be used in CRC model in considering clues when gathering and
processing information to understand patient’s condition. I also felt confused in the process of
separating medical terminologies in terms of suffix, root, prefix or combining of vowels.
Considering my past, I knew that age, weight and genetics have an impact to a patient’s life but
did not know that height was among the biological factors. I have always been unable to
understand medical terms context without checking meaning from a secondary source. My
limited understanding on height as a biological factors that impact a patient health living is
because the issue is not common as compared to other factors. In terms of medical terms, I had
not learnt about the systematic naming of medical conditions. The biological factors in RLT
model are an important concept when applying CRC model in nursing care. Understanding the
biological factors will enhance my ability to consider patient situation and identity patient issues
and situation when delivering health care. Learning medical terminologies will help me
understand contexts and conditions when expressed in medical terms. As part of improving my

understanding of biological factors and medical terminologies, I will continuously read to
improve my vocabulary and understand more about biological factors in RLT model.
Week 7
In week 7, we learnt about psychological factors that relate to Roper Logan Tierney Model. I
learnt psychological factors that determine rational behavior of a person. Psychological factors in
RLT address a patient psychological care conditions when a nurse is planning nursing care
(Goudreau et al., 2015). The RLT model uses 12 activities of living that have impact to an
individual ability to improve or support their life (Williams, 2017). From week 7 study, I attained
an insight on psychological factor and their impact to a patient. The RLT model outlines a
comprehensive approach that gave me an insight towards observation and recording of
psychological factors. From my past experience, I knew that psychological factors lead to mental
illness. However, I did not have a comprehensive knowhow on the psychological factors that
lead to patient illness. My understanding on psychological factors was informed by high
prevalence of depression more than 1million cases in the country each year (Jorm, Patten,
Brugha, & Mojtabai, 2017). The gap in my understanding is a result of thinking that mental and
physical health is two distinct conditions that should be treated separately. I now understand the
relationship between psychological factors an individual living that affect physical health. In
order to improve my practice in nursing, I will periodically research on psychological factors to
establish was is affecting my patients when applying CRC model in the process of delivering
person centered care.
Conclusion
From the reflection, I have been exposed to several concepts in nursing. I now understand CRC
model and it application in delivering person centered care. I have also learnt how biological and
psychological factors in the RLT model affect an individual living. In the process of improving
my future professional practice, I will commit myself to periodic reading and research in order to
effectively apply CRC model and deliver person centered nursing care.

References
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