Reflection Report: Clinical Experience and NSQHS Standards Analysis

This report provides a reflection on a nursing student's clinical experience and its relation to the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHS). Utilizing the Gibbs reflective cycle, the report details a scenario involving patient care, including vital sign assessment, cannula changes, and medication calculation. The student reflects on shortcomings in hand hygiene and medication calculation, highlighting the importance of NSQHS standards, particularly those related to infection control and medication safety. The analysis draws on relevant literature to emphasize the impact of these standards on patient safety and the nurse's legal responsibilities. The report concludes with an action plan for improving nursing skills through training and online courses, aiming to enhance competence and adherence to NSQHS standards. The report underscores the significance of continuous learning and responsible practice in providing quality patient care.

Running head: REFLECTION
REFLECTION
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

1REFLECTION
Introduction
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standard are the set principle, which needs to
be followed by the nurse in order to give adequate care to the patient for better health outcome.
The aim of the essay is to discuss the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standard by
comparing the clinical experience in the undergraduate program. The essay has made use of the
Gibbs reflective cycle, which addresses the description, feeling, evaluation, analysis, conclusion
and action plan (Husebø O'Regan & Nestel, 2015).
Description
During my undergraduate program, I was involved in the care of the patient who was
having skin bacterial infection and was under surveillance of the registered nurse. As the part of
the training, I was assigned to assess the patient for the vital sign, change the cannula and
calculate the correct of medication for administration. However, I was restricted in the
administration of drugs because I was not skilled enough. During my duty of care, I tried to
perform my responsibility with accuracy while the clinical nurse manager was monitoring me.
Before an assessment, I did not remember to do hand hygiene, and additionally, I did not wear
gloves while changing the cannula. At the time of medication calculation, I did it in the wrong
way and did not evaluate it with the nurse manager. However, she was observing my all
shortcoming. She immediately stopped me to assess the patient and asked whether I have done
hand hygiene. She also spotted the mistake in the formula for drug dose calculation. Later, she
explained to me the importance of hand hygiene as the mean of infection control and showed me
the correct way to calculate the dose size and direction to re-evaluate it. I would say that the

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nurse clinical manager was supportive, and my clinical experience helped to build important
nursing skills. I followed her instruction and gave effective intervention to the patient.
Feelings
From the clinical experience, I felt that I lack in many critical areas of nursing, which
needs proper learning and training. Being a nurse, I thought that we have to be efficient enough
to provide adequate care to the patient. I was thinking that I am giving my best in consideration
of the patient. I was sure regarding the dose size calculation. At the initial time, when I made the
mistake, I loosed confident and became hopeless. I tried to handle it with the quality support of
the clinical nurse.
Evaluation
In the clinical experience, I was feeling sad that I was unable to maintain the safety
practice. The bad thing happened that I failed in significant area of NSQHS standards. I did not
perform hand hygiene, which could have led to the infection to both patient and other nursing
staffs. Further, if I would have given the wrong dose size to the patient, he might undergo severe
health complication. However, as the nurse manager was monitoring me, she supported to avoid
taking an unhealthy step, and it makes me analysed about the standards of NSQHS, as it is our
responsibility to maintain it. I evaluated that I need improvement in my nursing practice to for
quality care of the patient.
Analysis
It is evident from the Australian Commission Safety and Quality in Health Care (2015),
National Safety and Quality Health Standard number of three and four related to infection
control and medication safety. The standard number 3 aims to lower the infection and cross-

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contamination by the mean of surveillance activity, which includes hand hygiene assessment,
and practice of aseptic technique (National Safety and Quality Health Services, 2019). I failed to
maintain this standard, and my activity can cause infection and adverse health outcome of the
patient. It is evident from the research that many nurses are not conscious of maintaining
hygiene, which has led to cross-contamination between patient and nurse (Baloh et al., 2019).
Therefore, it is significant for the nurse to maintain the NSQHS standard as the mean of safe
practice. The standard number of 4 goals to reduce the medication error by assessing, storing,
prescribing, dispensing procuring and administering correct way. As I was confident in my
calculation, I could have resulted in the violation of the standard of medication safety. From the
study of Smiddy et al. (2015) author has discussed the role of the nurse in literature review where
the author found that due to an error in medications which has caused the lethal issue, nurses are
liable for legal obligation (NMBA, 2016). From the review, I have analysed my weak area
during my clinical experience that needs improvement. I have learned about the importance of
these two standards with the support of the clinical nurse.
Conclusion
From my clinical experience, I realised that I could have gone through the NSQSH
standard before being involved in the care of the patient. However, I was in the learning stage. I
can say that I need to be more conscious and responsible for my activity. I should take my role
with sincerity in the care of the patient. My clinical experience helped me to acquire knowledge
about NSQSH standards and my weak area. It has given me the insight to develop new skills to
become a successful and competent nurse.

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Action plan
Considering my learning and experience, I analysed that there the need to plan actions to
become a competent nurse. I will take training, where I will learn about the NSQSH standards. I
will also get enrol in an online course where I will learn about the nursing principles and way to
handle the critical situation. I will also take training for developing nursing skills like effective
communication, way to administer the medicines, a precaution taken in treating the patient. In
order to test my learning, I will involve in the practical experience of taking care of the patient
will be assertive in my actions.

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Reference
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. (2019). National Safety and Quality
Health Service Standards. Retrieved 6 August 2019, from
https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/migrated/National-Safety-and-
Quality-Health-Service-Standards-second-edition.pdf
NMBA. (2016). Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Home. Retrieved 6 August 2019,
from https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/
Australian Commission Safety and Quality in Health Care (2015), Medication Safety Standard |
Australia Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare. Retrieved 6 August 2019,
from https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/standards/nsqhs-standards/medication-safety-
standard
Smiddy, M. P., O'Connell, R., & Creedon, S. A. (2015). Systematic qualitative literature review
of health care workers' compliance with hand hygiene guidelines. American journal of
infection control, 43(3), 269-274.
Baloh, J., Thom, K. A., Perencevich, E., Rock, C., Robinson, G., Ward, M., ... & Reisinger, H. S.
(2019). Hand hygiene before donning nonsterile gloves: Healthcareworkers' beliefs and
practices. American journal of infection control, 47(5), 492-497.
Husebø, S. E., O'Regan, S., & Nestel, D. (2015). Reflective practice and its role in
simulation. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 11(8), 368-375.