Reflective Writing on Nursing Placement Experience and COVID-19 Impact

This essay presents a reflective account of a nursing student's placement experience, focusing on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The student utilizes Gibbs' reflective cycle to analyze their experiences, feelings, and evaluations during an unprepared placement at a healthcare institution. The essay details the challenges faced due to the pandemic, including disruptions to training and the student's initial disappointment. However, it also highlights the positive aspects, such as the opportunity to gain practical experience and develop new skills. The student concludes with reflections on lessons learned, potential future actions, and the overall impact of the experience on their personal and professional development, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, communication, and critical thinking in a healthcare setting.

Written reflection

.
Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Reflective writing is the part of learning as it aware individual about their experiences
and what they all have learnt with it. It can be said that each and every experience of the
individual directly makes them learn several things which not only develops range of
opportunities in their professional life but at the same it also improves the personal life of the
same person. The present report is the reflective writing practice done by the individual in order
to express his/her own experience associated with unpreparedness placement experience of his
arrival by the department. The reflection would also include that the effect of COVID 19 has
placed influence over the training of the student as the nurse.
MAIN BODY
As being a scholar of the college I got placed in the well known health care institution where
I would going to be practicing for sometime as the student nurse and develop my learning as the
nursing practitioner in the same field. All of the sudden, COVID-19 has started which have
affected almost each and every sector. The major influence of this pandemic disease have been
seen on heath care as the disease is completely new for all whose recovery drug has not been
determined yet. This has directly placed my learning experience too. This is so because, the
respective department in which I was got placed does not to prepare themselves the same
scenario. This have directly affected their overall pattern of training student nurses as the full
focus of the department was now to emphasise on identifying the drug that could contribute a bit
in tackling the disease.
In order to express my own experience related to unpreparedness placement experience
of my arrival by the department and effect of the COVID 19 into my training as a student nurse,
I have made use of Gibbs reflective cycle. The respective framework is acknowledged as the best
one as it includes several stages which one by one express overall experience as well as journey
of the person in the particular situation or event. Gibbs reflective framework was given by sir
Graham Gibbs in the year 1988. It has been initially been expressed in the book named as
“learning by doing”. According to the Gibbs, individual do learns several things from the
experiences and situation by which they goes through. Also, the author have expressed that every
situation does not includes positive experience but at the same time they includes negative
experiences too. It has been further stated that each and every positive as well as negative

experience helps individuals in learning and developing them constantly that ultimately
maximises their learning experiences in an appropriate manner.
With motive of expressing my personal experience related to the unpreparedness
placement experience of my arrival by the department and effect of the COVID 19 into my
training as a student nurse, I am making use of Gibbs reflective cycle for expressing it more
clearly. All the stages of this framework are specified as below in detailed manner:
Step 1: Description
This is the first and foremost stage of the Gibbs reflective framework which provides
detailed description on the core situation. As per my own experience, it can be said that because
of the effective academic performance I got placed in the well known college of medical where I
would be practicing as the student nurse. The overall situation was normal as I got chance of
learning in my preferable zone. Sudden occurrence of the COVID 19 has directly influenced the
functioning of the department where I would have been getting trained as the student. It can be
said that the respective department was not at all prepared for my arrival as their concern was
utmost towards the pandemic disease COVID 19 which was new for all and they were focusing
on keeping themselves as well as their institution away from this disease as it cannot be cured
because medicines as well as treatment for the same was yet not available. The overall result of
the situation was that I did not receive appropriate training at the department where I was placed.
This was so because, situation were highly uncertain which have made all the things complicated
for me as well as the respective department. But, by evaluating overall concern related to the
same it can be said that I learned a lot of things with this experience which have maximised my
spontaneous behaviour and developed range of opportunity for me in the near future.
Step 2: Feelings
This is the second stage of the Gibbs reflective model which focuses on the actual feeling
of the individual in that particulars situation. In context of my own experience related to
influence of COVID 19 on the training as the student nurse, it can be said that in the initial time I
was very much happy as I feel that i am special one who got opportunity to get selected for the
particular department where I can obtained several skills that would ultimately enhance my
learning and future development zone. But, when I actually reached to the department I realised
that the respective department unprepared to provide me training as they were highly
emphasizing on dealing with the COVID 19 and finding best possible way through which they

can keep themselves safe and also treat their patients in best possible manner. I have also
observed that with the passing period of time patients with the symptoms of the COVID 19 were
increasing in the health care institution thus, the superiors who were about to provide me training
got busy in treating with the patient. By observing all this, I initially got disappointed as things
were not going in the same way as per my expectations but still with the passing course of time I
realised that it was the demand of the situation thus the department was not at all responsible for
the ineffective training. At the same time, new feeling of learning has developed with the same
situation as instead of getting theoretical training I got opportunity to gain experience of practical
scenario as I was providing treatment to new person at the same time. This has developed my
learning in an appropriate manner. Also, while emphasising on the feelings of others it can be
said my mentors were feeling guilty that they were not able to provide training on the same as I
was there for learning new things from them.
Step 3: Evaluation
This is the third stage of the reflective cycle which clearly justifies the evaluation of the
overall experience related to the particular situation. This stage mainly explores both the positive
as well as negative experience related to the same situation from which an individual goes
through during that particular time. In context of my personal experience related to the same, it
can be said that overall experience was consisting both the positive as well as negative situation.
The core positive experience related to the same was that I got opportunity to develop myself and
learn lots of new things especially how to deal with the patients and convince them to get opened
about themselves and share their core experiences with them in appropriate manner so that they
can get the appropriate treatment related to the same effectively. In addition to this, it has been
later seen that another positive experience related to the same was that even though my superiors
were extremely busy due to pandemic of COVID 19 but still they took on the spot action of
indulging me into the practical training. This have directly developed huge confidence level in
me and also contributed in maximising the working capability in an effective manner. On the
other hand, while talking about the negative experience related to the same was that there were
few seniors available at the same premises who were taking my assistance as well as
s8uggestions seriously as according to them I am completely new thus it won’t be possible for
me to provide support to the medical staff while they were dealing with them. Also, some of the
seniors also believe theoretical training is most important as without this I cannot indulge into

the practical application of the nursing work. But, at the same period of time few of my seniors
who were in my favour have convinced the other opposing people about my working by simply
informing that I am highly adaptive and could easily perform the similar kind of work with few
basic instructions. This has directly boosted up confidence in me to perform the work in rightful
manner.
Step 4: Conclusions
After completion of evaluation stage the next stage, the next stage of this reflective cycle
is conclusion. This stage simply looks after the things or initiatives by which the same
experience can be seen in most positive manner. with reference to my own experiences it can be
said that the overall experience gained by me was positive but still it could have been more
appropriate in my superiors would have examined the situation of COVID 19 and arranged few
session for the student nurse like me so that we would have more effectively in the practical
session and could also serve patients as well as healthcare premises in more better manner. If in
case, I would get stuck into this kind of situation in the near future then I would definitely
emphasise on having a detailed conversation with my superiors so that I could easily developed
my knowledge over the same and take meaningful advice from them so that appropriate action
towards the same can be taken accordingly. Apart from this, it can be said that the overall
experience of mine towards the same have developed several skills in me which includes strong
communication skills, instant decision making, critical thinking, team working, time
management, convincing skills and many others. All of these developed skills would not only
support me handling the situation and professional but at the same time these developed skills
would also improvise my personal skills too.
Step 5: Action
This is the last stage of the reflective cycle which simply emphasizes on the future
actions that are required to be taken so that if any similar sort of situation occurs in the near
future then it would have been handled in more appropriate manner. Here, according to my
experience, it can be said that healthcare institution must have focus on providing training to the
student nurse so that they can easily develop them according to the situation and take meaningful
measure towards it in an appropriate manner.

CONCLUSION
On the basis of this project, it can be said that every experience of the individual makes
them learn lots of things. Some among them provides contribution in the growth as well as
learning which ultimately brought success to them. It has been later determined that practicing
reflection in the group directly helps individual as well as the group members to develop their
understanding on what they have learnt with their experience and what they must have done for
improvising their learning session in most appropriate manner.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Cakrawardani, D. and Alimudin, A., 2020. PENGAMBILAN KEPUTUSAN DAN
KEPEMIMPINAN DALAM KEPERAWATAN MEDIS.
Elsayed, M.S., 2019. REFLECTIVE practices of educators in a masters' program in Egypt: a
case study.
Zajiji, Z., 2018. The effectiveness of a Critical Mass of female board members to expose and
resolve invisible dynamics in the boardroom (Doctoral dissertation, University of
Pretoria).
Meintjes, A. and Hofmeyr, K., 2018. The impact of resilience and perceived organisational
support on employee engagement in a competitive sales environment. SA Journal of
Human Resource Management, 16(1), pp.1-11.
Tito Pinto, B.D. and Soto Cruz, F.T., 2018. Design and implementation of a remedial english
course addressed to the students of the tourism department at Mayor de San Andres
University (Doctoral dissertation).
Leonard, M., 2018. Energy Storage Requirements of a Transition to Renewable Energy.
Slavova, M. and Karanasios, S., 2018. When Institutional Logics Meet Information and
Communication Technologies: Examining Hybrid Information Practices in Ghana’s
Agriculture. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 19(9), p.4.
Du Preez, K.K., 2019. The experience of career transition from specialist academic to manager
in the tertiary education sector (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pretoria).
Štrukelj, T., Zlatanović, D., Nikolić, J. and Zabukovšek, S.S., 2019. A cyber-systemic learning
action approach towards selected students’ competencies development. Kybernetes.
Stout-Rostron, S., 2018. Business coaching international: Transforming individuals and
organizations. Routledge.
Spooner, V.S., 2018. Exploring nonformal adult learning in a business school leadership
programme: a case study of the nexus programme (Doctoral dissertation).