Nursing at Western Sydney: A Reflective Essay on Professional Growth

This essay presents a nursing practice profile of a 20-year-old nursing student at Western Sydney University, reflecting on her academic background, career aspirations, and strategies for professional development. The student discusses her high school achievements in Biology, her transition to Australia, and her interest in surgical ward nursing. She outlines her strategies for complying with NMBA guidelines, including enhancing her functional abilities and broadening her knowledge in nursing. The essay also includes a curriculum vitae detailing her personal and academic history, interests, and continuing professional development plans, such as short courses and involvement in working groups. A significant portion of the essay is dedicated to a reflective report using Gibbs' reflective cycle, focusing on an experience of nursing a deaf, critically ill patient, analyzing her feelings, evaluation, and concluding with an action plan to improve her patience and care in similar situations. The student aims to enhance her skills and provide better patient care in the future.

Approaches To Professional Nursing Practice

Profile
My name is Palak. I am 20 year old girl and currently pursuing bachelor of nursing in
Western Sydney University. I have completed my medical studies from India and have
shifted to Australia, in order to pursue my dreams. I stay alone in the city, with the ambition
of empowering myself with the skills of achieving the scaled heights in medical field.
I have completed my higher education from Maharana Pratap Public School in India, where I
was able to achieve high distinction with flying colours in Biology. I have been an enthusiast
to grab knowledge in this field of anatomy. Providing helpful health aid to the needful has
been of prior importance in my life.
Leaving my home and country behind, in order to achieve my dreams and high ambitions has
been a prior aspect for me. I aim at practicing nursing in the surgical wards that would help
me provide integral care to the patients. This course would help me to proactively develop
my skills in serving the people, enhance my intellectual attributes and communication skills.
Personal attributes
Academic and employment achievements:
I have completed my high school education from Maharana Pratap Public school, India.
There, I have successfully attained a distinction with 93% marks in my favourite subject,
Biology.
After my higher educations, I shifted to Sydney, Australia, in order to pursue my career in the
field of nursing. I joined the bachelor course of nursing in Western Sydney University. Along
with the bachelor’s course, I have studied medical science in the above-mentioned university
for a span of 6 months, in order to gain knowledge on anatomy and physiology of human
biology.
Brief career: I have an experience for more than a year in a café, that helps me to improve
my skills associated with communication and behavioural development.
Strategies to achieve compliance with NMBA guidelines: In order to achieve the prospects
associated with the NMBA guidelines, I am preparing myself to enhance my skills in order to
improve my functional abilities and broaden my knowledge associated with expertise in the
field of nursing. I am practising nursing in the surgical wards that would help me to meet the
obligations and provide ethical, safe, appropriate and competent services to the patients.

Curriculum vitae
Personal details:
Name- Palak
Age- 20 years
Gender- Female
Nation- India
Current City- Sydney, Australia
Occupation- Student of Nursing in Western Sydney University
Academic and employment history:
High School- Maharana Pratap Public school, India
Results- Distinction with 93% in Biology
Bachelors- Bachelors in Nursing in Western Sydney University
Extra Courses- Medical Science for 6 months in Western Sydney University
Interests:
 Communicating with the disabled
 Serving the intensive patients
 Help the needy people in order to prevent them from being neglected
Continuing professional development
Past and planned short courses: previously I have done a short course on getting to
understand a better prospect of human anatomy. Such a course has helped me to enhance my
knowledge and skills in my failed of healthcare sector. I further aim at enrolling myself in
several internships program, that would help me to voluntarily serve the patients and enhance
my skills in the field of nursing. It would not only broaden my knowledge. But also motivate
me to gain experience and handle situations of indifferent circumstances.

Working groups or other PD activities: I have joined an association of serving the physically
disabled people. In such an association, I am provided with the scope of communicating with
those people and making them feel less neglected. I attend to their calls of need and provide
them with emotional stability. Such an association helps me to connect with the patients and
provides me with the confidence of dealing with critical situations. Such association would
procure knowledge for my future endeavours.
Gibbs reflective cycle
Reflection on a specific event
Based on my experience on a previous event of nursing a deaf person with critical illness, I
would like to produce a reflective report on the same, that would help me to enhance my
attributes for betterment.
Description- as I had stated earlier, I have joined an association in Sydney, who take care of
the physically disabled old age people. In the last weekend, I was provided with the
responsibility of attending an 80 year old deaf woman, who was suffering from high fever.
She was in need of nurse who could attend to her and help her with the necessary aid.
Feelings- while nursing the old women, I encountered serval aspects that are needed to attend
such a physically disabled human. She was unable to express her pain and sufferings. I had to
acknowledge to all her needs with patience. She required my help and support in every act.
Evaluation- while serving the old lady, I was felt quite easy to attend her due to my attribute
of being down to earth and reliable. I attended to all her calls of need and served her at every
purpose. I provided her the food, medicines and helped her on her way out of the bed. Yet, at
some situations, I found myself being in haste, whereas, due to illness and old age, the lady
was not being able to keep up with my pace of work.
Analysis- based upon the evaluation of the incident, I could feel that along with being
helpful, down to earth, reliable and disciplined in nature, it was very important for me to be
patient as well.
Conclusion- the duties of a nurse is to provide the correct aid to the patient and make them
feel comfortable. I was successful in attending the old lady, yet, if I would have been more
patient in nature, I could provide her with better facilities and ease.

Action plan- in order to overcome such a situation and be able to provide the best services, I
have decided to analyse ways of attaining patience in myself. I would read books on
attending people, make sure that I involve myself in several such voluntary activities and
attend the need with patience and care.