Reflective Analysis of Interprofessional Care in Nursing (NUR3299)

This assignment presents a student's reflective analysis of a clinical experience in nursing, focusing on an incident involving medication administration and the importance of interprofessional care. The student recounts a situation where they questioned a medication order due to observed vital signs, leading to a discussion with the registered nurse and doctor. The reflection utilizes the Gibbs Reflective Cycle to examine the student's feelings, evaluation of the situation, and analysis of the event, highlighting the significance of critical thinking, patient assessment, and effective communication (ISBAR tool). The analysis emphasizes the value of interprofessional relationships and the application of nursing governance standards, particularly those related to professional relationships, comprehensive patient assessment, and evaluation of outcomes, as outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). The student concludes by recognizing the benefits of reflective practice for professional development and improved patient outcomes.

Running Head: NURSING REFLECTION
NURSING REFLECTION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1NURSING REFLECTION
Description
I came across an experience where I was told by a registered nurse to administer a
patient’s vital signs and give him the recommended medications. The charted medicine given
was atenolol, which is given to decrease the rate of blood pressure but when I observed the vital
signs it was seen that his blood pressure was low. This made me clinically reflect and think about
the consequences of administering atenolol. I immediately informed it to the registered nurse
including the doctor on call and the team leader who was on shift. Then we implemented
measures to bring back the pressure on normal and then I used the ISBAR tool for
communication.
Feelings
After I checked the vital signs I noticed that the patient was going through low blood
pressure and this made me realize that atenolol is not the correct medicine that could be given for
the time being. I immediately reported to the registered nurse that this medicine is not suitable
for him and also to the doctor in charge. It made me feel that it is extremely necessary to use our
own skills and experiences before following any medical interventions.
Evaluation
The registered nurse notified it to the team leader on duty and the medicine was taken on hold
immediately. Other tests took place and measures were taken to stabilize his blood pressure in
the normal range. The ISBAR tool for communication was used for effective communication for
this patient and the condition of the patient was evaluated before administrating any drug, which
is necessary because the previous experience made me realize that following orders without
evaluating the current situation could be fatal (Pool et al., 2016).

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Analysis
This incident made me realize the importance inter-professional relationship and the quality of
therapeutic communication between nurses and patients. The involvement of nurses and doctors
in such cases are necessary for taking decisions after evaluation that can affect the wellbeing of a
patient. Patient care is influenced by the relation between nurses and doctors, which is evident
from this scenario (Reeves et al., 2017). The analysis made me realize the importance of using
guidelines and protocols such as the NMBA standards, which aims on effective practice and
healthy patient outcome.
Conclusion
The nursing standards of Australia has 7 standards that are divided into sub sections that
are focused on the practice of registered nurses, nurses and midwives. Standard no 2 is about
engaging in professional relationships and respectful partnerships, and this is aimed towards
inter-professional relationships between nurses and doctors. Standard no 4 is about undertaking
comprehensive assessments for the wellbeing of patients as it is seen in this situation.
Assessment was done before giving any medicine and a comprehensive evaluation suggested that
the prescribed medicine was not recommended according to the condition of the patient.
Standard 7 suggests the evaluation of the outcomes to improve the midwifery practice, which is
the major foundation of practice in the nursing field. The standards of practice according to
NMBA guidelines is beneficial for professional development and inter-professional collaboration
between nurses and doctors (Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au, 2020).

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References
Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au. (2020). Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Midwife
standards for practice. Retrieved 12 March 2020, from
https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Professional-
standards/Midwife-standards-for-practice.aspx
Pool, I. A., Poell, R. F., Berings, M. G., & ten Cate, O. (2016). Motives and activities for
continuing professional development: An exploration of their relationships by integrating
literature and interview data. Nurse education today, 38, 22-28.
Reeves, S., Pelone, F., Harrison, R., Goldman, J., & Zwarenstein, M. (2017). Interprofessional
collaboration to improve professional practice and healthcare outcomes. Cochrane
Database of Systematic Reviews, (6).