Reflective Essay: Nursing Experience in Alcohol Withdrawal Clinic

This essay presents a nursing student's reflection on their experience at an alcohol and drug withdrawal clinic, utilizing Gibbs' reflective model. The reflection details the experience of caring for a 33-year-old patient, a former army employee, undergoing alcohol detoxification due to job jeopardy and marital issues. The student describes initial feelings of horror and empathy, followed by an evaluation of the patient's condition and an analysis of alcohol dependence and withdrawal symptoms. The reflection concludes with an action plan for future practice, including research on natural treatments for alcohol addiction, studying withdrawal stages, and raising awareness about the dangers of alcohol abuse. The experience updated the student’s understanding of alcohol withdrawal and the importance of medically-supervised detox.

Running Head: NURSING 0
Reflection
Reflection: Nursing Reflection
(Student details :)
2/19/2019

Nursing 1
Contents
Nursing Reflection.....................................................................................................................2
Reflection...................................................................................................................................2
Description.............................................................................................................................2
Feelings..................................................................................................................................3
Evaluation..............................................................................................................................3
Analysis..................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion..............................................................................................................................3
Action Plan.............................................................................................................................3
References..................................................................................................................................4

Nursing 2
Nursing Reflection
This reflective paper is based on my reflection on a patient at the alcohol and drug
withdrawal clinic which has provided a life-ling experience for clinical practice. According to
(Gibbs, 1988), I will utilise Gibbs reflective model to reflect upon the incident of handling a
patient who has presented in our hospital for detoxing from alcohol.
Source: (Gibbs, 1988)
Reflection
Description
I had an experience with a patient 33 year aged at the alcohol as well as drug
withdrawal clinic. He was an army employee who has been worked in army for 15 years also
he did 9 years of training to become a pilot. In addition, he got failed his assessment due to
hives. Hence, he as an intern started drinking 12 standard drinks per day which caused his
marriage failed soon after, due to the increase in alcohol. Therefore, the patient has presented
to the hospital for detoxing from alcohol as his job was in jeopardy.

Nursing 3
Feelings
When I saw the patient in the condition he reached at the clinic, I was horrified after
seeing him in hallucinations. He was literally seeing or hearing the things which were not
actually there at clinic. His family members reported that he has been suffering from tremors,
seizures, extreme hallucinations, anxiety, headaches, disorientation, sweating as well as
insomnia. After getting the entire condition of the patient I was feeling empathy for his
family and hence I counselled all of his family members about how they can detox as well as
help him at home.
Evaluation
After knowing the whole scenario, I realized that people who drink severely for an
extended period of time grow a tolerance to the alcoholic drinks. Hence, an individual drinks
more and more alcohol to feel its effects (Davies, 2012).
Analysis
From that incident of alcohol detox at clinic, I analysed that a person with an extended
tolerance to alcohol may develop a mental or physical dependency over it. It means that a
person wants to have it as a medicine of to relaxation by constantly drinking alcohol which
prevents withdrawal. I also came to know that symptoms of alcohol-withdrawal are intense as
well as deadly (Davies, 2012).
Conclusion
As a result of evaluation and analysis of the situation, I can conclude that medically-
supervised alcohol detox is highly recommended for all alcohol withdrawal patients. In
addition, my views over alcohol withdrawal have been updated as the worst condition of a
patient can be seen as well as handled a day or two post his or her last drink. Hence,
symptoms of alcohol withdrawal start descending all over the next week.
Action Plan
This experience has provided me an updated info regarding alcohol addicted persons
and how we can avoid worst kind of conditions of patients by providing regular alcohol detox
therapies at home. Based on (Gibbs, 1988), my action plan for my future include research
over natural treatments of alcohol addiction, studying major stages of alcohol withdrawal
through real-time examples at clinic as well as spreading awareness among alcoholic drinkers
regarding how much stress alcohol can cause to a person (Davies, 2012).

Nursing 4
References
Davies, N. (2012). Alcohol misuse in adolescents. Nursing Standard, 26(42), 43-50.
Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by Doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. London:
Further Education Unit.