Reflective Account: Nursing Experience in Pressure Sore Patient Care

This reflective account details a nursing student's experience in an aged care facility, focusing on a patient with a pressure sore. The student describes the initial emotional response to the severity of the wound, the process of dressing the sore, and the challenges of communicating with the patient. The reflection covers the student's evaluation of the experience, including the ability to establish rapport with the patient and identify areas for improvement in nursing care planning, particularly in understanding the complications associated with pressure sores. The analysis highlights strengths in forming a patient relationship and weaknesses in adhering to standards of critical thinking and nursing practice. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of care planning and the expected proficiencies of registered nurses, and the action plan outlines the intention to develop a nursing plan before treatment and deliver care effectively. The student references relevant literature to support the reflection.

Running head- REFLECTIVE ACCOUNT- PRESSURE SORE
REFLECTIVE ACCOUNT- PRESSURE SORE
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1REFLECTIVE ACCOUNT- PRESSURE SORE
ReferencesReferences
Introduction- Pressure sore also known as pressure ulcers caused by continuous
pressure on the skin tissue. It is mainly common in bed ridden people or people confined to
wheel chair from a long time (Igarashi et al., 2013). This essay will contain a reflective
account of a placement experience in an aged care nursing home that involve a patient of
pressure sore.
Description- My placement held in an aged nursing home, where all patients were
aged, and either bed ridden or on a wheel chair. Pressure sore cases among the old aged who
are bed ridden are most prevalent (Coleman et al., 2013). During my placement, I
encountered an elderly patient X (pseudonym), who had fractured her hip bone. Due to the
fracture, she was unable to move from her bed. She had hard wound on her shoulder blades
and back of her legs. She was there from around a month. I was assigned to take care of her
under the guidance of my mentor.
Feeling- On the first day of the placement, I went to the patient’s room, with my
mentor, to assist her in dressing the sore. After opening the dressing, I was traumatised by
seeing the severity of the wound. According to Saleh, Al-Hussami, and Anthony (2013)
symptoms of pressure sore include skin discoloration, pus generation and foul smell which
are clearly visible in the patient. I tried to clean the pus generated from the sore, with the use
of gauge, however, after touching the wounds, I felt disgusted. My mentor explained me the
procedure of proper dressing and told me to do it as same from next day. The elderly woman
was in so much pain that she was unable to express it. I tried to communicate with the patient
to understand her worries and pain feelings.
Evaluation- According to NMBA (2016) standard 2, all nurses should engage in
professional relationship with the patient for better result. During the placement I could
successfully establish a rapport with the patient. Hence, I was able to treat her better.

2REFLECTIVE ACCOUNT- PRESSURE SORE
ReferencesReferences
Nonetheless, during the placement I was not completely aware of the complications
associated with pressure sores, therefore could not formulate a proper nursing care plan.
Analysis- After my placement I was able to analyse my strengths and weakness.
During the placement I was able to form a healthy relationship with the patient which is
necessary for better treatment. According to NMBA (2016) standard 5, developing an
effective nursing plan is important to provide better treatment. However, I was unable to
show adherence to standard 1 that focuses on critically thinking and analysing nursing
practice.
Conclusion- To conclude, after my placement I gained better understanding of ways
to handle elderly patients. I understood the importance of developing a care plan before
treatment, and the proficiencies that are expected of registered nurses.
Action plan- Based on the strengths and weakness I identified during my placement, I
intend to develop a nursing plan prior to starting the treatment. I also plan to deliver care in
an effective and safe manner, while engaging in therapeutic communication with the patients.

3REFLECTIVE ACCOUNT- PRESSURE SORE
ReferencesReferences
References
Coleman, S., Gorecki, C., Nelson, E. A., Closs, S. J., Defloor, T., Halfens, R., & Nixon, J.
(2013). Patient risk factors for pressure ulcer development: systematic review.
International journal of nursing studies, 50(7), 974-1003.
Igarashi, A., Yamamoto-Mitani, N., Gushiken, Y., Takai, Y., Tanaka, M., & Okamoto, Y.
(2013). Prevalence and incidence of pressure ulcers in Japanese long-term-care
hospitals. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 56(1), 220-226.
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2016). Registered nurse standards for practice.
Retrieved from https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/codes-guidelines-
statements/professional-standards/registered-nurse-standards-for-practice.aspx
Saleh, M. Y., Al-Hussami, M., & Anthony, D. (2013). Pressure ulcer prevention and
treatment knowledge of Jordanian nurses. Journal of tissue viability, 22(1), 1-11.