Gibbs Cycle Reflection: Professional Practice in Nursing Studies

This essay employs the Gibbs cycle to reflect on a nursing student's professional practice within a university clinic setting. The student describes a situation where they prioritized assisting a sick student over researching a drug, leading to a conflict with their tutor. The reflection analyzes the student's feelings, evaluates the experience in light of NMC guidelines, and considers the importance of time management and patient care. It concludes that while the student would make the same decision again, they would be more assertive in justifying their actions. The action plan focuses on improving time management skills and prioritizing care, especially for indigenous students, while advocating for patient-centered decisions. The reflection underscores the dynamic nature of time management in nursing and the importance of balancing professional development with immediate patient needs.

Running Head: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE REFLECTION USING GIBBS CYCLE1
Professional Practice Reflection Using Gibbs Cycle
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date of Submission

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE REFLECTION USING GIBBS CYCLE 2
Professional Practice Reflection Using Gibbs Cycle
I will apply the Gibbs cycle in this essay to deliver a personal aspect of reflection of my
professional practice within the University level. The professional practice requires me to
develop nursing kills before take my role as a Registered Nurse. With the Gibbs cycle, I can
describe a situation, analyze feelings, evaluate the gained experience and perform an
examination of my possible actions in case such a situation came to be again. In this situation,
the cycle will help me operate within the guidelines of the Professional Conduct Codes of the
Nursing and Midwifery Council (BartekSzewczyk, 2017).
Description: While in the school clinic (performing practical studies about particular
drugs), my tutor asked me to research on a particular anti-depressant drug that I was quite unsure
about. Before I began my research, I was approached by the school clinic assistant who
requested me to help him out with a sick student sleeping on a soiled bed (Shally & Koch, 2014).
As soon as I cleared helping the officer, my tutor came by and asked if I had done my research as
requested earlier on. I told him how the events unfolded and asked him to check on the drug
immediately. However, my tutor got mad and asked me to improve my skill of time
management. I was left questioning myself on which of the two was supposed to be my top most
priority – my learning and professional development or the needs of the patient. Also, I realized
that the student was an indigenous one.
Feelings: In this situation, I felt that helping the clinic assistant with the patient was a top
priority to researching on the unknown drug. In my head, I was figuring it out that I would even
perform the research at home in case I found the ward busy. For once, I felt frustrated and
annoyed with myself for not talking the issue out with my tutor since I was sure I made the right

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choice. My primary concern was the comfort of the patient, and at that time, I thought I never
could justify letting the patient sleep on a bed that is soiled that much. However, the words of my
tutor made me think of how much good my time management was. I thus, decided that I needed
to research into what 'time management' meant. I also felt that I needed to help the student
because he was indigenous. In this way, I would fight institutionalized racism and encourage
openness.
Evaluation: A nursing student that is accountable (according to NMC (2008a) must
ensure that patients' care is his or her first priority. Such an individual should also treat patients
with respect and dignity – all of which I performed. Even though I understood what my tutor told
me, I know that as a nursing student that is accountable, I need to have the skills and knowledge
for effective and safe practice in my workplace. Such skills and knowledge should also be kept
updated throughout my life as a professional. About aboriginal care provision, I would use PREP
(Post-registration education and practice) - a set of guidelines and standards for the Nursing &
Midwifery Council, to provide high standards of care and practice for the students that need the
same. PREP also ensures that one is updated on new developments in practice (Sorrentino &
Remmert, 2014). In such a manner, a nursing student will be able to reflect and think for himself
or herself. It is also the best framework for a nursing student’s CPD (Continuing Professional
Development). CPD is a clinical governance component. Through the same, I realize that if I had
prioritized to research on the drug, I would have left the patient sleeping on a bed that is soiled
until the research was complete (BartekSzewczyk, 2017).
Analysis: Individuals do not invent the concept of time, but we learnt from and about it.
Such is because time is both a social and conceptual institution. In the western cultures, the time
has been used to develop devices of measurement like schedules, calendars, and clocks.

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According to a study of time against nursing practices, the value of nursing (from the nursing
students' viewpoint) is greatest when the time is mostly spent on patients' welfare. However,
such a case raises the question of good nurses to manage time. For sure, I understand that the
same question will strike me at any given point my career (as a Registered Nurse) (Girard, 2015).
During such a time, I will be required to evaluate the manner in which I manage my time.
However, by managing time properly, one is likely to increase productivity and reduce stress.
Conclusion: The management of time is a process that is dynamic and work well
alongside good prioritizing skills. Those who are not able to prioritize are likely to be time
wasters and thus, inefficient (BartekSzewczyk, 2017). As a result, the nursing student (alongside
his or her team members) will be stressed ultimately causing harm to the patients. Since I have
done a lot of research regarding prioritization and management of time, I am in a precise position
to argue that my tutor was wrong to question my skills on the same. If I had delayed a little bit,
there is a possibility that the patient would have suffered from skin excoriation making him
undignified and uncomfortable. I am convinced that in the future (as a Registered Nurse), I will
be held accountable for my actions. In case the same situation would arise any other time, I
would not perform anything differently. However, I would be bold enough to justify my
decisions by speaking up (Sorrentino & Remmert, 2014).
Action Plan: Since a lot of emphasis has been put on effectiveness and efficiency within
a healthcare setup, I will have to consider how I manage my time carefully. The management of
time (and/or care for indigenous) is a crucial work performance component in this situation.
Therefore, (specifically in the care unit) I will ensure that I excel and also appropriately prioritize
care provision (Chiu, Et al., 2013). While using the processes of nursing as a tool, I will make a
list of tasks that I would be handling on a particular day in the order of their priority. Where

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necessary, I will also delegate tasks to my team members. From this reflection, I now understand
that I do need to develop more to question and challenge things I feel aren’t in the patients’ best
interest.

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Reference
BartekSzewczyk, V. (2017). Gibbs' Reflective Cycle: Helping People Learn From Experience.
Retrieved April 20, 2018, from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/reflective-
cycle.htm
Chiu, Y., Lee, Y., Wang, P., Chang, T., Li, C., Hsu, W., & Lee, S. (2013). Family caregivers’
sleep disturbance and its associations with multilevel stressors when caring for patients
with dementia. Aging & Mental Health, 18(1), 92-101.
Girard, F. (2015). Professional Practice in Nursing: A Framework. Retrieved April 20, 2018,
from http://hospitalquarterly.com/content/19028
Shally-Jensen, M., & Koch, M. W. (2014). Careers in healthcare. Salem Press, a division of
EBSCO Information Services, Massachusetts.
Sorrentino, S. A., & Remmert, L. N. (2014). Mosby's essentials for nursing assistants. St Louis
Missouri, Elsevier.