Reflective Report: Applying Gibb's Cycle to a Clinical Incident

This report presents a critical reflection on a clinical incident experienced during a nursing placement, utilizing Gibb's Reflection Cycle to analyze the experience. The incident involved the administration of an intramuscular injection of Metoclopramide to a patient experiencing nausea, where the student nurse felt nervous and rushed the explanation of the procedure, compromising patient privacy and quality of care. The report details the student's feelings, evaluation of positive and negative aspects of the incident, and an analysis of the situation, including the impact on patient care and adherence to NMBA standards. The conclusion highlights the importance of patient privacy, effective communication, and self-regulation. The action plan outlines strategies for future practice, including training, seeking supervision, and employing relaxation techniques to improve communication, reduce nervousness, and build therapeutic relationships with patients. The report emphasizes the need for professionalism and the importance of patient-centered care in clinical practice, with relevant references supporting the analysis and recommendations.

Running head: GIBB’S REFLECTION CYCLE
GIBB’S REFLECTION CYCLE
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1GIBB’S REFLECTION CYCLE
Introduction:
This essay aims to critically reflect on an incident experienced during clinical
placement. In order to reflect on the clinical incident, Gibb’s reflection cycle will be used since
it is the most suitable tool for reflecting the clinical experience and evaluate the skills required to
involve in effective clinical practice. This model is considered as the most effective strategy to
promote personal as well as professional development of independent professionals (Tanaka,
Okamoto & Koide, 2018). This model uses six stages such as description, feeling, analysis,
evaluation, conclusion and action plan to facilitate the reflective process. Each stage will be
discussed in details in the following paragraphs.
Description:
The incident I will be reflecting on occurred during the placement as a registered nurse in
the surgical ward. While in the clinical setting, I encountered a patient who was in for a patient
who was in an acute surgical ward following knee surgery. I was instructed by the physician to
provide Intramuscular injection of Metoclopramide since the patient was experiencing nauseous
due to the pain she was experiencing. I was required to administer intramuscularly as prescribed
on the patient’s medication chart. However, while I explained the patient regarding maintaining
the privacy, I did it in a rushing manner due to the nervousness I experienced during the
assessment. Consequently, the patient received compromised quality of care. I received feedback
from the supervisor that I would require to keep the privacy of the patient, provide a detailed
explanation of the process prior to administrating the intramuscular injection. In case the patient
may experience exposed and refuses the medication. Therefore, it is crucial to keep the privacy
of the patient during the administration of medication.

2GIBB’S REFLECTION CYCLE
Feeling:
This section of the reflective model will explore thought and feeling and explore the
underlying reason behind the thought process. Prior to the clinical experience, I was mindful to
involve in the effective nursing practise such as safe administration of medication, explain the
process to the patient and dispose of equipment appropriately. However, during the assessment
process and safe administration of the medication, I was anxious and apprehensive which
impacted my clinical practice. However, since I was new to the experience of intramuscular
administration and I was being assessed by the supervisor, I was nervous which impacted my
interaction with the patient. I apprehensive because I was new to this experience and I would
require to ensure that patient receives the best possible care provision. Therefore, I was not
confident enough to the deal with such a situation independently. Proper explanation of the
process to the patient regarding intramuscular injection would improve the clinical practice and
reduce my apprehension and nervousness. When I was received feedback from my supervisor, I
was happy that I can use this feedback in my clinical practice for addressing the need of the
individuals in the clinical setting.
Evaluation:
This section of the reflective practice will illustrate the positive and negative experience
during the clinical incident in the clinical setting. The positive and negative experience in the
clinical practice will lead to an increased understanding of the experience of service users and
my role as a registered nurse practitioner. Considering the positive experience from the clinical
incident, I have identified that I got an opportunity to involve patient in effective communication,
administer an intramuscular injection of Metoclopramide according to the medication chart of
the patient. Moreover, I got an opportunity to gather and facilitate skills such as aspects

3GIBB’S REFLECTION CYCLE
techniques of preparing medications, proper positioning the person for providing privacy to the
patient, locating the appropriate site, safe administration of medication for reducing the
discomfort of the patient and safe disposal of the equipment and sharp objects. I will use these
skills to improve my clinical practice and I will use these skills actively when I will encounter a
similar situation. The negative experience is that I failed to engage patient in proper
communication and provide a detailed explanation of the process. It further impacted my quality
of care as I was nervous and explained patient regarding privacy in a rushed manner.
Analysis:
Administering medication and combination, compassion and communication form the bases of a
holistic approach to care and it improves the relationship between patient and professionals. The
standard 6 of NMBA standards suggested that nursing professionals must provide safe,
appropriate and responsive quality of care for maximizing patient satisfaction. In this context, as
a registered nurse, I failed to comply with the standard (Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au, 2019).
Ross and Carney (2017), in the clinical setting, a range of nursing professionals’ experiences
anxiety and nervousness when they are being assessed since they are new to the experience and
out of their comfort situation. This can be explained by the Hawthorne effect which defines the
alteration of behaviour of the individuals of a study because of their awareness of being observed
(Nguyen et al., 2018). Consequently, it not impacted the quality of the care but also impacted
effective communication as observed in this case scenario. Moreover, while administrating
medication, it is crucial to explain the process prior to injection since patient feel experience
exposed and refused to take medication. In this context, not explaining the process properly
through effective communication is an ethical issue that breaches the beneficence and justice
(Tobiano et al., 2016). Taking a deep insight into the situation, I failed to comply with the

4GIBB’S REFLECTION CYCLE
proper patient safety due to the fact that I was under supervision which can be a social factor.
The consequence of this incident is the lack of engagement with the patient regarding providing
adequate information regarding the clinical process. The overarching issue in this case is
communication issue and nervousness. These factors hindered me to comply with the standard
of nursing practice of maintaining privacy of the patient.
Conclusion:
From the clinical experience, it can be said that I am more mindful of importance of
patient privacy during the administration of medication and exert professionalism in the clinical
practice. From the experience, I have gathered skills such as aspects techniques of preparing
medications, proper positioning of the person for providing privacy to the patient, locating the
appropriate site, safe administration of medication for reducing the discomfort of the patient and
safe disposal of the equipment and sharp objects. However, the key issues I have identified
which require action include effective communication, proper self-regulation for reduction of
nervousness and proper patient privacy.
Action plan:
In future, I aim to be more professional while dealing with a similar situation. I will involve
myself in the training and workshops with peer groups regarding effective communication and
patience while dealing with patients. Training and workshops with peer group will provide me
with an opportunity to observe their clinical practice and improve my clinical practice
(McCulloch & Loeser 2016). I will seek clinical supervision and feedback from supervisor
regarding my practice when I will deal with patient privacy. It will improve my clinical practice
and assist me to identify the issues. For reducing nervousness, I will involve myself in relaxation

5GIBB’S REFLECTION CYCLE
techniques such as deep breathing and yoga so that I can improve my self-regulation. Moreover,
while I will encounter a similar situation, I will introduce myself to the patient for building a
therapeutic relationship. After the introduction, I will explain the detailed process and seek
informed consent so that the patient does not feel exposed and refuse to take medications. It will
improve patient satisfaction, empower patient and provide patient with a sense of safety.

6GIBB’S REFLECTION CYCLE
References:
McCulloch, A., & Loeser, C. (2016). Does research degree supervisor training work? The
impact of a professional development induction workshop on supervision
practice. Higher Education Research & Development, 35(5), 968-982.
Nguyen, V. N., Miller, C., Sunderland, J., & McGuiness, W. (2018). Understanding the
Hawthorne effect in wound research—A scoping review. International wound
journal, 15(6), 1010-1024.
Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au (2019). Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Professional
standards. [online] . Available at: https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-
Guidelines-Statements/Professional-standards.aspx [Accessed 28 Jul. 2019].
Ross, J. G., & Carney, H. (2017). The effect of formative capstone simulation scenarios on
novice nursing students' anxiety and self-confidence related to initial clinical
practicum. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 13(3), 116-120.
Tanaka, M., Okamoto, R., & Koide, K. (2018). Relationship between Reflective Practice Skills
and Volume of Writing in a Reflective Journal. Health, 10(3), 283-288.
Tobiano, G., Bucknall, T., Marshall, A., Guinane, J., & Chaboyer, W. (2016). Patients’
perceptions of participation in nursing care on medical wards. Scandinavian Journal of
Caring Sciences, 30(2), 260-270.