Reflection on Integrating Practice: A Nursing Student's Experience

This reflective writing assignment details a nursing student's experience during a manual handling practical class with a patient named Travis Waterhouse, who was admitted with right hemiplegia. The reflection covers the student's initial excitement and nervousness, observations during the patient's examination, and subsequent evaluation of the experience. The student identifies both positive aspects, such as gaining hands-on experience and building knowledge, and areas for improvement, particularly in establishing rapport and communication with the nursing mentor and patient. The analysis delves into questions regarding the patient's condition, potential triggers, and the importance of preventative measures and effective communication in nursing practice to avoid medical errors. The student concludes by emphasizing the need to develop communication skills for future healthcare practice and continuous learning in the nursing profession.

Running head: INTEGRATING PRACTICE:2 1
Integrating Practice:2
Name of Student
Institution Affiliation

INTEGRATING PRACTICE:2 2
Description
It was during one of my manual handling a practical class that I encounter a 25-year-
old patient by the name Travis Waterhouse. As a nursing student we are required to get
hands- on experience in the medical field. On this particular day we were with a group of
other students. Travis had been admitted to the rehab ward five days ago with right
hemiplegia. Past previous medical records show that he had suffered from left MCA. In the
five days he had been admitted in the hospital, he did physio and seemed to be doing fine.
Even so, on this particular morning during the class practical, Travis started to experience
some abdominal pain and nausea. People present during this occurrence included us the
students, the nurses, and the medical team. Travis notifies, the medical team doing rounds of
his situation. A Nurse performs an examination on Travis to assess the issue, and he informs
them that he had gone three days without evacuating his bowels. I was handling the slide
sheets during the examination.
Feelings
I remember being excited for yet another practice session that morning. It was
another chance to learn and get hands-on experience in grooming for my future professional
practice. All this time as Travis receives tests, I handled the slide sheets and observed keenly
and in awe as the more established nurse runs some tests. I was initially nervous being in the
presence of such professional, but the nurse must have noticed as she encouraged me to be
courageous as every person starts from somewhere. I wondered whether Travis’s past
medical histories of Right hemiplegia and left MCA had triggered the current medical
problems of BNO, Nausea and abdominal pain. The tests cleared my doubt and made me
more confident about the solution about the medical issue at hand.
Evaluation

INTEGRATING PRACTICE:2 3
The whole experience with Travis’s examination was insightful. In many cases,
students don’t get a chance to get a hands-on experience of their profession (Entwistle, 2013).
I was engaged in the treatment process by, handling the slide sheets, taking vital signs such as
body temperatures, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure. I was also expected to
make observations on the procedures followed. This was helpful in building my knowledge
and skills in the field. In as much as I gained a lot from this experience, it was not all good. I
noticed that I failed in establishing rapport with my nursing mentor and the patient. As a
student optimistic about becoming a nurse in the fullness of time, I should have tried to
communicate better with the nurse and patients to question areas I needed to understand
better. This because in future I will be dealing with a diverse number of patients and nursing
professionals. Hodson (2013) ascertains that communication is an essential element in
nursing to pass on information, feelings, and thoughts. It is a crucial skill to possess as a
nurse. I also felt that like the nurses treated the encounter as a normal occurrence and thus
just administered drugs as so.
Analysis
When I reflect upon the whole situation of Travis, I feel like there’s a lot to be
questioned in nursing practice. My role in the encounter was more of following instructions.
While the patient received treatment for the BNO, Nausea and abdominal pain, it would have
been essential to examine why he developed this issue. Other questions include, did the
previous medication trigger the problem? Was he under any diet that leads to the issue? Are
past medical problems triggers for the current issue? All in all treating Travis was a combined
effort by different practitioners with varying specialization. There are those that handled the
medical history, performed the examination, or administered medication.
Nursing is a continuous learning process and even when we do become professionals
learning will possibly never stop (Qanbari Qalehsari, Khaghanizadeh, & Ebadi, 2017). In this

INTEGRATING PRACTICE:2 4
engagement, more probing into the patient’s health would prevent the likelihood of him
developing further issues. The patients should also have been advised on preventative
measures to avoid a recurring situation after finishing the medication, and that also shows
that there is a gap in communication. According to Neese (2017), lack of proper
communication is one of the leading causes of avoidable medical errors. Nonetheless, my
participation in the treatment process together with my fellow students was a welcome
addition to my long run experience. In my future practice, I will need to develop my
communication skills to improve my healthcare practice and handle a situation such as this
better.
Conclusively, I have already established the importance of communication in
healthcare. It is not enough to depend on documentation of past medical history. To achieve
this will require that I practice relentlessly in all my environments. This as argued by Hodson
(2013) will give me exposure to the different kinds of people and enable me to solve medical
problems efficiently and develop lasting interventions.

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References
Entwistle, F. (2013, February 6). What to expect from a course in nursing. Retrieved from
https://www.nursingtimes.net/students/what-to-expect-from-a-course-in-nursing/
5041129.article
Hodson, M. (2013). Compassion, caring and communication: skills for Nursing
Practice. Nursing Management, 20(6), 11-11. doi:10.7748/nm2013.10.20.6.11.s15
Neese, B. (2017, February 22). Effective Communication in Nursing: Theory & Best
Practices. Retrieved from https://online.seu.edu/effective-communication-in-nursing/
Qanbari Qalehsari, M., Khaghanizadeh, M., & Ebadi, A. (2017). Lifelong learning strategies
in nursing: A systematic review. Electronic Physician, 9(10), 5541-5550.
doi:10.19082/5541
Turkelson, C., Aebersold, M., Redman, R., & Tschannen, D. (2017). Improving Nursing
Communication Skills in an Intensive Care Unit Using Simulation and Nursing Crew
Resource Management Strategies. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 32(4), 331-339.
doi:10.1097/ncq.0000000000000241
Williams, K., Woolliams, M., & Spiro, J. (2014). Using a framework for reflection: Gibbs’
reflective cycle. Reflective Writing, 90-102. doi:10.1007/978-0-230-37724-0_16