Reflective Critique of a Significant Episode of Communication

This report presents a reflective critique of a significant communication episode in a mental health nursing context. The paper analyzes an interaction between a nursing intern, Teddy, and a patient named Regina, using the Gibbs cycle as a framework. The report details the episode, where the patient was mistreated by the lead nurse, Teddy's subsequent intervention, and the patient's improved state after a thoughtful explanation of her condition. It explores Teddy's feelings of disappointment and frustration with the communication style of the nursing staff, evaluating the situation's impact on patient well-being. The analysis highlights the violation of the NMC code of conduct and the importance of empathy and active listening. Recommendations include improved communication skills, ethical considerations, and addressing patient needs. The conclusion emphasizes the critical role of effective communication in fostering positive patient outcomes and the need for continuous professional development in nursing practice.

Running Head: EPISODE OF COMMUNICATION 1
Reflective Critique of an Episode of Communication
Name of Student
Name of Professor
Institution Affiliation
Date

EPISODE OF COMMUNICATION 2
Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................3
Description.................................................................................................................3
Feelings.......................................................................................................................4
Evaluation...................................................................................................................5
Analysis......................................................................................................................5
Recommendations......................................................................................................6
Conclusion..................................................................................................................7

EPISODE OF COMMUNICATION 3
Introduction
Communication is a must-do activity in life. However, there are communication
sessions in life that prove memorable and hard to forget. Maybe the situation made you feel
ashamed or one conversation that has been an inspiration to you. This paper will reflect on
communication between Teddy, a nurse in a mental hospital, and a patient. The reflection
will show the need for nurses to have some therapy in their communication skills to foster
their relationship with patients (Goulet, & Larue, 2016). The primary reflection framework
that will be used in this reflection is the Gibbs cycle. The names used in this text have been
changed to protect the real identity of the participants. This is according to the data protection
act and code of professional conduct (Tuckermann, & Wolf, 2016). The six stages that will be
used in this reflection include description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and
action plan.
Description
Teddy was in his final days of internship at a mental facility in the Australian capital
Sidney. During patient handover, 'Regina,' a patient at the facility, walked to the office of the
lead nurse. When the nurse saw her open the door, she stopped, and before Regina could say
a word, the nurse raised her voice and ordered her back to her room. Regina, in submission,
retreated to her room with a dirty look on her face. This incident caught Teddy's attention; he
decided to go to the patient's room and see whether he could solve her problem. When he
entered the room, Regina stood up with agitation to defend herself. She then shouted that she
wanted to know the reason why she was locked up in a mental hospital. She went ahead and
told Teddy that since she arrived at the facility, no one had told her what she had been
hospitalized for. Teddy decided to take a look at the patient's care plan. He then found out
that Regina had been hospitalized for several conditions, including deafness, aggression, and

EPISODE OF COMMUNICATION 4
short term loss of memory. He also came to learn that Regina had had a fall at her daughter’s
house and was rushed to the hospital. Teddy recorded this information in the patient's notes
so that her nurse and other members of the interdisciplinary team would know that Regina
was uncertain of her situation (Jackson, Baker, & Berzins, 2018). After the conversation,
Teddy went to his mentor to seek advice on how to help Regina.
After talking to his mentor, Teddy returned to Regina’s room and explained the
situation to her. Regina acknowledged that although she had a problem with forgetting things
quickly, nobody had talked to her about why she was brought to the hospital. She breathed a
sigh of relief when she was told that her daughter was okay and that she would be visiting the
next day. It was astonishing how Regina's mood changed abruptly after the explanation from
Teddy. She asked a couple more questions, which Teddy tried to answer as calmly as
possible. Regina confided with the information given by Teddy but complained about being
unable to sleep due to disturbance from other patients. Teddy assured her that he would talk
to the authorities responsible for the night shift so that she could be assisted. 'One thing that I
hate so much is being left in the dark and ignored,' Regina said, 'thank you for having such a
big heart.'
Feelings
As Teddy walked out of Regina's room, he felt disappointed with the lead nurse and
the nurse who was responsible for Regina's welfare at the hospital. He felt frustrated that the
whole team felt that any issue that arose out of the patients is due to their mental condition
(Raman et al 2017). The tone and style at which nurses spoke to the patients made him feel
that they were inhuman in some way. It felt so disheartened that no one took time to explain
what was going on to Regina. The norm in the mental hospital that it was alright to mimic
and laugh at patients made Teddy feel very hungry and dissatisfied with what was going on.
Once Teddy had finished helping Regina, and she thanked him for making her feel better, he

EPISODE OF COMMUNICATION 5
felt happy. He felt proud and essential that he was able to make someone relax and reassure
them that somebody cared about their feelings.
Evaluation
Teddy felt that she had learned a lot from the Regina’s situation and how nurses at the
hospital reacted to it. The encounter was not good for the patients and should not happen to
anyone anywhere. However, when it comes to learning (Innes et al 2018). Teddy had a
perfect chance to learn from. One of the biggest lessons that he learned from the experience
was that it was paramount to be very sensitive to the feelings of patients despite their
situations. He learned that it was essential to be patient and to take time to listen to a patient
because their issue needs to be addressed as well.
Learned that the treatment accorded to patients in the hospital can have a cumulative
effect on their wellbeing and played an essential role in the healing of a patient (Clarke,
2019). The reactions from the nurses when Regina in need of their help was not in the interest
of the patient and were very unethical. Though the nurses termed Regina as an unpopular
patient, maybe they were actually to blame for her behavior.
Analysis
If the nurses at the hospital engaged Regina in a conversation, the situation would
have been better. She would feel appreciated and cared for. According to the NMC code, the
standards of conduct for nurses to meet are politeness, considerateness, listening, and
responding to patients' issues (Bambi, et al 2017). In the case of Teddy, the nurses violated
this code and acted in a very unethical manner. The nursing skills taught in college should be
put in into application on the ground for better services to the patients (Spencer, 2017).
Being an enthusiastic learner, Teddy felt that he knew to help the patient by calming
them down and reassure them of their safety. A patient who thinks that their caretaker is not

EPISODE OF COMMUNICATION 6
taking the time to listen to them may end up having some doubts about the services provided
by the nurse. on the other hand, Nurses who sympathize with patients show that they are
willing to help out the patient to cope with their condition (Tutticci et al 2017). When Teddy
entered the patient's room, she stood up to defend herself. This was an implication that she
did not trust the nurses who took care of her, and she did not feel safe around them. The
reason for choosing this case scenario is to analyse the reason behind nurses at the facility
feeling unequipped to listen and solve the problems of Regina without retorting and belittling
her. Why did the nurses leave an aggressive patient in the hands of an inexperienced student?
In the nursing field, communication skills are vital, and they must be continuously
developed for the better (Cruice et al 2018). The nurses who have served for longer are
expected to have better skills in communicating with the patients. It was a bit ambiguous that
Teddy, a student, was able to take control of the situation that the other nurses couldn't
handle. The nurses should revise their skills in talking barriers of communication experienced
by the patients due to old age or mental condition (Shorey, et al 2019). For instance, Regina's
state of being deaf and forgetful may have made the nurses get tired of repeating things to her
now and then. This may have been the reason why Regina was not given the same attention
as the others.
According to the human rights act, every person has a right to equal treatment and
medical care no matter their status or condition. In many hospitals, patients suffer anxiety and
apprehension in the hands of medical practitioners. Sometimes, fear may be caused by new
environments. Otherwise, the concern may be a medical condition (McKinnon, 2016). Either
way, the patient is entitled to fair treatment from nurses and all health workers. This makes
them feel a little respected and comfortable, which they may need for better recovery (Hem,
et al 2018).

EPISODE OF COMMUNICATION 7
Recommendations
Nurses from all departments have a mandate of taking care of the patients. They are
not only required to cater for their medical needs but also psychosocial needs while still in the
hospital. One thing that Teddy should have done differently is that he should question the
nurse about the events of the day (Allen & Molloy, 2017). He should also have reported the
bad behavior to the authorities so that action could be taken against the nurse. The penalty for
this kind of behavior should be substantial so that to shun people from them. Secondly, like
Teddy, all nurses should be at ease of helping patients and solving their problems without
bulling them (Spencer, et al 2019). By doing this, the quality of care will increase, and more
satisfied patients will be realized.
Conclusion
The fact that Regina had a condition that made her seem a nuisance should not have
resulted in such treatment from medical experts. What the nurse did to Regina was very much
unethical and unacceptable in any medical facility. Nurses need to realize the style in which
they treat patients with has a rippling effect on their recovery. The better the conditions, the
fast the patient can respond to medical treatment (Papageorgiou, et al 2017). Communication
skills in nursing are very vital; the leading nurse at the facility portrayed an inferior skill in
communicating with the patients. This skill is the gateway to helping patients at all times and
thus requires constant improvement.

EPISODE OF COMMUNICATION 8
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