Reflective Diary: Analyzing Health and Social Care Interactions

This homework assignment is a reflective diary documenting experiences and learning within health and social care settings. The student utilizes Gibbs' reflective model to analyze three diary entries. The first diary entry focuses on effective communication with patients, highlighting the importance of empathy and understanding, and the student's actions in a conflict situation with a colleague. The second diary entry explores the benefits of role-playing for understanding team dynamics and responsibilities in patient care, specifically in the context of caring for a patient with Alzheimer's. The final diary entry reflects on personal development and the impact of various care practices on the student's ability to provide effective and safe patient care, emphasizing the importance of communication skills and a positive attitude. The student concludes with an action plan for future improvement in their healthcare practices.

REFLECTIVE DIARY

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
DIARY 1..........................................................................................................................................1
Description.............................................................................................................................1
Personal feelings.....................................................................................................................2
Evaluation...............................................................................................................................2
Analysis..................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion..............................................................................................................................3
Action Plan.............................................................................................................................3
DIARY 2..........................................................................................................................................5
Description.............................................................................................................................5
Personal Feelings....................................................................................................................5
Evaluation...............................................................................................................................5
Analysis..................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion..............................................................................................................................6
Action plan.............................................................................................................................6
DIARY 3..........................................................................................................................................7
Description.............................................................................................................................7
Personal feelings.....................................................................................................................7
Evaluation...............................................................................................................................7
Analysis..................................................................................................................................7
Conclusion..............................................................................................................................7
Action Plan.............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Reflective Journal is an individual writing of person which reflects person's experience
and learning over certain situation. It is the description of own feelings and is analysed with the
help of reflective model such as Gibb's, Kolb's, etc. Report will outline three diaries with the help
of Gibb's model.
DIARY 1
Date: 16th October 2017
Description
Effective communication is a broad term especially for health and social care practices
because I have learned that it is important for the health professionals and practitioners to
1
Illustration 1: Gibb's Reflective Model
(Source: Reflective Practice & Gibbs Reflective Cycle, 2018.)

communicate effectively with patients in order to analyse their holistic and medication needs. It
was interested for me to involve with service users because it helped me in analysing different
ways of communication with random patients who are in hospital. Further, involvement with
patients helped me in analysing my shortcomings which can impact my professional working
practices. In addition to effective communication, I have developed my knowledge over handing
critical service users who become vulnerable due to their sufferings.
Personal feelings
As per working and communication in health and social care sector, I have analysed that
it is important for the practitioners to be calm and patient when dealing with service users.
Patients are vulnerable at the time of treatment and it is the situation where effective
communication is the only thing which helps in making people understand importance of
situation. Further, I will say it was interesting experience of learning as I experienced different
incidents of communication in care services which are unique and helps in analysing own
strengths and weakness which needs to be overcome for effectively handling vulnerable service
users.
Evaluation
In accordance with the involvement in health and social care, I evaluated that it is
important for the practitioners to be good communicators because it is the only tactic which
helps nurse in managing quality and safe care of patients (Arnold and Boggs, 2015). My
experience in care centre motivated me to write diary where I learned the importance of
interaction. During my working hours, I came across the incidents where one of my colleagues
was scolding old lady for taking medication. The situation turned worse when the practitioners
folded her hands and forced to take medicine. I feel that this behaviour is absolutely wrong and
no person has right to force any other person for anything. My ethics and working practices
forced me to interrupt the incidents and I did the same.
However, when I reached to them, the things turned normal as my peer colleague was
scared because I approached to her in very rude manner. With discussion, I discovered that the
lady is 65 years old and is suffering from dementia. To make her calm, I took medicines from
practitioner and asked lady to stay calm as no one can harm or force her for taking treatment. On
the other hand, it was important for me to make her have medicines because these are the best
2

sources for her recovery. Therefore, I aimed at communicating with old lady according to her
understanding and comfort level where I analysed that she was discussing about family and
financial abuses due to which she did not find reason to recover and take proper medication.
Though, it was difficult for me to calm her but to maker lady understand I at shared my concerns
over her situation. This technique assisted me in motivating her to talk and take medication.
Thus, in accordance with this situation, I evaluated that communicating effectively with service
user helps practitioners in performing job functions as per desired perspective (Frieden, 2014).
Analysis
As per the experience and situation with care centre, I analysed that I did the right thing
by approaching my peer colleague and stopping her. Apparently, I was good at communicating
with service users but lack interaction with peer colleagues which is also an important part of
health and social care services. Thus, as per the situation, I felt, it is important for me to learn
more about communication at workplace especially with co-workers. Apparently, working in
health and social care helped me to learn about obstacle to overcome barriers to interaction that
is making changes in surroundings, understanding language and holistic needs of service users
(Williams, Kemper and Hummert, 2016). In accordance with effective communication in health
care I felt that it is essential for the practitioners to implement the use of Rhetorical triangle
model which is focused on interpretation of message which is based on three key elements that is
tone of content, purpose and reception (Yuan, 2017). Similarly, it is important for the nurse to
speak clearly and slowly which helps in showing dignity and respect to other person.
Conclusion
In accordance with the overall experience and learning, I would like to conclude by
stating that effective communication is a broad term which helps in understanding each other
perspective for same situation. In my opinion, it is important for the practitioners to behave
calms to medical situation because patients are vulnerable and very sensitive changes.
Action Plan
As per the experience of situation and learning over effective interaction in health and
social care, I would like to set improvement measures for my own working behaviour like in the
3

future, I will be focusing on behaving calmly to vulnerable situations not only with patients but
also with co health practitioners.
4

DIARY 2
Date: 21st December 2017
Description
Role playing is an interesting activity which helps people in learning about each other
responsibilities and situation. It is based on the changing role and assuming different situations
with conscious mind. I would like to share and describe my feelings and experience over role
play activity and learning from it. In accordance with my learning, I would like to share that role
is the best plan which helps person in learning about own strengths and weaknesses which can be
opportunity or threat for person.
Personal Feelings
In accordance with the learning in role play, I would like to discuss about the team
effectiveness and dynamics which plays a crucial role in role play activity. In accordance I have
realised that it is important for people to forget about their personal relationship when working in
group to attain specific goals and objectives. It is the activity in which every person share equal
and common interest where work is divided among team members according to individual’s
skills and capabilities.
Evaluation
In accordance to role play activity I have evaluated that it is the most plan which helps
the person in learning about each other responsibilities. Further, with involvement in activity I
discovered that it helps in boosting learning over team dynamics and team working. In role pay
we were three practitioner who were assigned duty for managing intervention and care for old
lady who has been successfully recovery from Alzheimer (Jackson and Back, 2011). However,
she is very sensitive to changes and therefore we three people were allowed to stay by her for
managing her holistic needs. We distributed our work according to capabilities and skills of
nursing and care management. We started work as a team where one of nurse was looking for
regular care and holistic needs of patients (Bakshy and et.al., 2012). I was looking after her
medication and one of nurse was focused on her inclusion with other people and her safe
surroundings. The work was going well and with continuous care working.
Apparently, my learning from role enhanced when one of the practitioner was not on duty
and I was looking at inclusion of women. While performing her job function in determined that
5

responsibility of every practitioner is unique which can not be argued. Further, from role play
learning I can state that teamwork and dynamics in health care plays a crucial role in managing
effective patent care and safety. The better the members of a healthcare team are able to work
together, the better they are able to provide the best quality patient care possible.
Analysis
A per role pay activity in health care I learned about group formation which is the best
strategy to perform effective care practices. The conflict between me and co workers which was
the core reason of mismanagement care practices of patient. Nevertheless, according to
Chaharsoughi, Ahrari and Alikhah, 2014, with continuous working and communication helps in
understanding each other responsibilities in a better way when working in a group. In contrary
Tajfel, 2010, has stated that role plays helps in managing effectiveness in practices because role
is something where people are responsible for representing their skills and responsibilities.
However, when working in group I had conflicts because of mis management of time due to
which I shouted on my colleague and we did not communicate for further three days session.
Conclusion
In accordance to role play and group formation assessment, I would like to concluded by
stating that it is important for the practitioner to involved in role play activities in order to
evaluate won capability of managing care practices in comparison to other practitioners. Further,
I would like summarized about by team dynamics which was effective at initially but due to
conflict we ended up messing care practices of old women. In accordance to analysis and
evaluation I will focus on making effective action plan.
Action plan
By working in role play simulation I discovered that, it is an activity which helps health
practitioner in developing professional values. Moreover, it is best learning strategy which helps
the nurse in deriving needs to improvement in own care practices. Thus, in future group
formation and role play simulation I will be focusing on active learning, anger management and
developing of professional values in order to manage work when working in team.
6

DIARY 3
26th February 2018
Description
In accordance to learning from and personal development I would like to share that
involving in different types of care practices helped me in boosting my morale of managing
health care services effectively. Further, form involvement I learned about different techniques
of managing working for role play simulation. Further, I analysed about effective communication
which is my strength.
Personal feelings
With involvement in different health care situation I analysed that it was important for me
to improve my nursing practices in order to serve effective and safe patient care. In accordance I
feel the session and learning was beneficial for my personal development because it encouraged
by professional values which plays an important role in both types of situation that is hen
working with service users and co workers.
Evaluation
Personal development for health care practices is the best plan because it is concerned
with improvement in own working practices. With involvement in different care situation, I
discovered about different uncertain situation, which require effective management and instant
response. With different situations in health care I discovered that good listener is the best
strategy to be a good communicator. Moreover, I learned about friendliness with service users
which helps in making patients comfortable nursing intervention and medication plans (Luthans
and et.al., 2010). In addition, effective communication was the best art of learning because I this
I learned about respect and dignity concept of services users as well as colleagues.
Analysis
In accordance to overall module learning I analysed that I have learned about various
activities and necessity of improvement. Further, to improve my everyday communication
practice of health and social care, I did participate in different situation and learning over each
others responsibilities. As per the views of Hallam, 2010, it has been discussed that personal
development comprise cognitive, social and moral development of individual. According to
McLeod, 2013, it has been analysed that Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development- which
is based on eight-stage theory of human development helps the person in improving own
7

personality traits according to personal and professional needs. These 8 factors are focused on
trust, autonomy, initiative, industry, identity, intimacy, generosity and integrity.
Conclusion
In last, I would like, to conclude by stating that personal development of health
practitioner plays an important role in improving communication and decision making while
performing health and social care practices. Further, I would like to summarize by stating that
role play and group formation helped me in improving my communication with service users as
well as co workers.
Action Plan
By working in different health care situation I analysed that it is important for me to have
control over my reaction when working in team. In addition, I will focus on improving
interaction with my co workers, because it is essential of care practitioners to behave patiently in
organisation. Thus, in accordance with this personality development plan I will focus on
initiating my efforts in different health care situations.
8

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Arnold, E.C. and Boggs, K.U., 2015. Interpersonal Relationships-E-Book: Professional
Communication Skills for Nurses. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Bakshy, E. and et.al., 2012. The role of social networks in information diffusion. In Proceedings
of the 21st international conference on World Wide Web (pp. 519-528).
Chaharsoughi, N.T., Ahrari, S. and Alikhah, S., 2014. Comparison the effect of teaching of
SBAR technique with role play and lecturing on communication skill of nurses. Journal
of caring sciences. 3(2). p.141.
Frieden, T.R., 2014. Six components necessary for effective public health program
implementation. American journal of public health. 104(1). pp.17-22.
Hallam, S., 2010. The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual, social and personal
development of children and young people. International Journal of Music Education.
28(3). pp.269-289.
Jackson, V.A. and Back, A.L., 2011. Teaching communication skills using role-play: an
experience-based guide for educators. Journal of palliative medicine. 14(6). pp.775-780.
Luthans, F. and et.al., 2010. The development and resulting performance impact of positive
psychological capital. Human resource development quarterly. 21(1). pp.41-67.
McLeod, S., 2013. Erik Erikson. Retrieved August. 9. p.2013.
Tajfel, H. ed., 2010. Social identity and intergroup relations. Cambridge University Press.
Williams, K., Kemper, S. and Hummert, M.L., 2016. Enhancing communication with older
adults: overcoming elderspeak. Journal of psychosocial nursing and mental health
services. 43(5). pp.12-16.
Yuan, R., 2017. Yin/yang principle and the relevance of externalism and paralogic rhetoric to
intercultural communication. Journal of Business and Technical Communication. 11(3).
pp.297-320.
Online
Reflective Practice & Gibbs Reflective Cycle. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<http://academicskills.marjon.ac.uk/as2.php?pageID=36&subID=102>.
9