Reflection on the development of compassion and confidence in nursing practices for communicating with children and improving their learning ability
This essay will clearly reflect on the professional as well as personal development in the first year of a nursing program. I will undertake this by discussing my experience, along with five leading essential skills, which I try to possess, such as communication, care, nutrition, compassion, fluid management as well as medicine management. I will also try to look all the five skills through depicting the analysis of identified reflection model. Reflection is conducted for understanding the previous incidents, for the purpose of promoting child learning ability and enhance the safety, through providing them with proper healthcare practices (Adamson and Dewar 2015). In this context reflective cycle model of Gibbs is adopted, as it supports in following the opportunities towards conducting the discussion. Adamson and Dewar (2011) mentions about six stages for the purpose of enhancing the continuity in nursing practices and undertaking to learn from experience, to have better future (Adamson and Dewar 2011).
The cycle begins by explaining the situation; next is understanding the feelings; experience evaluation; analysis to create a sense of experience, and fifth is the conclusion of what could be done, and finally it will include action plan in case of preparing for the situation (Heffernan, Quinn, McNulty and Fitzpatrick 2010). For the purpose of respecting the staff members and patients’ confidentiality, different code of standards of conduct, ethics for nurses, performance, and current placement location is named (Curtis, Horton and Smith 2012). In this essay contents are collected from patients; therefore, for maintaining the confidentiality, pseudonyms is applied.
In the placement area, I was given the responsibility in children ward, which includes surgical as well as paediatric patients. A children ward includes patients between newly born to 17 years of age. The role of the nurse is to play a significant role in promoting healthy behaviour and improving learning disability of the children (Heffernan, Quinn, McNulty and Fitzpatrick 2010). Imparting proper nursing care to the child is not on the question of caring the adults (Heffernan, Quinn, McNulty and Fitzpatrick 2010). It is important to analyse the health child can develop towards adulthood, and how we can reduce the effect of illness on the child, and their learning ability can get improved (Pedersen and Sivonen 2012). It includes working in partnership with parents or the one, who look after the child. Other factors, which creates complications in treating the child is communication (Adamson and Dewar 2015). While adults can easily express themselves about what they are feeling, but in the child, we can explore the severity of pain, but a child cannot communicate about details; therefore, nurses are required to interpret the behaviour as well as reactions of the child (Pedersen and Sivonen 2012). Children’s nurses should be able to spot the health of the child and ensure the best treatment that could be given to children (Pedersen and Sivonen 2012).
Health issues might act as a hindrance to child development, and it’s significant to work with the families of children to make sure that they don’t suffer while staying in the hospital, or either due to their illness (Heffernan, Quinn, McNulty and Fitzpatrick 2010). I was apprehensive as well as excited about starting the placement in child ward. I was quite excited as this will be a new experience for me, and it will provide an opportunity for me to attain an insight into different conditions and illness, which impact individuals and their families, and what all challenges they come across. I was aware of my knowledge and experience of sickness and considered this as a weakness that might be imperative for me because I know of my personal weakness and strength before I could commence with my placement in child ward. I believe that self-awareness is most important while interacting with patients. Personal opinions and beliefs can create influence both positively and negatively while viewing individuals (Heffernan, Quinn, McNulty and Fitzpatrick 2010).
Analysing the weakness and strengths along with the ability to reflect the individual personal characteristics is required for being non-judgemental. Ang, Dyne and Koh (2006) mention that nurses are expected to take care of people, and their first concern should be to treat them well and respect their dignity. I understand that it’s quite imperative, to emphasise how to treat patients, not on their behaviour. My mentor provided me with the details about individual recovery plan and rehabilitation that can support me in attaining insight into the requirement of every patient and how their illness can affect their life. I felt as more confident after my mentor gave me this information, on how I should approach every patient and how I can start building a relationship with patients.
I believe that right impressions usually last longer; therefore, I was conscious on how should I introduce myself to patients. While introducing myself to patients, I tried to set up a rapport, which is referred as the base for nurse-patient relationships. I want to show myself as a caring, warm, and compassionate person, which can enable respect and trust with every patient, as it's necessary for caring. Compassion and caring are considered as natural warm, along with informal communication skill, which is an important point in social exchange. Commitment offers required care to patients (Smith, Gentleman, Loads and Pullin 2014). Compassion includes sharing of emotional feelings and empathy that implies understanding patient’s feelings. Confidence helps in enabling trust with patients, and competence is analysing as well as applying the nursing process through undertaking problem solving as well as decision-making process (Ballat and Campling 2011).
I was interested in spending quality time with every patient, to build a relationship with them, which is based on trust, mutual respect and honesty. The ability to empathise and connect with patient’s emotions is the basis for showing compassion and care (Heffernan, Quinn, McNulty and Fitzpatrick 2010). Having an understanding of what it can feel to be at the place of patient enables engagement and interaction to go more helpful and motivated, that I want to communicate to patients and show positive regard (Hugues and Hood 2007). I was interested in spending time interacting with patients in the duration of my placement, as this can help me in developing my communication skills, and later on, it can support me in developing my nursing skills.
Communication is the significant element, which is required in the nurse-patient relationship, and it’s also considered as the heart of nursing care. Coetzee and Klopper (2010) explains that communication is always the two-way process, which includes passing the message among people by both non-verbal and verbal communication skills (Heffernan, Quinn, McNulty and Fitzpatrick 2010). Depicting genuine concern and interest is required in permitting patients to speak openly and feel comfortable while the communication process goes on (Coetzee and Klopper 2010).
I observed that my mentor, as well as other healthcare professionals, are involved in having communication with patients in such circumstances, before engaging in the meaningful interaction, to make sure that I was using appropriate skills of communication. The interaction level and communication, which I attained from every patient in child ward was not different initially, as it reflects age of patient and understanding of patients, along with the ability to trust student nurse (Brown 2014). To improve the learning ability of the patients, it is essential listening habits should be initiated.
Listening is the necessary skills required for initiating communication. The non-verbal communication will set up a lot of valuable data to the concern of patients (Timmins and de Vries 2014). The information given often includes a lot of insight into the required care and also permits time to provide a relevant response. It is again equally crucial to give gestures while listening such as facial expression, eye contact as well as appropriate nodding for acknowledging your interest (Heffernan, Quinn, McNulty and Fitzpatrick 2010). Listening to patients also provides an opportunity to clearly observe their body language and their conflicting speech area, which recommend that, whether they are feeling uncomfortable in particular topics, or while experiencing cognitive impairment (Timmins and de Vries 2014). I wanted to show patients, that I was listening to them, and I was genuinely interested in what they are saying and tried to develop trust with patients so that they could be honest and open with me and readily disclose their feelings to me. The communication skills and compassion, which I depicted to patients in children’s ward paramount the therapeutic relationship (Timmins and de Vries 2014).
I was even interested in taking forward my knowledge and skills while managing medicinal practices. Management of medicine often links with the safe use of it, ensuring that patients get highest benefits through medicine, which they require, and simultaneously reduces its harm (Timmins and de Vries 2014). I gained the confidence in my ability to administer the patient’s safety. I understand that it's quite imperative to adhere to right of medication, like who all are right patients, good time, medicine, dose, preparing, route and accurate documentation, which requires being applied in the case of all patients before I could administer medication. I felt accountable while managing medicines, and I even tried to ensure that I am competent and work as per legislation. While improving the learning ability of child patients, it is important that better examples are set in front of them; therefore, every medical task should be undertaken as per laws (Heffernan, Quinn, McNulty and Fitzpatrick 2010).
My mentor came to me and enquired that if I can carry out the assessment and can formulate the care plan for patients having a learning disability. I felt quite excited and felt that in this way I can gain understanding and knowledge about the process. To formulate the care plan, I first identified the present risks, which are present or most likely to occur. A risk links with the negative event or either the adverse impact, which can lead to harm (Timmins and de Vries 2014). I required applying fact-based approach by making sure that all the appropriate information links with the current healthcare needs of patients and the same is accurate and can be implemented to reducing the risk. Once I collected all the necessary information related to the patient such as care document as well as nutritional assessment tools, I will be able to plan appropriate care plan as well as intervention plan, which relies on identified risks. The key risk area, which I explored was patient’s parents, who require proper guidance so that they can support in maintaining a healthy diet as well as intake of fluid.
On reflecting my experience, collected during placement, I think I can do the same practices. I feel quite proud on whatever I attained and continued to develop my skills as well as improve my knowledge. I believe that I can become more aware as well as confident by care clusters, while I have discussed above and even demonstrated my interest in learning it and building professional attitude. I believe that my experience gained is quite confident and I was able to gain new skills and confidence, which is required for a nurse. Although while looking at my experience, there were certain areas, which I want to change shortly. I will ensure that I could conduct better research while interacting with the client group.
Overall I felt that this was a positive experience for me, as I was able to gain real insight into the significance of developing as well as maintaining my nursing skills in the context of compassion, care, communication and organisation of care. I was even able to communicate with children’s in a better way so that I can understand their feelings and provide them with suggestions on improving their learning ability. I even tried to organise certain activities that enhance their knowledge and sharpen their memory. These activities will support in developing children learning power (Heffernan, Quinn, McNulty and Fitzpatrick 2010).
References
Adamson, E., and Dewar, B. 2011. Compassion in the nursing curriculum: making it more explicit. J Holist Healthcare, 8(3), pp. 42–5
Adamson, E., and Dewar, B. 2015. Compassionate Care: Student nurses' learning through reflection and the use of story. Nurse Education Practices, 15(3), pp. 155–61
Ang, S., Dyne, L., and Koh, S. K. 2006. Personality correlates of the four factor model of cultural intelligence. Group and organization management, 6(31), pp. 100–123.
Ballat, J., and Campling, P. 2011. Intelligent Kindness Reforming the culture of healthcare. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists Publications.
Brown, C. 2014. Experiential learning and compassionate care. In: Shea S, Wynyard R, Lionis C, editors. Providing compassionate healthcare: Challenges in policy and practice. Oxon: Routledge
Coetzee, S., and Klopper, H. 2010. Compassion fatigue within nursing practice: a concept analysis. Nursing Health Science, 12, pp. 235–43.
Curtis, K., Horton, K., and Smith, P. 2012. Student nurse socialisation in compassionate practice: a grounded theory study. Nurse Education Today, 32(7), pp. 790–5.
Heffernan, M., Quinn, M., McNulty, R., and Fitzpatrick, J. 2010. Self-compassion and emotional intelligence in nurses. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 6, pp. 366–73.
Hugues, K., and Hood, L. 2007. Teaching methods and an outcome tool for measuring cultural sensitivity in undergraduate nursing students. Journal on Transculture Nursing, 18(1), pp. 57–62.
Pedersen, B, and Sivonen, K. 2012. "The impact of clinical encounters on student nurses’ ethical caring." Nursing ethics, 19(6), pp. 838–848.
Smith, S., Gentleman, M., Loads, D., and Pullin, S. 2014. An exploration of a restorative space: a creative approach to reflection for nurse lecturer's focused on experiences of compassion in the workplace. Nurse Education Today, 34, pp. 1225–31.
Timmins, F., and de Vries, M. 2014. Nurses are not bystanders: a response to Paley. Nurse Educ Today, 34(10), pp. 1269–71.
