Reflective Practice Relevent To Developing Clinical Skills Nursing Essay

Reflective Practice Relevent To Developing Clinical Skills Nursing Essay Reflective practice has been defined as Involving self, a process that is undertaken in response to a positive or negative event that may be initiate consciously or subconsciously, that requires to provide an answer (Chapman, Dempsey et al. 2009). It has also been defined as Paying critical attention to the practical values and theories which inform every day actions, by examining practice reflectively and reflexively, this leads to developmental insight (Clouston, Westcott 2005). Reflective practice is a process to which a person dissects their internal reactions to certain situations, and how they dealt with the cause and effect. It is only through this reflection that an individual can comprehensively understand and learn from their previous decision making mechanisms. Reflective practice gives the opportunity for a health professional to look back at their clinical skills used in given situations, and assess how these skills could be amended to better their professional practice. It is a method of learning from experiences, using experiences to analyze why problems occurred, and then to find a solution to these problems (Taylor 2010). Reflection has been defined by Dewey (1933) as active persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusion to which it tends cited by (Mann, Gordon et al. 2009). Boud (1978) reinforces Deweys assessment of reflection, however, he aligns himself with an overtly emotional assessment of personal experience. Boud defines reflection as a generic term for those intellectual and affective activities in which individuals engage to explore their experiences in order to lead to a new understanding and appreciation cited by (Mann, Gordon et al. 2009). There is a gap between academia and good professional practice. Although a student may have a very good understanding of theory, this does not necessarily teach them about good professional practice (Baird 2008). Knowledge is something that is to be challenged and reinforced. Gaining knowledge through clinical experience and reflection is key to being a reflective practitioner (Clouston, Westcott 2005). This can be obtained at university level within Radiography through clinical placement, positioning classes and a personal development system (PDS) (Baird 2008). These classes give the student an opportunity to challenge, discuss, but more importantly reflect on the theory which they have learned. It is through problem solving that a student can reach below the purely scientific understanding of processes and procedures, and can delve into the deeper, and one could argue, the more complexities of clinical practice. Through these teaching methods a student can learn that the theory of practice is not always going to work in given situations, and through reflection they can amend their knowledge to give the result of better clinical skills and professional practice (Baird 2008). It would be nieve to assume that every patient, every ailment, should reprieve a standard set method of treatment. The PDS is an online resource which provides a student with a key initial starting block to which they can build a more successful, productive, and ultimately professional methodology to explore key skill and developmental needs (Rowland 2006). A study of students found that reflective exercises proved successful, and that they thought it could be a valuable part of their professional careers within the health service. Students realised that reflective practice can help to deal with any similar issues arising (Cronin, Connolly 2007). Another study found that student nurses gained confidence in decision making through journal writing also stating that they believed more, that writing could be used to learn (Epp 2008). Both studies show that reflective practice is a beneficial tool that can be used to enhance professional practice. However the first study is seemingly over crediting the usefulness of reflective practice on a one size fits all basis. Students must not become fully dependant on the benefits which reflective practice may bring, and must leave room for ingenuity, and adapt these procedures to specific circumstances. The second study reinforces the benefits which reflective practice can bring to a students confide nce in their own professional expertise. The introduction of key performance indicators (KPI) into healthcare departments increased awareness among staff and gave an obligation to staff to fulfil certain tasks (Abujudeh, Kaewlai et al. 2010). Through KPIs in individual can highlight areas of strengths and weaknesses, however more importantly can develop a systematic and detailed plan to improve their continual personal development. There are methods incorporated into KPIS to encourage reflective practice, Continual Professional Development (CPD) and life long learning (LLL) (Chapman, Dempsey et al. 2009). Within radiography these two strategies are used to develop reflective practice. LLL was implemented with the intention for individuals to continually re-educate themselves on advances within their field of work. CPD is a resource which is discussed in detail with, the relevant line manager. If CPD is used properly reflective thinking is encouraged in the practitioner (Chapman, Dempsey et al. 2009). This reinforces the rel ationship which exists between CPD and the development of reflective practice. The society of radiographers has invested in an exclusive CPD tool which gives advice to members on how to reflect and learn. The CPD plan outlines that reflective practice can be carried out in a number of ways. Firstly by writing a reflective journal about personal experiences in the workplace or secondly in an educational environment through health professionals attending courses, to learn better ways of becoming a good reflective practitioner (Kelly 2005). It is only through implementation of all of these methods that a continual and productive mode of reflective practice can be achieved through the CPD plan. Writing a reflective journal helps a health professional keep a record of their practice, remind themselves of good and bad practice, why it happened and how they overcame or will overcome the problem (Clouston, Westcott 2005). A study found when a group of radiation therapists gathered to write journals together that their motivation, confidence, professional knowledge, critical thinking and professional practice all increased ensuring the CPD of staff (Milinkovic, Field et al. 2008). It is vital for reflective practice to be a success, all individuals within an organisation must be wholly committed to the belief that reflective practice is a worthwhile and productive tool. Things which hinder reflective practice occur in workplaces where there is no emphasis put on it by line management.. The pressures placed on professionals in the clinical environment mean that the health professional may feel that time spent on reflective practice may seem wasted (Mann, Gordon et al. 2009). It is a well known fact that as the health professional spends more time in the profession, it is found that less of their time is spent reflecting. It has been said that barriers to reflective practice include lack of time and space, negative preconceptions, organisational culture, fear, the risk of routine and not fully understanding reflection (Clouston, Westcott 2005). A study found that the use of a facilitator within a healthcare team to guide people and help promote reflective practi ce was very beneficial to the team. The time spent on reflection was said to have enhanced critical thinking, professionalism, making decisions and being able to challenge things they were not in full agreement with (Mann, Gordon et al. 2009). The use of a reflective practice facilitator provides a systematic and constant reminder to practitioners of the importance and benefits which this tool can give in work life. The facilitator provides an outlet for relevant and knowledgeable advice in what a practitioner may perceive as being a difficult circumstance. This study suggests that reflective practice has a positive impact on clinical skills and professional practice. Another study found that within the format of a meeting environment consisting of health professionals, reflective practice was influenced by five factors. The first factor which influenced reflective practice was that too much structure in a meeting lowered the ability to reflect. Secondly the level of interest a prof essional has in reflection, the more interested being better reflectors. Meetings in which people have certain roles and consist of tasks do not provide ideal for reflection. A pressurised environment where a professional is obliged to complete tasks, was shown to prevent reflective capabilities also (Heel, Sparrow et al. 2006). It would be nieve and absurd to remove structure from this mode of reflection, as the KPI targets reinforce good reflection methods. . Reflective practice has been proven to be an important tool in developing clinical skills and professional development. All studies had a similar agreement that reflective practice is good but the method of reflecting varied. Reflective practice has to be carried out from student to professional level. Reflection was said to increase confidence, decision making, motivation and professionalism (Clouston, Westcott 2005). There were no studies found that measured the effectiveness of reflective practice, perhaps this is an area where more research is needed. Another area that no research was located on was bad experiences of reflective practice. Further study into these areas could give more insight into how beneficial reflection is.

City Life vs Country Life

Today the city life is more and more stressful, by the minute, however the people who were born and raised in the country are coming to the city, but which is better? It depend on the likes and necessities of that particular person, he or she may only be in the city because they can find much more entertainment and facilities. Meanwhile the country?s advantage consists on the calm and relaxation that it offers to us. For this and more reasons these two places are completely different. To start off the difference between these two places is the nature. In the country everything is natural; there are hardly any buildings, up to now making it difficult to destroy the ecosystem and pollute the nice luxurious air. In the city on the other hand, it is very difficult to see a lot if any trees or a forest area, a fact is that we can see a lot of buildings, smudge, and pollutions. As a result, natural areas are reduced, something that really affects our ecosystem, in the most atrocious way. I’d take the country in this point any day and twice on Sunday. Another difference is the distance between places. In the country people are used to walking to go from place to place over long distance, which is good because it is a great healthy benefit, also in the country traffic jams do not exist. So if you wanted to drive anywhere it’ll take you 30 minutes instead of the 3 hours in the city. Because of the 5:00 rush hour in the city, in which in my most humble opinion is not fun to be in trust me I’ve had my fair share of them. Again the country takes the cake. The next difference is the lifestyle. In the country, people can have a healthier lifestyle. Because of the farming, and there is a very calm place and people have more relaxing situations. However in the city people are always in a hurry rushing from place to place. Nobody has any time to do anything anymore. Nevertheless any of these options to live can be the best according to people's plans; also it depends on the ideas and jobs of everyone. If they want to relax and let pain just melt away the country is the way to go. But if they prefer a busier schedule and more variety on entertainment, the city no matter how messed up it is the thing for you. City Life vs Country Life Today the city life is more and more stressful, by the minute, however the people who were born and raised in the country are coming to the city, but which is better? It depend on the likes and necessities of that particular person, he or she may only be in the city because they can find much more entertainment and facilities. Meanwhile the country?s advantage consists on the calm and relaxation that it offers to us. For this and more reasons these two places are completely different. To start off the difference between these two places is the nature. In the country everything is natural; there are hardly any buildings, up to now making it difficult to destroy the ecosystem and pollute the nice luxurious air. In the city on the other hand, it is very difficult to see a lot if any trees or a forest area, a fact is that we can see a lot of buildings, smudge, and pollutions. As a result, natural areas are reduced, something that really affects our ecosystem, in the most atrocious way. I’d take the country in this point any day and twice on Sunday. Another difference is the distance between places. In the country people are used to walking to go from place to place over long distance, which is good because it is a great healthy benefit, also in the country traffic jams do not exist. So if you wanted to drive anywhere it’ll take you 30 minutes instead of the 3 hours in the city. Because of the 5:00 rush hour in the city, in which in my most humble opinion is not fun to be in trust me I’ve had my fair share of them. Again the country takes the cake. The next difference is the lifestyle. In the country, people can have a healthier lifestyle. Because of the farming, and there is a very calm place and people have more relaxing situations. However in the city people are always in a hurry rushing from place to place. Nobody has any time to do anything anymore. Nevertheless any of these options to live can be the best according to people's plans; also it depends on the ideas and jobs of everyone. If they want to relax and let pain just melt away the country is the way to go. But if they prefer a busier schedule and more variety on entertainment, the city no matter how messed up it is the thing for you.

“A Visit to Grandmother” and “My Father Sits in the Dark” Essay

Family is group of persons closely related by blood. As children, parents raise and teach values and many important lessons of life to innocent youngsters. As adults, each individual still calls his or her family members when the individual had a bad day or needs someone to talk to. However, despite how close a family is, family members still encounter problems communicating with each other. For example, in both stories, â€Å"A Visit to Grandmother† by William Melvin Kelley and â€Å"My Father Sits in the Dark† by Jerome Weidman, the characters dealt with communication problems within their families. In the story, â€Å"A Visit to Grandmother,† Chig and his father, Charles, decided to go back home to visit their family. When Chig and Charles arrived home, Charles’ family was ecstatic to see him and they started reminiscing about the old times. During this visit, Charles realized how his lack of communication had caused him years of separation from his family. Additionally, in â€Å"My Father Sits in the Dark,† the main character was curious about why his father often sat alone in the darkness staring at the corner. From this story, we can see how the father and son’s relationship progressed. From my experiences, language and cultural differences can also destroy a family’s relationship. Families may encounter many relationship problems due to a lack of communication. A family will fall apart when family members do not converse with each other frequently. Nowadays, people are so occupied with their lives that people do not even have time to sit at the dinner table to enjoy a family dinner. People often feel that it is difficult to find time to spend with family members. For example, in the story â€Å"A Visit to Grandmother,† Charles’s mother failed to divide her time equally between her children. Charles felt unloved as his mother usually spent more time and energy on GL, Charles’ brother. At the age of fifteen, Charles left his family because he thought â€Å"nobody loved [him]† (453). During Charles’ visit back home, he accused his mother of playing favorites with his brother. However, contrary to what Charles thought, his mother explained, â€Å"I paid more mind to GL. I had to. GL could-a ended up swinging if I hadn’t. But you was smarter†¦and I tried to show you that by letting you do what you wanted to do† (465). In this argument, Charles finally confronted his mother about his feelings towards her past actions. This confrontation revealed the problems of their  relationship, which is lack of communication. Since Charles grew up in a big family, he was unable to receive the same attention as his siblings. This misunderstanding would never have occurred if Charles and his mother had talked more frequently. Nevertheless, as family members spend more quality time together, their bonds will strengthen and the family will be more unified. Open and honest communication can resolve a lot of family relationship troubles. By talking, family members can express their troubles, interests, and love for one another. Effective communication is the key aspect to maintain a strong and healthy family. For example, in the short story, â€Å"My Father Sits in the Dark,† the author, Weidman, introduced to the readers a relationship where communication brings the father and son’s relationship together. The narrator noticed that his father likes to sit alone in the dark. On multiple occasions, the narrator asked his father why he does not turn on the lights. After persistent questioning, the narrator’s father finally answered, â€Å"I can’t get used to lights. We didn’t have lights when I was a boy in Europe. (210)† By talking to his father, the son found out that the reason that his father likes to sit in the dark is because his father is not use to artificial lights. Afterwards, the narrator felt content that his father was able to share with him his past. â€Å"My heart skips a beat and I catch my breath happily. I begin to think I understand,† thought the son gladly (211). The relationship between the father and son had developed because they were able to communicate with each other. The son communicated with his father effectively and was finally able to understand the reason his father sat quietly in the darkness. Listening is also a part of communication. The son cared about his father and took time out of his life to learn more about his father. The son felt satisfied that he and his father can talk and share stories and memories with each other. Without communication, family members are not able to understand each other and thus are secluded to their own world. Sometimes, communication problems can occur between parents and children because of language and cultural communication differences. For instance, my family immigrated to the United States when I was eight years old. As I grew  up in the United States, I became influenced by the American culture. By coming here at such a young age, my Chinese deteriorated; consequently, I found it hard to communicate with my parents. I remember one Friday night as I was watching â€Å"Friends† on television; my father came over and started watching with me. However as the show progressed, my father did not understand the plot, so he left to watch his Chinese news. When he abandoned me, I felt unworthy. I realized that he did not understand the show but I wished that he would have stayed to enjoy my company. However, instead of telling him that, I just kept the feeling buried inside of me. Even today, my father and I do not communicate as much as I would like to. My poor Chinese and his poor English prevent us from becoming very close. Communication in a family is a key aspect to the unity of the family. Every family encounters communication problems. In â€Å"A Visit to Grandmother,† Charles’ mother explained that she loves him as much as she loves GL. However, Charles still had a hard time believing his mother and accepting her explanation. Charles will never forgive her, because she is â€Å"thirty years too late. (491)† In this case, Charles and his mother both have faults. Charles could have shared with his mother what was bothering him; Charles’ mother could have spent more quality time with Charles. When communication is scarce in a family, family members have no way of understanding each other’s problems and thoughts. Meanwhile, in the short story, â€Å"My Father Sits in the Dark,† at first the father was reluctant to share with his son his past. However, only after communicating, the son was able to understand the truth. Family adds stability to a person’s life. Family is a place of warmth and comfort, which can not be easily substituted by other places. Without communication, family connection can be easily destroyed and family relationship can be separated. From my own life, I do not understand my father because we don’t communicate regularly. Only with each family member’s inputs and efforts in communicating with each other, positive family relationship can be built and maintained.

Book Review Refugee, By Alan Gratz - 791 Words

Fiction Novel Proposal Book title Refugee Copyright Date 2017 Author Alan Gratz Number of pages 317 Subgenre Fictional Drama Plot Summary Refugee is about a boy named Mahmoud and his family. Refugee is written by Alan Gratz and begins in the Middle East and ends in Europe. The trouble starts when their house in Aleppo, Syria is destroyed by a missile, and they are forced to find a home elsewhere. They decide to make the treacherous journey to Germany. On their way they have to make life and death decisions and have to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the countries welcome Mahmoud and his family, but on their way through Hungary, they were beaten and harmed by tear gas. This book has many turns in it. For example, while trying†¦show more content†¦When one boat passes them, Mahmoud stops it and gives Hana to them (183). When they reach the mainland Mahmouds mother searches for days and never finds Hana. The conflict is resolved when Mahmoud finishes his journey to Germany. Once in Germany Mahmoud finds a safe home to live in while, his family gets back on their feet. Characters Mahmoud is a round, dynamic character who is natural leader and courageous. When faced with scenarios that he never should have been faced with, he handles them well. For example when the boat that he was in sunk, he was able to keep his mom and sister afloat for several hours. When Mahmoud breaks out of the Croatian refugee camp he leads all of the other refugees to Austria. Even though he is the youngest in his family he is the only one making the proper desicions.At the beginning he was the average boy and at the end of the book he was more of an adult. He affects the books outcome by leading his family throughout the book. He also never allows his family to give up. Theme One theme in Refugee is that it’s possible to survive against all odds.If they say the wrong answer they would be shot (97). Even though they say the right answer ten minutes into the drive their car is shot (103).For example, when they are close to freezing they barely survive by shining their iPhones at the coast guard ship (197). This theme is also shown when they have guns put to their heads