I have focused this reflection assignment on an issue I was faced with during my third year placement in an acute hospital on a surgical ward. I felt very uneasy and awkward throughout the entire experience. I have focused on one issue that stood out the most for me and discussed this in detail. The issue was that my communication skills were ineffective due inexperience. I had not dealt with a patient experiencing a miscarriage until this placement which made me feel unprepared. By reflecting on this issue and reading relevant literature on this topic I now feel that I am more informed which will be beneficial for future practice. I have used John’s model (2006) of structured reflection to guide me. For the purpose of maintaining patient
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I felt I did not communicate effectively with the patient during a difficult time. The atmosphere was tense in the room and perhaps saying the right thing may have helped but I did not know the right thing to say. I felt anxious not knowing how to console Teresa. This lack of confidence to communicate and deal with the situation made me uncomfortable and frustrated with myself .I felt uneasy leaving the room. I wished I had been more mentally prepared for the situation so I could have said something comforting and reassuring. I was dreading the next time I had to go into Teresa, as I did not know how to communicate with her and make it less …show more content…
This was apparent due to Teresa’s upset appearance and the likelihood that she had been crying. I sensed it was obvious to them that I was uncomfortable with the situation, which increased my uneasiness when in the room. I felt like I was wrong feeling awkward as they were experiencing possibly one of the worst days of their lives. As a student nurse I should have been a stronger support source. Although, nurses need to realise it is not realistic to think that they can resolve everything for suffering patient’s by communication alone. Once nurses understand this is not feasible then communication with patients should become easier. Merely knowing how to be compassionate, sympathetic and caring is necessary whilst communicating with patients experiencing difficulties such as Teresa’s. (McCabe and Timmins,
I felt I did not communicate effectively with the patient during a difficult time. The atmosphere was tense in the room and perhaps saying the right thing may have helped but I did not know the right thing to say. I felt anxious not knowing how to console Teresa. This lack of confidence to communicate and deal with the situation made me uncomfortable and frustrated with myself .I felt uneasy leaving the room. I wished I had been more mentally prepared for the situation so I could have said something comforting and reassuring. I was dreading the next time I had to go into Teresa, as I did not know how to communicate with her and make it less …show more content…
This was apparent due to Teresa’s upset appearance and the likelihood that she had been crying. I sensed it was obvious to them that I was uncomfortable with the situation, which increased my uneasiness when in the room. I felt like I was wrong feeling awkward as they were experiencing possibly one of the worst days of their lives. As a student nurse I should have been a stronger support source. Although, nurses need to realise it is not realistic to think that they can resolve everything for suffering patient’s by communication alone. Once nurses understand this is not feasible then communication with patients should become easier. Merely knowing how to be compassionate, sympathetic and caring is necessary whilst communicating with patients experiencing difficulties such as Teresa’s. (McCabe and Timmins,