Reflection on an Episode of Care in Clinical Practice (Coursework Sample)

Practice Reflection
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Introduction
Nurses have a general duty to assess patients, identify problem, and find solutions. Patients and their families value quality care and according to Vrijhoef (2021) patients strongly value the following quality aspects such as involvement in decision making, emotional support, respect, empathy, effective treatment, attention to needs, involvement and continuity of care. Nurses spend a lot of time with patients and subsequently affect their experiences of car. According to Collins (2022) when patients have positive nursing experiences nurses also experience positivity in their work environment. Any working environment must allow nurses achieve their personal satisfactions while challenging them to put into use their skills, expertise, and clinical knowledge. While offering services, nurses operate under a care plan which supposedly guides nurses focus on their patients in a holistic and big picture practice so they always offer evidence based and patient centered care. With a care plan it is easier to maintain continuity across the nursing shifts, build strong inter-professional collaborations, engage patients on a personal level, and comply with set medical and professional standards. In clinical practice, the five steps of care plan are: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. With reference to episode of care that occurred during my practice learning I will reflect on how I have developed my knowledge, skills, and confidence relating to decision making. My reflection is structured based on Rolfe et al. (2001) model of reflection: What; So, what; and now what. While giving my clinical reflection, total adherence to ethical codes of practice is fully adhered including those of patient’s confidentiality and privacy.
What?
In my first two months as a Core Trainee in an Arkansas hospital I was assigned with the responsibility of taking care of a dementia patient. The overall issue was that the patient was mostly confused due to his mental status. He was always forgetful and often times failed to take care of his personal hygiene and as a result. As assistant nurse taking instructions from the nurse, I ensured that the patients need were entirely addressed. At some point the patient made an allegation of physical assault against one visiting nurse. Even after the allegation the patient hardly remembers a thing making the whole event complicated. Due to his mental state, the