...such as ultrasound and electromyography, are performed. In addition, I was introduced to the many conditions diagnosed by these tests. I also learned about ECG interpretations of many cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Toma is specialized in pediatrics and internal medicine. Having the opportunity to shadow him helped me develop an appreciation for the role a physician plays in promoting the physical wellbeing of their patients. I observed him as he thoroughly and kindly informed his patients about their medical conditions and encouraged them to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The compassion he exhibited towards his patients made them feel appreciative and satisfied. I learned the importance of having a sincere interest in patient welfare. This experience was not only inspiring but also educational. I learned about the underlying causes of many diseases and their common treatments. The ARC presented me with many opportunities to make a difference in my community. I assisted the Volunteer Services Department with recruiting volunteers. I was also trained to serve as a Restoring Family Links caseworker. As a caseworker, I conducted intake interviews, entered clients' information into a database, and delivered ARC messages by phone and in person. Occasionally, I helped the Disaster Action Team as they responded to families affected by house fires. I also conducted fire safety canvassing and educated elementary school students about disaster preparedness. Educating about disaster prevention...
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...A clinical experience that stands out as significant is the day I had a pregnant patient in my chair. She was my first pregnant patient and I learned a lot in those two appointments. I learned that you should always be aware of the patient by asking how they are doing. Also, I learned that the chair should not be low or too high because it makes the patient feel uncomfortable. This patient stands out a significant because being a pregnant patient she had a lot of buildup on her lower anterior. I used the cavitron on her and everything went perfectly fine. My patient felt great afterwards. This is a learning experience because as a future hygienist I will be seeing patients who are pregnant and having her in my chair prepared me for what I am...
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...This has been the best clinical rotation and I owe a great deal of thanks to you for making it so memorable. There was a lot of new material to learn in this clinical experience that I was unfamiliar with but you took the time to let me learn and grow in the field. You have taught me so much and I cant thank you enough for everything. From week one, you let me follow you in all of your patient care so that I could learn through watching you. In the following weeks, you gracefully allowed me to take on responsibly within patient care and guided me along the way making sure things were done properly. As the weeks continued, my tasks grew and I began to learn the charting process. I was able to talk to you and ask questions freely without concern...
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...Are Clinical Psychologists simply expensive therapists? Discuss. Clinical Psychology is a combination of science, knowledge and theories which together formulate a scientific approach which enables a clinical psychologist to ask questions about the human experience and life and how these experiences affect people in order to treat them (Plante, 2010). The services of clinical psychologists and therapists are required when individuals are suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship and marital issues and deeper mental health issues which alter and have a negative effect on psychological well-being (Hunsley & Lee, 2010). Mental health statistics show that one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some course in a year with anxiety and depression being the most common in the UK so it is therefore no wonder that waiting lists for therapists and clinical psychologists are very long (Foundation, 2011). There are many debates as to whether clinical psychologists are simply expensive therapists because it has been argued that therapists and clinical psychologists offer very similar treatments, both of which are successful but with the only different being the price. This essay will investigate and aim to answer the question as to whether clinical psychologists are simply expensive therapists. This essay will look at what clinical psychologists do and who they work with and also what therapists do. It will focus on key differences...
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...This essay will discuss a clinical skill in which I have become competent in practicing. I will use a reflective model to discuss how I have achieved the necessary level of competence in my nurse training programme. The reflective model I have chosen to use is Gibbs model (Gibbs 1988). Gibbs model of reflection incorporates the following: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and an action plan (Gibbs 1988). The model will be applied to the essay to facilitate critical thought, relating theory to practice where the model allows. Discussion will include the knowledge underpinning practice and the evidence base for the clinical skill. A conclusion to the essay will then be given which will discuss my reflection skills, acknowledge my competence and show my personal and professional development. The clinical skill I have chosen to reflect on within this essay is the administration of Intramuscular (IM) injections. I have chosen this as within my first clinical placement this was a widely used method of drug administration and I became involved in the process of IM injections. I therefore researched the topic of IM injections and my knowledge within this area developed. The first stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection requires a description of events. I was asked to administer a drug to a patient via IM injection. I had observed this clinical skill on a variety of occasions and had previously administered an IM injection under supervision. On this occasion I...
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...The aim of this essay is to examine and reflect upon a case study regarding a patient, by focusing on a clinical decision that was made by the author. This particular case study is based around the clinical decision making process of a patient being admitted to hospital for a surgical procedure. A description of the clinical decision making process related to the case study will be addressed; other factors that influenced this process will also be analyzed. Finally, the author will reflect on the decision made using the Gibbs Reflective Cycle. All aspects of this essay will be analyzed and supported by current literature related to the topic. Clinical decision-making is an important skill for all nurses to have, as they are more likely to have a positive impact on patient outcomes (Furze, Nelson, O’Hare, Ortner, Threlkeld & Jensen, 2013). Clinical reasoning can be defined as a “ complex cognitive process that uses both formal and informal thinking strategies to gather and analyze patient information, evaluate the significance of this information and weight alternative options” (Lavote, Pepin & Boyer, 2013, p36). The clinical reasoning cycle is a multi-staged process that nurses and professionals use to “collect cues, process information, come to an understanding of a patient problem or situation, plan and implement interventions, evaluate outcomes, reflect and learn from the process” (Levett-Jones et al, 2010, p516). This eight-stage process may...
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...Introduction: In this essay, I will discuss several issues that seem to bind nursing practice with questions of ethics, sociology and management. Reflective practice is an important aspect of nursing management and in this essay we discuss implications of discrimination in nursing care and examine the importance of anti-discriminatory perspectives in nursing. In this paper, the case study I will elaborate is of an elderly woman who was of a non-British ethnic origin and spoke little English. A junior nurse visited her home to provide care but her attitude towards the patient has been discriminatory and abrupt, a situation that calls for serious reflection on the issues of racial discrimination at the clinical setting. The patient was apparently treated with leg ulcer. The questions that have to be considered here are: Where in the observation did discrimination occur and how this could have affected the delivery of care given? And how has discrimination influenced the lady’s care? The concept of anti-discriminatory practice as a contemporary issue within adult nursing is discussed here considering observational evidence and similar case studies. Reflection in Nursing: Reflective practice in nursing is guided by models of reflection. Reflective practice model serves as a framework within which nursing or other management professions can work. Reflective practice model is also a structural framework or learning model that serves the purposes of a profession and is particularly...
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...Inquiry into health care Assignment 1 This essay aims to thoroughly examine the importance of evidence-based practice within the health care setting. The use of evidence-based practice as a practical framework to locate, appraise and apply the best research will further discussed throughout this essay. In addition this essay will explore how health care professionals can use the five steps of evidence based practice (EBP) as a practical framework to overcoming barriers to locating, appraising and applying the best research evidence in relation to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). The use of hand washing in relation to infection control will be the OHS area explored. Evidence based practice is a framework that involves an expert finding experimental evidence concerning the value of or effectiveness of altered treatment options, the significance of this evidence is then established in relation to the patients situation (Liamputtong, 2010).Evidence Based Practice generates the need for clinically vital information regarding clinical and health care issues (Liamputtong, 2010). This clinically vital information is gathered by altering evidence into answerable questions, once this information is gathered the appraised information will be put into clinical practice and evaluated based on performance (Liamputtong, 2010). The importance of the five steps of Evidence Based Practice is consistent and conclusive. Before EBP, clinical knowledge was primarily relied on in areas where...
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...many positive experiences in my performance during this course such as the improvement of my English, the knowledge gained in the field of nutrition and legality, but my greatest satisfaction has been in clinical practice in the hospital assigned. I have experienced the importance of a proper performance of nursing technique in each of the procedures to be performed with the patients, the interest of nurses in training us and the gratitude of patients when we give them a quality service. It is extremely important to follow the steps in each nursing techniques because omit or used incorrectly can have negative consequences in the diagnosis, treatment and complications in the patient. Once, the equipment used in hospital to measure blood pressure did not work properly and it was necessary to use a conventional aneroid sphygmomanometer, the result was a significant difference in the patient's blood pressure due to an incorrect technique. Diastolic blood pressure was very high because they interpreted the change in tone of the last heartbeat and not its total disappearance as a reference in this data. In another case, a patient suffered a slight aspiration due to the angle used to raise the head of the bed was less than the appropriate while eating lunch. These experiences were used by nurses to discuss them later in a teaching exercise. So excellent nurses on duty explained to us in detail each of these techniques and their different experiences in the clinical setting. We had...
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...Contents Introduction ………………………………………………………………….Pages 2-3 Discussion…...…………………………………………………………………Pages 4-14 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………...Pages 15-16 References ………………………………………………………………….Pages 17-20 Introduction This essay aims to explore the processes of teaching, training and mentoring of adults. The setting in which this will be explored and linked to, will be one of nursing, although it is recognised that the fundamental theories explored may be applied to any setting where the teaching, training and mentoring of adults occur. The essay will explore the writer’s understanding regarding the role of a mentor within the workplace and the theoretical ties surrounding mentorship and how these are linked into the writer’s role of a mentor. Any names or areas of work mentioned in the essay have been changed in order to maintain confidentiality, clause five of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct: Standards for Conduct, Performance and Ethics (NMC 2004). The term ‘mentor’ is defined by the English National Board (ENB) and the Department of Health (DOH) to “denote the role of the nurse, midwife or health visitor who facilitates learning and supervises and assesses students in their practice setting” (ENB & DOH 2001a P6). Nicklin and Kenworthy (2000) define a mentor as someone who by example and facilitation guides, assists, and supports the student in learning new skills, adopting new behaviour and acquiring...
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...The purpose of this essay is to critically explore and discuss the holistic care and management of a chosen patient from a recent clinical placement. The patient which has been chosen has had an exacerbation of a chronic problem. Management options which are or have been available to the designated nurse will be critically discussed alongside the justification of the plan of care which will or has been implemented. The role of the registered nurse in relation to safe and effective decision making will be explored. A discussion of the decision making process which has been chosen for the patient will be noted and this will be related to known theoretical models of clinical decision making. It will also critically examine the importance of managing risk in health care to enhance the patient care and outcomes and this will be related to the chosen patient and clinical scenario. Finally it will also critically appraise the evidence base that supports the discussion. The chosen patient is a 42 year old male who has been admitted to the current clinical placement, which is the local spinal injuries centre, after numerous complaints of recurrent urinary tract infections. All patient identifiable information has been changed to protect the patients’ identity in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery (NMC) guidelines regarding confidentiality (NMC, 2004). Mr Scott had previously been an inpatient to the Spinal Unit following a road traffic accident in September 2004, the outcome...
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...David Sackett. EBP is “the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patient. It means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research.” (Sackett D, 1996) Defining what is meant by EBP allows this essay to discuss the controversies and key debates surrounding the use of EBP in nursing practice. These include ethical concerns, reliability, and validity as well as collection on of...
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...Communication is a key skill for any health care professional, but for nurses, we ‘are in an occupation that has interpersonal communication at its core. Virtually all nursing work revolves around the need for nurses to be effective communicators, whether relating to colleagues or with service users. (Morrall 2001). This essay seeks to discuss an evidence based experience learnt in clinical practice. For the purpose of this essay the author has chosen communication skills, since it is the basis for which verbal, non verbal and written ideas are conferred among the nursing staff. Some key policies and evidence taken from (research evidence or from this essay) will be identified and discussed. It also seeks to conclude with a general analysis from the overall main findings of this essay. The National Midwifery Council (NMC) (2008) state that nurses must take part in appropriate learning and practice activities that maintain and develop their competence and performance. As a nurse in training, I had been given the opportunity to complete a four weeks placement in a rehabilitation unit. The services provided included the admission of patients requiring rehabilitation therapy and specialist nursing attention. I was elected by my mentor to sit in their weekly review meeting consisting of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) in order to facilitate my learning objectives. As a student my role was to observe how the MDT addressed, planned and implemented patient care. This was necessary...
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...whether aware of it at the time or not. An example of this might be driving a car along a regular route and arriving at the destination with no memory of the journey, having performed the activity safely and reliably while in another sense being quite detached from the experience. This altered level of consciousness is the starting point for the hypnotic process through an induction which focuses on relaxation, inner experiences, feelings and imagery (Heap & Naish, 2012: 7). It is generally accepted that hypnosis is a different experience to that of being awake or being asleep but debate remains over its true nature within academic and scientific circles (Karle & Boys, 2010:14). This essay will discuss the nature of hypnosis, focusing on the psychological and physical aspects while touching on the role of relaxation. Hypnosis is a complex psychological phenomenon and one which is difficult to find an agreed definition for. Indeed the American Psychological Association definition of hypnosis in 2003 is almost 300 words long but centres around hypnosis being a procedure of suggestions where one person (the subject) is guided by the other (the hypnotist) to respond to suggestions around subjective experience, changes in perception, sensations, thoughts or behaviours (Green et al, 2005). Hypnosis has also been helpfully and simply described as “focusing the attention in the suggested direction” (Mende, 2009) where the direction is one that supports health and well-being...
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...term ‘mentor’ denotes “A nurse, midwife or specialist community public health nurse who facilitates learning and supervises and assesses students in a practice setting”, (Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) 2005). The essay will explore the role of the mentor in the field of nursing, with personal reflection on the authors experience as a mentor in my current role as a community mental health nurse (CMHN). The mentor-mentee learning relationship will be explored and the application of teaching and learning strategies will be examined. The essay will also discuss the responsibility of the mentor in relation to self, others and the professional agenda and will analyse current assessment procedures for nursing students. Following a student journey, the essay will consider how the mentorship process can be improved in the clinical practice environment. In recent years, the National Health Service has undergone huge modernisation and consequently, the preparation of nurses for the future has changed to reflect its new principles. The change in organisational and educational philosophies in teaching nursing has lead to a search for effective strategies that are directed towards making the most of human potential and learning in practice. The clinical experience of nursing students is widely acknowledged as being one of the most important aspects of their educational preparations (English National Board (ENB) & Department Of Health (DOH) 2001a). It is during practice placements...
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