Reflection In Nursing

Reflection is the process involved in making sense of events or situations which involves a thoughtful approach (Oelofsen, 2012). Professional values are extremely important in the nursing profession which allows a professional relationship to be made (Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC), 2010). In this assignment I am going to describe what professional values and relationships are, while using the reflective model Gibbs. I will draw my assignment to an end with a conclusion which will explain the importance of reflection in relation to professional values and relationships. My experience took place as a student nurse in an impatient respite unit for clients with severe to profound learning disabilities with medical needs or/and challenging behaviour.
Personal care can be a sensitive and embarrassing time for your patient, therefore maintaining dignity and respecting your client's choices are very important and help to maintain a professional relationship with your client (NHS choices, 2015). Dignity is about maintaining privacy and respecting individual rights to keep client's safe (Chambers and Ryder, 2009). NMC (2012) states that patients dignity must be maintained throughout their care, which includes basic needs such as food and drink, personal care and relief from pain. It was my responsibility throughout the experience to carry out the clients personal care in the most dignified way as possible. Chambers and Ryder, (2009) stated that nurses have a key duty in maintaining patients dignity which is an issue of paramount importance. I maintained dignity by having the bathroom door shut so no one else in the unit could see the client. Treating Mr Smith with dignity helped to develop a professional relationship because it increased the trust between both of us, as I made him feel as comfortable as I could and respected his human rights (Department Of Health, 2013). Due to the client having no verbal communication and a profound learning disability, I had to act as an advocate. Acting as an advocate in the nursing profession is about acting in your client's best interest which acts as a protection for the
Compassion is the essence of caring, which can be brought about by seeing someone in pain or distress and wanting to minimise their discomfort (Chambers and Ryder, 2009). In my experience I feel I showed compassion in the way I approached personal care with Mr Smith. I carried personal care in a way which I felt was best for Mr Smith and tried to make him feel comfortable by reassuring him throughout. Acting compassionately helped to develop a professional relationship because I put Mr Smith's needs first which meant all of his needs were seen to. It is a responsibility of the nurse to be compassionate which will increase the quality of care (Department of health, 2012). During a period of this experience me and the clinical support worker spoke to one another and not to Mr Smith. This did not contribute towards developing a professional relationship because Mr Smith could not get involved in are conversation due to his communication difficulties, which meant I did not make his needs paramount (NHS, 2012).

The fifth stage of Gibbs is the conclusion which is bringing your reflection together (Latrobe University, 2015). I feel this experience went well although there were things which could have been done to make the client more independent during personal care. This experience has shown me that this respite unit are using person centre care within every aspects of care, such as what they wash clients