Health and Social Care

      REFLECTIVE BLOG ENTRY: USING REFLECTION AND CRITICAL THINKING TO ADDRESS HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE DILEMMAS AND SOLVE PROBLEMS IN MENTAL HEALTH   Description As a nurse, I recently provided care to a patient who was admitted with serious anxiety and depressive state. At some point during a shift, the patient became agitated, declined medication, stated that they had suicidal thoughts. Complications and stress were experienced as I tried to settle them down since there were other tasks needing attention. Particularly, with the help of a senior colleague, we averted the critical situation, but the forcefulness of the situation left me thinking over my mental health care approach. Feelings When the incident occurred, I felt helpless and frustrated that whatever I could do would not help the situation and this could aggravate the condition of the patient. The feeling of guilt appeared as I pursued the balance of activities fearing that I was not addr...

  📄 Reflective Entry 3 – Using Reflection and Critical Thinking to Solve a Dilemma Title: Reflective Entry 3 – Responding to a Public Dilemma with Reflection and Critical Thinking   1. Introduction Dilemmas are common in health and social care, where professionals often face competing responsibilities and limited time to act. This reflection explores a personal situation in which I faced an ethical dilemma involving a woman in distress and the safety of my children. I will examine the dilemma using both reflective practice and critical thinking to assess how I responded and how I could respond differently in the future.   2. The Dilemma While waiting at a bus stop in London with my children, I saw a woman who appeared confused and distressed. My instinct was to help, so I approached her. Unfortunately, the situation escalated — she became louder and more agitated. My children were frightened, and I felt torn between my responsibility to a stranger in need ...

  Reflective Blog – The Value of Critical Thinking in Practice Within my previous work, I realised the importance of critical thinking within the workplace. This is especially true of mental health sectors, as mental health is just as important as physical health and needs to be treated as such. Using the Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle was the best way to think analytically, in a methodical way (Gambrill and Gibbs, 2017). It spelt out each step of the thinking process, while highlighting flaws and improvements needed. This section will explore the value of critical thinking in practice, and ideal ways to apply this to everyday workplaces, from a mental health perspective. I wrote previously about how a family member of mine went through deep feelings of depression and explored how I dealt with this. I feel I dealt with it well, but I was not thinking about my actions as critically as might be needed. I responded with care and listened carefully, but I was not really thinking critically ...

  2nd reflective entry around the value and application of critical thinking in practice   What is critical thinking In a world filled with constant change, increasing complexity, and an overwhelming flow of information, critical thinking stands out as one of the most valuable skills any individual can develop. Whether navigating workplace challenges, making personal decisions, or interacting with the digital world, the ability to think critically helps us respond more thoughtfully and effectively. Critical thinking is the ability to analyse facts objectively, evaluate different perspectives, and make reasoned judgments free from bias, emotion, or assumption. (Facione2011) At its core, it’s about using logic and evidence to come to a thoughtful conclusion, rather than accepting information at face value, it involves several key components. (Lai, 2011)                      ...

    Reflective Blog Entry: The Value and Application  of Critical Thinking in a Mental Health Practice   Description During an activity in a recent situation where a mental health nurse was attending to a patient who had an acute episode of anxiety. The patient, who happened to be in shock during a consultation, did not wish to continue any further and the nurse was at loss of what to do next. I was the primary person to conduct the conversation on the assessment phase, to determine what was good and what should be done better. The teamwork was productive, although initially, some participants could not cope with the emotional presence of the situation, which is an indication of mental health practice.  Feelings Reading this situation evoked the feeling of empathy, as I remembered a placement where I helped a client with such anxiety symptoms. I was both frustrated and sympathetic towards the nurse because it is not an easy task to combine patien...

  Part 2 Reflective Entry 2 – Critical Thinking in Practice Title: Reflective Entry 2 – Using Critical Thinking to Navigate a Difficult Public Situation   1. Introduction In the fields of health and social care, where choices frequently have dire repercussions right away, critical thinking is crucial. It entails scenario analysis, alternative evaluation, assumption testing, and reasoned decision-making (Paul & Elder, 2014). In this reflection, I'll look at how, while taking care of my own kids, I used—or found it difficult to use—critical thinking in a stressful circumstance involving a disturbed woman in public.   2. The Situation While on holiday in London, I was at a bus stop with my children when I noticed a woman who appeared lost and was shouting. I felt compelled to help, believing I could calm her down. I approached her, but her reaction became more aggressive, which frightened my children. Feeling conflicted, I made the decision to move away...