Scenario
During
a placement, a student nurse secured a patient who had severe anxiety by
administering the incorrect dose of drugs. The patient was left unharmed;
however, the student reported the mistake and she was anxious and doubted about
her competence. A reflection cycle developed by Gibbs is a framework of drawing
experience analysis of scenario to best practice in the future (Markkanen et al., 2022).
Description
In
my placement in a mental health ward, I had the responsibility of giving
medicine to a patient in severe cases of anxiety. I was involved in an active
shift and grew distracted at one point as I miscalculated the dosage and
administered it. I understood what I have done wrong soon afterwards, but it
did not take me long to report this incident to my supervisor. The incident was
a rude shock and must have caused emotional distress to the patient but
fortunately, the patient demonstrated no adverse effects.
Feelings
The
first reaction was pure panic, with feelings of guilt that it might risk the
life of the patient and the consequences. I was afraid of losing faith in me or
in the future of a nurse in the eyes of my supervisor. When the patient
stabilized the panicked feeling was slowly substituted by relief but deep
anxiety of my abilities as a physician was there still so I questioned whether
I was ready to perform.
Evaluation
Most
of it was a negative experience because of my mistake which may have harmed the
patient. Nevertheless, my early reporting was a good result, a sign of
responsibility and the ability to follow ethical practice. One of the negative
aspects was the distraction in the course of the tasks, and it showed me that I
should be more focused. The positive reaction of my supervisor was a relief,
but also a revelation to my inabilities to handle medications under stress.
Analysis
The
mistake was due to multitasking with a busy shift, something that negatively
affected my focus. The reflection-in-action provided by Schon (1983) makes me
realize that I ought to have stopped to check the dosage during the process (Mulli, 2021). When it comes to
the importance of consideration of power dynamics, as it was noted by Sanders et al., (2022), my
self-doubt as a novice nurse contributed to the situation. My anxiety can be
characterized as the defended self that Ferguson, (2018) suggests to be a non-thinking that covers the
unbearable stress. As Casement recommends, supervision given would have
provided some safe platform to deal with these feelings, and this would have
improved my reflective practice (Shmukler,
2016).
Conclusion
This
experience highlighted the importance of self-awareness and emotional
intelligence (Howe, 2008) as the key in coping with stress in clinical
practice. One of the main lessons was my lost concentration, and it should be
mentioned that no matter how one tests, they should perform thorough
double-checking. The experience supported the belief that mistakes can also
lead to growth when they are tackled in a sensible way but it should be
accompanied with strategic ways of countering the occurrence. I understand the
importance of supervision as the means to help me become more resilient and
develop my skills.
Action Plan
My
personal improvement will include a checklist of medication administration,
which will prevent errors and will increase the accuracy rate. I will arrange
frequent meetings of supervision during which I will be able to talk about
difficulties and find coping strategies, according to the concept of
containment by Ruch (2007). I will also take a stress management workshop as a
way of boosting my level of concentration when under pressure. In such
misgivings in the future, do not hesitate to ask a colleague, I will put safety
of the patient first, and consider my own career progression. This active
practice will make me develop as a reflective and competent member of the
practitioner.
References
Ferguson, H. (2018). How social workers reflect
in action and when and why they don’t: The possibilities and limits to
reflective practice in social work. Social work education, 37(4),
415-427. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02615479.2017.1413083
Markkanen, P., Välimäki, M., Anttila, M., &
Kuuskorpi, M. (2020). A reflective cycle: Understanding challenging situations
in a school setting. Educational Research, 62(1),
46-62. https://www.utupub.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/166237/Final_version_Markkanen%2001012020%20(2).pdf?sequence=1
Mulli, J. M. (2021). Facilitating
Reflection-in-Action During High-Fidelity Simulation. https://prism.ucalgary.ca/bitstreams/11a8c243-7354-4859-a1f8-5af92e876e06/download
Ruch, G. (2007). Reflective practice in
contemporary child-care social work: The role of containment. British
Journal of Social Work, 37(4), 659-680.
Sanders, R., Lehmann, J., & Gardner, F.
(2022). Parents’ emotional responses to early parenthood. Journal of
Family Issues, 43(7), 1874-1897. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rachael-Sanders-2/publication/353031307_Parents'_Emotional_Responses_to_Early_Parenthood/links/6307175761e4553b9537e21d/Parents-Emotional-Responses-to-Early-Parenthood.pdf
Shmukler, D. (2016). Supervision in
psychoanalysis and psychotherapy: A case study and clinical guide.
Routledge.
Thanks for sharing such an honest and reflective post. I really admire how you used Gibbs' cycle to break down the situation and explore your feelings so openly. The way you connected theory—like Ferguson’s "defended self"—to your emotions was insightful and showed real self-awareness.
ResponderEliminarYour action plan is practical and shows you’re turning a tough experience into growth. I especially liked the focus on supervision and checklists—it’s a reminder that support and structure can make a big difference.
One small suggestion: it would be interesting to hear if you’ve had a chance to apply these new strategies since then. Overall, great reflection!
Beste regards
Deocilia Cravid
Thank you for sharing your true experience, really appreciate your honesty towards your supervisor and I like how you used the Gibbs cycle.. Well done to you!
ResponderEliminar