Reflection Using Gibbs Cycle - Essay Example

? REFLECTION USING GIBBS CYCLE - DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR ACADEMIC LEARNING SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE IN PRACTICE DURING 3RD YEAR Task: Reflection using Gibbs Cycle - development of your academic learning skills and experience in practice during 3rd year Description In my third year, I learned communication skills. Under that, I wrote many essays and exam skills for critical appraisal to test my writing skills. I also did verbal communication tests through one-on-one discussions, discussions in my group, and I talked in front of a group. Moreover, I did note making to test my listening skills. Throughout the session, I did various presentations using PowerPoint to horn my visual skills. Ethical issues were also part of communication that I learned. Numeracy was part of module seven and the activities entailed gathering and recording data, understanding research data, drug calculation, and general mathematics. The activities involved in developing IT skills in module seven were word processing, blackboard discussion, searching Databases, Emailing, and the use of the internet. Additionally, throughout the model, I developed learning skills by engaging in activities like literature search, use of literature and research, summarizing information, time management, self-evaluation, and working to deadlines. The model also helped me to know ways of working with others. I now comprehend the role of multi-disciplinary team and negotiating in teams. Feelings At first, it could not see the significance of skills in nursing. However, after meeting severally with my personal tutor, I acknowledged the importance of skills in supporting my transition into the role of a staff nurse. Evaluation Achievement in developing communication was evident through passing the test, but I failed my oral exam due to anxiety and panic. I also did not do well in exam techniques and I will improve by meeting in groups to share knowledge and read individually for six hours. In the first attempt, I failed drug calculation but I improved by doing weekly practice. This was achieved at a 100 percent on my second attempt. To advance critical thinking skillfulness, I read more books and attended tutorial. I achieved 54 percent in research and 50 percent in the dissertation and this was a good achievement in the critical appraisal skills. How the development will supports my transition into the role of nursing (Analysis) Communication The good communication skills that I developed during the module will help me when shifting from a student to a staff nurse. The written communication proficiency will help me in my career as a nurse because I will need to write clear instructions for the patient to understand. Through the development of the communication skills, I will efficiently communicate verbally in formal and informal way. This will helps me as a staff nurse when making presentations in formal meetings and in my peer work groups. Listening skills will be an important attribute, which will help me as a nurse to assist in getting patients to value me. This is because listening will be a way of showing my interests in what the patients will say. Listening skills is always associated with humility rather than talkativeness. It can be empathetic and therefore therapeutic (Debnath, 2009, p152). Numeracy Numeracy skills will also help me in my nursing profession. The drug calculation skills that I acquired in module seven will increase my competency. Through that skill, I will not make dose errors. It is essential for nurses to be able to make accurate calculations of medicine doses and to be fully conversant with the component of drugs in current use. Nurses should have an understanding of formulae for complex calculations. This enables them to direct the correct quantity and volume of the drugs. Incorrect drug computations can cause mistakes in prescription and harm patients. Drug computation skillfulness will therefore enable me to give right ratios, percentages, fractions and be able to interpret information found in clinical areas into drug calculations. In numeracy, I learned to collect and record data. This will support my transition into the role of a nurse staff in that, it will enable me to collect and record the basic patients’ biographic data. From the collected and recorded data, I can provide background about the illnesses. I will congregate and documet data through observations and using the four physical examination techniques like assessment, percussion, and auscultation. I will also be able to record the Patients’ Heath Data, which is the document that have information about what other health care experts, observe about patients. Data recording skillfulness that I acquired during the module will be assisting me in my entire nursing tasks since I will be able to provide data for all other members of the health care team (Weber & Kelley, p 4). IT skills The model has made me to comprehend IT skills. This has made it an advantage in using word processing, blackboard discussion, searching Databases, and use of internet. The IT skills will make me not to have fear or anxiety regarding the use of computer. Nurses should be able to use a word-processing package because of the huge amount of information created in the medical settings. The skills will be essential in locating, getting, and assessing clinical information. The most critical technology skills of the entry-level nurses are those involved in knowing nursing-specific software like computerized documentation and medical dispensing. The IT skills will help me sustain my specific area of practice. They will enable me to make judgments based on trends of data in addition to cooperating with informatics nurses in the improvement of nursing systems. Additionally IT skills are important in nursing healthcare environments because it helps in theorizing and recording of patients care. The skills will help me whenever information processing is complicated. Nursing classificatory systems are computerized efforts to homogenize the language of nursing in order for it to be accessible to others in the healthcare team. It is vital to have IT skills because computerized patients’ records are now common features in many clinics, and are used to input data on the patients’ care (Manson-Whitehead & Mason, 2007, p. 50). Learning skills I also acquired learning skills, which will support my transition since it will enable me to use literature and researches. It will also enable me to summarize information and manage time. I will have an advantage of working to deadline. I have the capacity to make lucid choices by thinking, scrutinizing and generating information. Moreover, the learning skills have increased my ability to generate new ideas, which will be essential in my transition into the role of a staff nurse. Time managing is important for nurses. I can perform a procedures quickly and this will help in my overall time management and more importantly, I will also help the patients. For instance if a certain procedure is uncomfortable, I will take a short time to perform and therefore patients will be uncomfortable only for a short time. By performing task more quickly, I can meat deadlines and I can be free to plan for all the needs of patients. As part of the learning skills, I developed the capability of being self-critical. Through critical thinking, I will be able to understand situations through the recognition of patterns or connections, and focus on the major underlying issues. I will then incorporate them into a theoretical framework. Moreover, it will enable me to use professional experience, innovativeness, and inductive analysis that will lead to solutions that may not be easily identified. Critical thinking enables one to be willing to explore and have openness to a different way of seeing things. Through critical thinking, I will be able to analyze, make decisions, and draw conclusions. I can also create understanding through my knowledge by exploring potential alternatives. My critical thinking abilities will also help me as a staff nurse in complicated problem tackling circumstances since it will provide an opportunity to step back, and think about how problem-solving strategies are used for achieving goals (Masters, 2009, p 192). Working with others During my second registration training, I also learned to work with others in teams. Currently, teamwork in the health care system has increased recognition especially for certified nurses. Through teamwork, I can function as a unit with other nurse, and this will make job to be easer and efficient. Furthermore, the patients’ care will be enhanced. When teamwork is promoted in nursing, all members work harder to meet the patients’ needs. Teamwork also has helped many health care organizations to upgrade. Teamwork will be an important component in my profession. When I feel that I am part of a unit, I will improve the outcome of a group project. Therefore, teamwork will help in supporting my transition into a staff nurse since this profession mandates teamwork and effective communication (Kelly, 2009, p. 124). Conclusion After doing the skills assessment, I saw the need to increase my confidence. My anxiety level and panic that I experienced during the presentation exam needs controlling. After failing my oral exam, I am hoping to upgrade and pass my next exam. My goal is therefore to upgrade my communications proficiency further particularly my presentation skills. Moreover, I would like to develop numeracy and my research skills. Action Plan I recognized my weak areas in the Key skills audition section. These include exam techniques, presentation skills, and numeracy-drug calculation skills. Improving exam techniques can be simple if approached systematically. One has to learn the correct way for tackling each part of the exam and apply appropriate terminologies to avoid confusion. Before starting any examination, I will ensure I understand the context before planning how I will do the examination. I will always ensure that my response is informative and that I am answering the queries accordingly. I will then link my ideas effectively to avoid confusion. Moreover, I will be attending lectures three hours once a weak and participating in weekly tutorial with the opportunity to write care plans referring to scenarios and presenting them to the rest of the group once a week in a four hour tutorial. I will also be having meetings with my study group members weekly for four hours to discuss a different topic as per the module guide. Reading books like Baker (2009), Gamble and Brennan (2009) for three times a weak for 12 hours will also help me improve. Improving Presentation skills To upgrade my presentation skillfulness, I will use a camera and record my own speech several times until I feel I am acting natural. I will then study notes to familiarize myself with what I will present. When doing this, I will work tirelessly to initiate alterations that I feel I require. For example, I will be augmenting my confidence. It may feel strange and artificial but while engaging in divergent activities, I will be in control. Bearing in mind that I am solely responsible is the first step to improve my presentation skills. I will review my performance repeatedly until I find the style that looks and sounds the best to me. I will then improve my speed, articulation, and projection of my voice. I will keep on setting the camera and film myself many times until I am confident I can do the presentation with confidence in front of other people. Moreover, I will attend tutorials weekly and make comprehensive oral presentation care plan. Improving drug calculation skill Before beginning to put any form of practice, I will have to know my weak areas in numeracy. I will then adopt a systematic strategy to the improvement of my numeracy proficiency. To improve my drug calculation skills, I will do many tests to measure how effective I can function with numbers. Each time I set my self the tests, I will ensure that the computation involved in solving the numeracy problems are done quickly and accurately. For me to do this I must first ensure that I am able to do additions, subtractions, multiplication, and division of numbers correctly. The regular practice of by fundamental arithmetic skills will help me upgrade my performance when taking the major numeracy tests. I will be setting myself numeracy problems during my free time. I will ensure that I give myself feedbacks to check on the accuracy of my calculation. For this reason, it might be useful to carry a pocket calculator always in order to check if my answers to the problems I set myself are right. Furthermore, I will be logging into Authentic World Website for practice at least two hours per week. Learning skills for research To improve my learning skills for research, I will be attending research methods tutorial once a week for seven hours. I will also use search literature engines for literature search and data analysis. To ensure that I am achieving the goals I will be getting feedbacks from my tutor on formative presentations and discussion in tutorial as a group. List of References Debnath, R 2009, Professional Skills in Nursing: A Guide for the Common Foundation Programme. New York. SAGE Publications Ltd. Kelly, P 2009, Essentials of Nursing Leadership & Management. New York: NY. Cengage Learning. Mason-Whitehead, E, & Mason, T 2007, Study Skills for Nurses, New York, NY. SAGE. Masters, K 2009, Role Development in Professional Nursing Practice, New York, NY, Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Webber, R, & Kelly J 2009, Health Assessment in Nursing. New York, NY, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Read More