Administering a Subcutaneous Injection-at Level 5 - Essay Example

Task Administering A Subcutaneous Injection-At Level:5 Introduction The aim of this essay is to give an account of my experiences in administering a subcutaneous injection at a local hospital. It also aims at describing the learning theories that were applicable to me while in the field. This occurred during my service to their patients and in the gaining of knowledge during my practices at the hospital. The main purpose for choosing this topic was because I wanted to enhance my learning and have been greatly fascinated by the practices in the discipline. The subcutaneous injection that I administered was for insulin which an elderly patient at the hospital required. The participants in the activity were my lecturer who acted as the lone examination officer, one elderly patient and I, the learner being examined. I choose this particular topic since many people are currently suffering from diabetes and I would really like to give them an insight of how these injections are administered. I learnt how to perform the operation through my theory classes in school and from observing how professionals in the field performed it. I was at first nervous before I began the operation but on repeatedly watching other professionals perform it and occasionally being involved I have in turn gained confidence. During the course of my practice I have not treated other ailments but have participated in caring for the patients who suffer from them. The activities I have assisted them in include cleaning themselves, feeding some of them and following up on whether they are correctly taking their prescribed medications. At first, I had to observe the patient in question to determine whether his disease symptoms called for the injection. After determining that it was the right thing for me to do, I had to obtain the patients consent to begin the process. I then wore my apron for the purpose of protecting my clothes from any spillages that would accidentally have fallen on my clothes. I washed my hands and positioned my patient on an appropriate chair so that I could effectively start administering the injection. The process involved selecting the most appropriate site to inject and was done once the doctor had also certified that the patient required the injection. The process of injecting the patient began by cleaning up the selected area with a swab of alcohol and ensuring that the needle had no air bubbles. I then inserted the needle at an angle of ninety degrees into the patient’s body. This was done gently to ensure that no unnecessary pains and harm was caused to the elderly patient. I then pushed the syringe’s plunger in so that I could effectively deliver the medication to the old man. After ensuring that the medication had all entered into the patient’s body, I then rubbed his skin for the purpose of ensuring that all the medication had been dispersed. After completing the process, I removed my gloves and the used syringes dumping them in the waste bins while at the same time disposing the needle in the sharps bin. This was done to ensure that no other patients or nurses would have used the needle to inject themselves once again. I later on cleaned my hands after all the disposals had been made. This was done to ensure that I got rid of any infections, bacteria’s and any other disease causing organisms that would have accidentally infected me. However, during the injection’s session, I was able to learn that when injecting younger adults the needle carrying the medication needs to be inserted into the skin at forty five degrees. This is done for the purpose of avoiding injecting the patient’s muscle tissues with the medication. The most preferred sites for injecting the insulin dose into a patient are the upper arm areas, thighs, buttocks and the abdomen. The administrator of an injection or at times the patient chooses his or her preferred area of injecting the needles. Examples Of Learning Theories The behavioral, cognitivism and constructivism enabled the development of knowledge in my episode of learning (Johns, 2005). I chose these learning theories since they would have given me greater insights on the problems patients were encountering. This was unlike other theories which would not have been applicable in my field of study. This was because they don’t help in disclosing certain concealed problems the patients face. The behavioral theories introduced by Skinner suggested that every action that people perform should be regarded as forming their behaviors (Bandura, 1986). They additionally suggested that psychological behaviors are better treated when the environment has been modified, or behavioral patterns have been altered (Taylor, 2006). This theory assisted me in discovering that the patients suffering from diabetes require to have changes in their behaviors along with their food consumption patterns (Burnard, 2002). Through the learning theories I was able to learn on the use and applicability of various learning styles such as the use of questionnaires used in the Honey and Mumford style of learning in determining a patient’s needs. This should be done for the purpose of ensuring that their medication is properly working as a result of having low cholesterol levels (Taylor, 2006). The proponent of this theory, Skinner, additionally suggests that the processes found these within organisms also contribute to their behaviors (Bandura, 1986). A person suffering from diabetes usually suffers from many ailments that include hypertension and dizziness that result in general body weaknesses (Johns, 2005). This behavioral changes enabled me to discover many of the symptoms diabetes patients suffer from just by observing many of them for the period I dealt with them (Burnard, 2002). According to the author Bandura, the theory on behaviorism focuses on the process of learning by making observations in the patient’s behavior along with any changes in their behaviors (1986). The author of the theory, Skinner, suggests that when a person performs an act and its consequences are reinforcing then he will most likely repeat it (Johns, 2005). This happened to be true too in my case since my I made my discovery that the diabetes patients who have been injecting insulin into their bodies do not fear the needles. This was because they had already become fond of using them in their daily routines. The diabetes patients also travel with their insulin kits in case of any emergencies (Taylor, 2006). The author Bandura also argues that people are likely to follow the behaviors of others if such behaviors are usually rewarded. This happened to be true in the hospitals situation as I learnt that newer patients of the disorder copied what the older patients were doing (Bandura, 1986). This is because they witnessed the relief that they had after injecting the insulin shots in their bodies. The new patients also stopped eating foods that had high cholesterol levels on seeing the older patients abstaining from them and the effect of their disease symptoms decrease (Burnard, 2002). The classical conditioning theories introduced by Pavlov that emphasize on the concepts of reflex learning processes, I was able to acquire knowledge on several factors that make a patient to respond to various stimuli. The diabetes patients that I was treating always responded with a sigh of relief when he saw me approaching with insulin shot in my hand (Johns, 2005). This resembles the concepts that Pavlov emphasizes in his theory (Sehr, 2007). The proponent of the classical conditioning concept carried out several experiments with dogs to ascertain how they would respond (Bandura, 1986). His experiments involved bringing meat to the dogs at a certain prescribed time of the day by calling them with a ringing bell. He always rang the bells just before meal time and the dogs would start salivating when they heard the bell and saw the meat (Johns, 2005). Eventually, the dogs started salivating on hearing the bells even if they had not smelt nor seen any meat. This experiment was a success in showing how organisms learn to respond to various stimuli within their surroundings. In the same way, after treating the patient for a few days I was able to learn that whenever he saw me hold a syringe he would feel some relief come to him (Johns, 2005). This is because the shot I administered to him brought a lot of relief to him. The theory thus enabled me to discover that patients also respond to certain stimuli than others depending on the deficiencies they are suffering from. This theory of learning was vital in enabling me to discover the periods of time when the patients required urgent health care for their problems. The constructivism theory was proposed by several writers including John Dewey and Herbert Simon (Johns, 2005). It states that knowledge is usually generated among humans by their interactions with their experiences and ideas (Burnard, 2002). They argued that when a person undergoes the processes of assimilation along with accommodation he or she is able to gain newer knowledge from the experiences (Bandura, 1986). The process of assimilation enables patients to incorporate these new experiences into their existing frameworks without altering or changing them (Johns, 2005). I was able to learn a lot through my assimilation into the hospitals especially on patients suffering from diabetes as justified by the theory. During my brief interaction with the diabetic patients in the hospital, I was able to observe that they slowly change their diets to accommodate the complications of the disease with little effort. This is because of the diets they are served with, and the close follow ups on their eating habits (Sternberg andZhang, 2009). The theory also stipulates that the patients will learn the process of how to reconstruct their mental pictures so that they fit the new experiences they are encountering (Bandura, 1986). As a result of the learning theory, I was able to discover that diabetic patients within the hospital environment were finding it normal to inject themselves regularly and eat specially prepared foods. The theory of constructivism suggests that the learners in various environments usually construct new concepts and ideas through the two processes of accommodation along with assimilation (Taylor, 2006). The concept explores factors that are beyond learning through the brain. These concepts include issues such as the patients reasoning ability, their contemplations along with reflections (Bulman and Schutz, 2008). They emphasize that an individual’s understanding and thinking capabilities usually play a vital role in enabling them to adapt to newer situations whenever faced by unfamiliar situations (Burnard, 2002). During the period, I attended the patients, I discovered that patients who had a high ability to comprehend issues had more ease when accepting their health conditions (Bandura, 1986). The other patients who had smaller understanding abilities had to attend counseling sessions to help them cope with their medical conditions. Another theory that helped me in acquiring knowledge in the course of my activities in the hospital was the humanistic theory. The theory was proposed by the author Burnard who stated that “I cannot make you learn, I can only create an environment in which one might want to learn” (2002). This theory was vital since I had been placed in an environment where I would be able to get first hand information from the patients’ experiences. The patients who were being diagnosed with the ailment could be able to learn various first aid methods that the older patients were using. This environment enabled them to acquire new skills in controlling their ailments and their daily diets (James, 1987). The consequences of not abstaining from foods that had high cholesterol levels were clear to patients who were being admitted in the hospital. According to the hierarchy of needs proposed by Maslow, a patient’s needs vary from the least important to the most important. The lower level needs are the most necessary for their survival, whereas the higher needs are considered to be comfort needs and come secondary to the lower needs (Burnard, 2002). The hierarchy enabled me to learn that humans are more concerned with satisfying the most important needs first before attending to the others (Palmerand Burns, 1994). This is because many patients had left their daily duties due to the fact that many of them were encountering problems with their health. They were incapable of performing their daily activities due to the complications that came with the disease. In addition, the humanistic concepts emphasize that learners usually require the empowerment by their facilitators and ought to have control on their learning processes (Bandura, 1986). It says that the interruptions that occur in the course of their learning processes help in supporting their workers to develop some sense of self-esteem (Johns, 2005). My duties of attending to the patients enabled me to learn that patients who observed what the older patients were doing were often confused with people who had the intentions of copying their activities. I acquired vital knowledge in discovering that the process of observational learning is not always right because the wrong behaviors may be adopted. Through the humanistic notion, I was able to get the knowledge concerning the high values that drive the profession. I was also able to uphold them when providing service to patients who happened to be having very diverse needs (Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper, 2008). All these theories greatly helped me to acquire new knowledge in my field of practice. They also enhanced my ability of dealing with any level of diabetes that was brought to me. I now have adequate knowledge in dealing with emergencies on the condition along with the normal complications that the patients encounter during their lives. Related Learning Styles In coming to a decision on the most appropriate learning styles applicable to my situation, I made several comparisons and carried out contrasts on how each and every learning style would have applied to the situation at hand (Moon, 2004). The learning style that was applicable to my work Honey and Mumford style that was authored by Kolb’s that usually involves providing the patients with questionnaires (Kolb, 2008). The patient then has to fill the questionnaires that inquire about his health condition and their disease histories. I decided to adopt these learning styles since they would have given me firsthand experience on the difficulties that the patients undergo as opposed to other methods (Phillips and Soltis, 2004). This would have been achieved through the questionnaires that I would issue to the patient inquiring about their conditions (Holt, 2000). The field of study that I am involved in emphasizes on the need of having practical knowledge and skills when dealing with patients who come to the hospital seeking medical care (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2003). As a reflective learner who would like to apply all I have learnt in my theory in the field, the method of learning was the most appropriate for my tasks at the hospital. Many theorists value the increases in new found knowledge before one indulges in new learning activities. This is because a person attains more insights into the issues affecting a field of study prior to their involvement in the studies. I was able to learn a lot in the situation at hand while working at the hospital. The learning process conformed to the activities I was carrying out, and I was also able to practice many concepts I had learnt from the hospital’s environment. The lecturer who taught me incorporated the above various learning styles during my studies, and was pleased that they were being replicated in the field. They all proved to be successful in equipping me with adequate information concerning how I should handle the ailment. The patients at the hospital raised several inquiries, which I was able to answer through my previously acquired knowledge. The activities performed at the facility were also successful as I managed to treat all complications that they encountered. The staging of the activity was not planned before hand but happened as a coincidence though the patient had already consented to accepting the injections. The learning theories that were applicable in this situation may all be applicable in any other field of study that I may decide to indulge in. My mentor should continue utilizing the learning styles because they enable learners to gain greater insights in their fields of study. Evaluating Strategies Used Within the Episode of Learning The learning procedures used helped me in achieving my desired goals and were also very useful in my practices within the hospital (Jasper, 2003). The learning styles that I used included the use of reflections, remembering and making observations (Johns, 2005). The strategies used were also able to match with the learning styles that I had utilized in my practices (Brockbank and McGill, 2007). They enabled me to gain additional information on the patient’s condition and the treatment procedures (Taylor, 2006). This happened when I was dealing with severe cases of the disease. No alternative learning strategies were used, and none other would have been more applicable to my learning process. This is because most of them are time consuming and would not have enabled me to achieve the desired results in my current situation (Davis, 2009). This discussion helped me discover that other pieces of information along with important knowledge concerning a certain situation may be achieved through other means. These are means that are different from the traditional methods of attending class sessions (Johns and Freshwater, 2010). Future Role The process has helped increase my confidence when dealing with patients suffering from the ailments since I now have more experience in handling similar issues (Johns, 2009). The strategies utilized were also very applicable in helping me get the skills and confidence I currently possess (Schutz and Bulman, 2004). The process of making observations was the most vital learning strategy though the other methods used were also quite applicable (LeFever, 2005).I will also be able in a position to teach other learners more effectively concerning the issue at hand (Davis, 2009). I will aim at improving my skill level by enrolling for higher studies in other fields so that I can also be able to handle other disease complications that patients suffer from (König, 2001). Conclusion The learning process enabled me to accomplish all my set objectives in the exercise. I was able to acquire the required knowledge of treating patients suffering from the disease. I was also able to disseminate information to other patients suffering from the disease. This information would in turn enable them to handle emergency cases in the future (Bolton and Redmond, 2006). The experiences have additionally enabled me to learn various new concepts that are vital in treating the disease. I plan to enroll for higher studies in the future so that I can increase the knowledge I have already attained in the field. I have achieved confidence in dealing with patients suffering from the disease and would like to expound on other areas within the medical knowledge. This move will make me more beneficial to the future generations of learners who will be willing to learn from me (Moon, 2005). References Pritchard, A and Woollard, J., 2010, Psychology for the Classroom: Constructivism and Social Learning. USA: Routledge. Pritchard, A., 2005, Learning on the Net: A Practical Guide to Enhancing Learning In Primary Classrooms. USA: Routledge. Pritchard, A., 2009, Ways Of Learning: Learning Theories And Learning Styles In The Classroom. USA: Routledge. Bandura, A., 1986,Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 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