PART A: REFLECTION

Description
During my placement to the ward, working for the patients of specific community in the
community-based department of Fiona Stanley Hospital I was given the role to look after Mr.
Smith and his brother Mr. Adam who were severely injured in a communal riot. They were
discharged from hospital and were supposed to get treated at home. Both the brothers were
very much afraid due to the incident and were not allowing anybody to visit them.
Feelings
I was intensely feared, and my thoughts were constantly rising with negativity as I hadn’t
dealt with such a condition before. Also, as it was a case related to communal riot, I was
continuously thinking about the pros and cons of it. My senior was unable to go with me due
to communication gap which made the things a bit harder for me and thus I was accompanied
by a nurse. But I didn’t want to make the patients feel discriminated so kept going to their
house for treatment.
Evaluation
I came out of my pessimistic view and fear by recalling my roles and responsibilities which
were not limited to any particular community or ethnic group. I used my communication
ability, negotiation and conflict resolution skills to convince the patients.
The negative side of my experience was under-confidence and fear of any communal dispute.
Also, I was handling any such case for the very first time where, I was supposed to visit the
patient’s place so it made me a bit concerned about the reaction of patients and their relatives.
Analysis
The common symptoms of wounds are bruising, bleeding, swelling, infection and pain in the
affected area (Singhal & Kaur, 2021). Mr. Smith and his brother Mr. Adam were both
severely wounded and due to the pain, they were not allowing us to treat them. Their relatives
were so tensed and disturbed due to the situation. I was accompanied by a nurse and visited
the home-link department for necessary details. Later on, we reached to the patients and tried
to convince them not to worry and allow us to treat them. I used my negotiation and conflict
resolution skill to make the patients understand. I had an effective communication with them
and their relatives. They were a bit convinced when we assured them that their wound will be
completely cured if they allow us to proceed with the clinical procedures. Once they allowed
me to treat them, with consultation of the nurse I gave them injection of tetanus to avoid any
further infection. I gave them necessary analgesics and antibiotics so that their pain and
infection do not increase with time.
Since effective communication, negotiation and conflict resolution plays a vital role in
modern day nursing as it is the complex ability which should be sharpened by regular training
and practise. Registered nurses should move through all the necessary procedures, from
observation to analysis and then from decision to activity, followed by assessment and
reflection. (Jarvelainen, Cooper & Jones, 2018). These aided me in resolving the issue with
my patient on time. I realised where I lacked knowledge and experience, as well as how to
handle a critical situation like this. That is why proper research and knowledge about
effective communication and conflict resolution skills is necessary (Soler et al., 2021). The
lessons I learned from Mr. Smith and Mr. Adam’s case made me handle critical situations in a
well-organised manner. Furthermore, I discovered from the case that more research on how
medical nurses anticipate and supervise patient deterioration before meeting the quick
reaction framework prerequisites is required (Smith & Zsohar, 2013).
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to mention how Mr. Smith’s and Mr. Adam’s case taught me to
react immediately and responsibly in such a severe situation. It enhanced my communication
and relationship-building skills, which helped me to coordinate with the patients and assure
them regarding their treatment. In the event that such circumstances were to repeat itself, I
would feel ready and wouldn't feel stressed or frightened, as I am probably aware of what's
needed and what I would be supposed to do. I understood that now, due to this circumstance,
I'm bold enough and will be very competent with the different obligations that I am told to
perform during the practise.
Action plan
I have been consistently looking after such cases which are community based and how to deal
with such patients. So, in the future, if any such case comes to me, I won’t be bothered and
will face the situation with a very positive attitude. It is my responsibility to monitor the
clinical progress of patients, and I would approach such situations calmly. I will try to
communicate with the patients and their relatives more effectively to assure them positively
about their concerns and to build a strong hospital-patient relationship. I would use quick
clinical methods to get an immediate response, and I would closely observe registered nurses'
practises to learn from them. Hospital’s revenue and reputation witness growth when patients
are treated responsibly with ultimate care.
References
Jarvelainen, M., Cooper, S., & Jones, J. (2018). Nursing students’ educational experience in
regional Australia: reflections on acute events. A qualitative review of clinical
incidents. Nurse education in practice, 31, 188-193.
Singhal H, Kaur K (2021). "Wound Infection". MedScape.
Smith, J. A., Zsohar, H. (2013). "Patient-education tips for new
nurses". Nursing2022. 43 (10): 1–3.
Soler, O. M., Aguayo-Gonzalez, M., Gutierrez, S. S. R., Pera, M. J., & Leyva-Moral, J. M.
(2021). Nursing students’ expectations of their first clinical placements: A qualitative
study. Nurse Education Today, 98, 104736.