What knowledge is needed in the situation to deliver safe, effective nursing care and where did you gain that knowledge?

Clinical Narrative- Nursing Reflection Essay

– Describe what you saw, said, did, thought, or felt during a significant clinical experience. (what happened- story, what were you thinking and feeling, what were the thoughts and feelings of others involved, how do you know, what other options were open to you, what would you do if the situation arose again)

Clinical Knowledge and Decision Making

Should include the following:
– What knowledge is needed in the situation to deliver safe, effective nursing care and where did you gain that knowledge?
– Is knowledge of this situation coming from textbook, classroom, previous clinical, preceptor? (clinical)
– What are you doing if you “don’t know”? (look up information for example low potassium foods and ask questions such as how come V.P. is on a low potassium diet and she received a kidney transplant?)
– How did clinical knowledge support a decision

Caring

Should include the following:
– Establishing trusting relationship with client including appropriate professional boundaries
– Active listening to gain understanding of the client’s experience
– Understanding client’s and family’s perception of health, illness, and disease
– Helping client and family cope with fears that accompany life changes (she did not express any fears – she was hopeful)
– Recognizing knowledge of self to maintain objectivity and separate personal feelings from situations

Collaboration

Should include the following:
– Recognizing, respecting, and integrating the perspective of others to provide quality of care
– Seeking out colleagues for formal and informal consultation (consulted with preceptor before doing my first discharge teaching. I went over what I was going to teach and how I was going to have the patient do teach back). During rounding with the multidisciplinary team they discussed removing the patient Davol drain and informed her that she was going to be discharged home. After the multidisciplinary meeting the pharmacist came back to go over the patient medications. V.P. was told to stop taking her blood pressure medication (amlodipine). I spoke with the patient last before she was discharged. I reiterated her discharge instructions and made sure she didn’t have any questions.
– Portraying a professional image (provided time frames, if I said I will be back in 30 minutes I came back in 30 minutes, my uniform was ironed, my hair was combed, short clean nails, used active listening, showed eye contact during conversation with patient mother, and addressed patient by name)