Driscoll Model of Reflection on Nursing Care Ethics

Nursing Care Ethics

In this essay I will be using the Driscoll Model of Reflection, Driscoll 2011. Reflection in nursing is when we are consciously looking and thinking about our experience’s, actions, feelings and responses. We typically do this whilst asking ourselves about what we did, how we did it and what we learnt from it and that reflection should be used throughout all nurses’ careers. The Nursing and Midwifery Council NMC (2018) requires that all nurses use their feedback as an opportunity for reflection and learning as it can improve their practice. Nicol and dosser (2016) states that reflection should be used at all stages of an accident or situation and that it’s important to understand what reflection is and how it can be done successful. Reflection helps us develop skills and knowledge and also helps us maintain and develop throughout our career. Reflection occurs after an event occurs in practice. Throughout this essay I’ll be researching the ethics in nursing care.

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What?

I believed that quality nursing care is about caring for your patients at a good quality standard. Nurses themselves have some values and know what values are. I feel for good quality nursing care you should be approachable to talk to and professionally and personally to your patients. To be confident with your patients and you wouldn’t want them to feel that your nor confident in what you’re doing or helping them with. Be respectful, patient, and caring making it a safe place for patients if they feel like they need to speak to you about personal stuff 1-1. Good nursing quality care should be companionate, smile when talking to them, making good relationships with others so when needed they have you there for a pat on the back. Being aware of their behaviour changes even if your busy. Ethical be truthful and honest to them don’t sugar coat any issues they need to know about. Your body language is important too don’t fold your arms, don’t zawn when talking to them, don’t give poor contact and open arm posture. They will feel like their boring you and you’re not interested and won’t build a steady professional relationship with you.

So What?

Through studying at university, I now feel I have a better understanding that having a professional relationship with patients are important to have as you will achieve a more successful patient and family centred care. Person – centred care and family centred care is a high priority in all health care professions. It’s all about making sure that people are involved and is central to their care and needs. McCormack and McCance (2017) suggest that that creating relationships its essential when creating person centred care. These relationships are not only with the patient or families it’s also about the relationship you have with other healthcare professionals. KS Dunham (2018) gives out suggestions that Communication is also key when it comes to colleagues as a nurse or any healthcare professional you will probably communicate most with them. Having professional relationships with colleagues’ help set the groundwork for successful inter-learning which is critical to delivering care. Person-centred Practice in Nursing and Health Care is a comprehensive and practical resource for all nurses and healthcare practitioners who want to develop person-centred ways of working. 

Communication is essential in health care, it wouldn’t be person centred care without it. RCN (2018) say ‘having a good communication with patients will reduce their anxiety and build their confidence’. It’s common for patient to feel anxious about their care, treatments or even tests they are getting whilst in your care. It can sometimes lead to the patient to speak out of character, be rude or even aggressive as they are unsure what the future holds for them, this is just down to them being scared and not sure what is happening. Communication with the nurse or health care professional will prevent this if you let them know what’s happening and if you don’t know tell them and they will find out as soon as you do. It’s hard for patients in hospital or care homes because they are usually in control of their everyday tasks and as an elderly person, they might have dementia or just not as able as they used to be and don’t like that they need someone to help them out of bed, help them when they wash or even eat. Losing control can make them feel helpless or hopeless. But good communication can avoid these feelings if the patient is able to still take charge of their own life. It can help people to see that they still have a say and are still in charge of their own lives. Patients that get good communication with healthcare professionals often feel more valued than the patients that don’t. Giving patients our time and spending time with them, getting to know them and listening to them, we’re showing that we value what their saying and communicating with them will help us achieve the best person-centred care they need.

The department of health (2011) state that personal values are your own individual beliefs. Attitudes, behaviour, life experiences and decision making. Everyone has their own values and attitudes in life but as a nurse you have to put your own values and attitudes aside for the care of your patient. Journal of Professional Nursing (2005) states that our values are hierarchy based and therefore nurses should recognize that another’s personal values might differ from their own. Being brought up in different generations can cause conflict with as the older generation may think that they but as a nurse you have to put values to the side to care for your patient. NMC (2018) say in the national care standards, ‘Treat people as individuals’ as you must not discriminate in any way against those in your care. Nurses practise in diverse cultural environments and must take care not to offend patients’ values and beliefs.

One of the values I have in life is Health, I think health is very important because if we didn’t have our health, we wouldn’t have a normal standard of life as having bad health would stop that. As a nurse I have to be professional and put my attitudes and opinion aside as not everyone thinks the same. I’ve also got to be very supportive with my patients and help them regardless of their issues and thought progress. As a mental health nurse I know I am going to come across patients that don’t want help regarding their health due to substance abuse, suicidal attempts and then on the other hand I will come across an elderly patient with the first symptoms of dementia and they don’t have a choice in life regarding their health but try their best to get back to a normal life as possible. Alzheimer’s Scotland (2018) state that dementia is progressive meaning that the symptoms start out slower but gradually get worse. For people with dementia this means their memory becomes worse and their health can start to deteriorate which upsets them and their family around them.

Now What?

In relation to elderly patients I have put my own values about health aside as not everyone has the same values and attitudes about health. Family care givers (2017) say caring for the elderly is one of the toughest challenges because some of them don’t want help with health and care because they feel like they have already lived their life. With working with the elderly before I feel confident that I will be able to work with them even if I don’t agree with them about their values on their health. My personal development below describes the methods I will use to develop this skill.

Personal Development Plan

Conclusion

In reflection of completing the quality care nursing module, it has let me see that I wasn’t far off with my original thoughts of what the module was about. Over the last couple of months learning about quality nursing it has helped me think as a student nurse what to expect and how to deliver care to patients when I go out on placement. I have also learned that not every patient I care for will have the same needs or same values as me and have to adapt to the patient and their needs accordantly to their care plan. The patient could be elderly, young adult or have specific needs and it’s up to me as a student nurse to value their needs. Reflecting back on the last couple of months before starting my quality nursing care module and what I thought I knew, I now know there was bits I didn’t know and what I’ve learned can help me to carry on with my learning during my placement and throughout my work when I qualify. So, I am able to give my patients the best care for their needs and up to date care they require.

Reference List

• BASSETT, S.D., 2005. Journal of professional nursing. Volume 21, 46-51

• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH., 2011. No health without mental health: a cross-government mental health outcomes strategy for people of all ages

• DRISCOLL, J. (2011) Practising Clinical Supervision: A reflective Approach for Healthcare Professionals. 2nd ed. Edinburgh: Bailliere Tindall Elsevier

• DUNHAM, KS., 2018. Communication in nursing among co-workers.

• FAMILY CAREGIVERS ALLIANCE. 2017. Making choices about everyday care.

• NICOL, J.S., & DOSSER, I. 2015. Understanding reflective practice. Nursing standard.

• SCOTLANDS NATIONAL DEMENTIA STRATEGIES. 2018. Mental health dementia.

• JIMENEZ- LOPEZ, F.R., & PRECIADO, J. 2018. Values in nursing students and professionals. Sage journals premier.

• PARESH, D., & JENKINS R. 2011. Agency for healthcare research and quality.