Reflection on Practice - Graduate Nurse in Mental Health
Reflection Seven
Description: After working for nine months in acute mental health settings, I was allocated to go to a rehabilitation stream open ward with long-stay patients.
Feelings: Initially I found the transition quite difficult as the style of nursing is markedly different in a rehabilitation ward as opposed to an acute ward. I was not confident at first as to what my role entailed on the ward, and how to best assist the patients work towards achieving discharge from the ward. I also struggled with building rapport with some of the patients who on the ward who were difficult to engage in conversation.
Evaluation: By acknowledging that I lacked confidence in this area of nursing, I was able to review my knowledge and skills and find ways to adapt these to this new setting and to identify areas where my knowledge or skills were insufficient. For example, prior to this ward, I had not had the opportunity to administer many depot medications, and so that was an area of knowledge and skill that I was able to identify was lacking, and I was able to focus on these areas to develop them and turn them into a strength.
Analysis: By identifying the areas of my knowledge and skills that I needed to develop, I was able to seek out assistance from other staff members, my staff development nurse, and to focus on these areas in my personal study at home. This enabled me to make the transition easier and to adapt much quicker to this new ward.
Conclusion: Although I found the transition initially difficult and confronting, by reviewing my knowledge and skills I was able to recognise that I already possessed a great deal of knowledge and skills that were required for this ward, which bolstered my confidence and allowed me to focus on the skills or knowledge that I had not had the opportunity to develop prior to this ward, thereby further developing myself as a registered nurse working in mental health.
Action Plan: In the future when I encounter a new
Description: After working for nine months in acute mental health settings, I was allocated to go to a rehabilitation stream open ward with long-stay patients.
Feelings: Initially I found the transition quite difficult as the style of nursing is markedly different in a rehabilitation ward as opposed to an acute ward. I was not confident at first as to what my role entailed on the ward, and how to best assist the patients work towards achieving discharge from the ward. I also struggled with building rapport with some of the patients who on the ward who were difficult to engage in conversation.
Evaluation: By acknowledging that I lacked confidence in this area of nursing, I was able to review my knowledge and skills and find ways to adapt these to this new setting and to identify areas where my knowledge or skills were insufficient. For example, prior to this ward, I had not had the opportunity to administer many depot medications, and so that was an area of knowledge and skill that I was able to identify was lacking, and I was able to focus on these areas to develop them and turn them into a strength.
Analysis: By identifying the areas of my knowledge and skills that I needed to develop, I was able to seek out assistance from other staff members, my staff development nurse, and to focus on these areas in my personal study at home. This enabled me to make the transition easier and to adapt much quicker to this new ward.
Conclusion: Although I found the transition initially difficult and confronting, by reviewing my knowledge and skills I was able to recognise that I already possessed a great deal of knowledge and skills that were required for this ward, which bolstered my confidence and allowed me to focus on the skills or knowledge that I had not had the opportunity to develop prior to this ward, thereby further developing myself as a registered nurse working in mental health.
Action Plan: In the future when I encounter a new