Working in Groups in Nursing Practice: Highlights and Challenges
Throughout this module, we have been working in groups and reflecting on each activity we did based on weekly topics. Groups are important in our lives. Our lives are made up of several groups such as family, friends, workplaces, neighbourhoods, clubs and classes of students (Bolstad, 2004). Firstly this essay will outline my highlights and challenges whilst working with my class peers in the activity instructed by our tutor. This essay will also discuss how my challenges will assist me in relation to my nursing practice in working with my clients and colleagues.
During my first day at Wintec I was nervous and scared because coming from Auckland, entering a new environment and meeting new people was challenging for me. I went to my first class and in my class I was surrounded by only Maori and Pacific students because I chose to be in the Ti Hei Mauri Ora (TMO) stream rather than the main stream with a mix of different ethnic groups. I chose to be in the TMO stream because we have similar cultural values and mutual understanding to work and interact in our group. Reflecting on my first day using the Gibbs cycle (1988), our tutor had asked a volunteer to do a karakia (prayer) and waiata (song) to start our day but I did not understand what the tutor meant. I began to feel uncomfortable and wondered if I would fit in with this group because not only did I not understand what karakia meant but I also realized that I was the only Tongan in the class. Although there were other Pacific students in my class I still did not feel as comfortable as I thought I would be when I walked in to my first class but I was surrounded by a group of people with mutual understanding of people’s perspective. According to Schutz theory (1965) of cohesion groups, the inclusion stage is when people are asking themselves questions about if they belong to a specific group they are in. (Bolstad, 2004, p. 210). This relates to my experience on my first day at Wintec because I did not know
During my first day at Wintec I was nervous and scared because coming from Auckland, entering a new environment and meeting new people was challenging for me. I went to my first class and in my class I was surrounded by only Maori and Pacific students because I chose to be in the Ti Hei Mauri Ora (TMO) stream rather than the main stream with a mix of different ethnic groups. I chose to be in the TMO stream because we have similar cultural values and mutual understanding to work and interact in our group. Reflecting on my first day using the Gibbs cycle (1988), our tutor had asked a volunteer to do a karakia (prayer) and waiata (song) to start our day but I did not understand what the tutor meant. I began to feel uncomfortable and wondered if I would fit in with this group because not only did I not understand what karakia meant but I also realized that I was the only Tongan in the class. Although there were other Pacific students in my class I still did not feel as comfortable as I thought I would be when I walked in to my first class but I was surrounded by a group of people with mutual understanding of people’s perspective. According to Schutz theory (1965) of cohesion groups, the inclusion stage is when people are asking themselves questions about if they belong to a specific group they are in. (Bolstad, 2004, p. 210). This relates to my experience on my first day at Wintec because I did not know