A critical incident analysis and reflection

A critical incident analysis and reflection The purpose of this essay is to reflect and critically study an incident from a clinical setting whilst using a model of reflection. This will allow me to analyse and make sense of the incident and draw conclusions relating to personal learning outcomes. The significance of critical analysis and critical incidents will briefly be discussed followed by the process of reflection using the chosen model. The incident will then be described and analysed and the people involved introduced and then I will examine issues raised in light of the recent literature relating to the incident. My essay will include a discussion of communication, interpersonal skills used in the incident, and finally evidence based practice. I will conclude with explaining what I have learned from the experience and how it will change my future actions. The Gibbs model (1988) of reflection cycle will be attached as appendix 1 and description of incident will be attached as appendix 2. In accordance with the 2004 Nursing and Midwifery Council, the clients details and placement setting has not been disclosed in order to maintain confidentiality. Critical incidents are snapshots of something that happens to a patient, their family or nurse. It may be something positive, or it could be a situation where someone has suffered in some way (Rich Parker 2001). According to Hogston and Simpson (2002) reflection is a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to better describe, analyse and evaluate, and so inform learning about practice. Wolverson (2000) includes this is an important process for all nurses wishing to improve their practice. This will be investigated using a reflective nursing model. I am going to use Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle. This because Gibbs is clear and precise allowing for description, analysis and evaluation of the experience helping me to make sense of experiences and examines my practice. However Ghaye and Lillyman (2006) state that it is miscontructed as ideal for only negative experiences. On the other hand they emphasise that it its strengths lies with the incorporation of knowledge, feelings and action in one learning cycle. Taking action is the key; Gibbs prompts to formulate an action plan. This enables to look at my practice and see what I would change in the future, how I would develop and improve my own practice. Gibbs (1988) consists of six stages to complete one cycle which is able to improve my nursing practice continuously and learning from the experience for better practice in the future. The cycle starts with a description of the situation, next is to analysis of the feelings, third is an evaluation of the experience, fourth stage is an analysis to make sense of the experience, fifth stage is a conclusion of what else could I have done and final stage is an action plan to prepare if the situation arose again (NHS, 2006). Baird and winter (2005) give some reasons why reflection is require in the reflective practice. They state that a reflect is to generate the practice knowledge, assist an ability to adapt new situations, develop self-esteem and satisfaction as well as to value, develop and professionalizing practice. However, Siviter (2004) explain that reflection is about gaining self-confidence, identify when to improve, learning from own mistakes and behaviour, looking at other peopl e perspectives, being self-aware and improving the future by learning the past. In my context with the patient, it is important for me to improve the therapeutic relationship which is the nurse-patient relationship. In the therapeutic relationship, there is the therapeutic rapport establish from a sense of trust and a mutual understanding exists between a nurse and a patient that build in a special link of the relationship (Harkreader and Hogan, 2004). Asserive Description This is attached as appendix one. Feelings In this paragraph, I would discuss on my feelings or thinking that took place in the event happened. I was shocked that the doctor did not wash her hands or use alcohol prior examining Ms Adams especially with all the infection control guidelines and protocols in place. In spite of this I did not have confidence and felt intimidated due to the fact the doctor was more knowledgeable and experienced than I was as a first year student, also I did not want to make him feel uncomfortable. Furthermore I did not want the patient to feel alarmed and worried by challenging the doctor whilst Ms Adams was there. However soon after I had a word with my mentor and told her what I observed and she then recommended that together we confront the doctor, therefore the next day my mentor spoke to her in private and she asked her, if before examining Ms Adams whether she washed her hands. The doctor seemed stunned by this conversation but admitted she did not wash her hands. She responded by justifying his actions and saying he was busy and was in a rush to remember. My mentor discussed the significance of infection control and hand hygiene and then the doctor promised her that she would make sure she follows the protocols and cleanses her hands prior examining any patient in the future. Evaluation This event was difficult and challenging for me as I felt disappointment for my lack of confidence in not confronting and challenging the doctor prior him examining Ms Adams, on the other hand I felt content in the way the doctor responded so positive and optimistic. Consequently I observed that doctor has now changed his practice as a result of this incident. I have learnt from this incident the importance of acting assertively with staff members in a sensitive approach in order to safeguard patientà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s health. Analysis Nurses have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the interests of individual patients and Clients (NMC 2004). This responsibility include ensuring that his or her knowledge and competencies commensurate with the task being undertaken. Infection is responsible for increased morbidity and mortality, thus a comprehensive knowledge of infection control precautions and basic microbiology should be a fundamental requirement of all healthcare professionals. Hands must be decontaminated before every episode of care that involves direct contact with patientsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ skin or food, invasive devices or dressings. Current expert opinion recommends that hands need to be decontaminated after completing an episode of patient care and following the removal of gloves to minimise cross contamination of the environment (Boyce and Pittet, 2002; Pratt et al, 2001). Hand hygiene is a crucial factor in the control of hospital-acquired infection (HAI) because hands can easily transfer micro-organisms from one area or patient to another. According to Shuttlewood (cited in Beckford-Ball, Hainsworth) states that despite strategies promoting hand hygiene there still seems to be difficulty persuading staff to adopt good practice. Doctors are the worst offenders. According to NHS figures, 25% of them fail to follow basic hand-washing procedures, compared with 10% of nurses and 15% of ancillary staff. From The Sunday Times December 21, 2008 Royal College of Nursing (RCN, 2009)Studies show that uniforms may become contaminated by potentially disease-causing bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile, Although it has been suggested that uniforms act as are servoir or vector for transmission of infection in hospitals, no evidence is currently available linking the transmission of bacteria to patients (Wilson et al., 2007).However, it is important to note that all clothing worn by all staff (for example, doctors, therapists and cleaners) has the potential to become contaminated via environmental micro-organisms, or those originating from patients or the wearer, and that nurses uniforms are not unique in that respect. This reinforces the need to ensure all clothing worn by staff in all clinical areas is fit for purpose and able to withstand laundering. Advocacy ranges from activities on behalf of patients, such as hand washing and proper identification before treatments, to arguing that an early discharge will harm her patients recovery. According to Arnold and Boggs (2003) assertive nurse is able to stand up for the rights of others as well as for his or her own rightsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ . If the complaint is justified then equally the nurse has duty to inform the doctor of what has transpired because he or she has a duty to promote high standards of patient care and this includes confronting co-workers when the nurse believes their standards to be less than adequate (Rumbad, G 1999).As the student nurse caring for Ms Adams under my mentors supervision, this also applies to my own practice as a student nurse. Conclusion In hindsight I feel I should have confronted the doctor at that moment and acted sooner. I also should have made sure the doctor washed her hands prior examining the patient. I realise how I put Ms Adams heath at risk. Following conversation with my mentor acknowledged that I need to develop the confidence to challenge the practice of colleagues, understanding pressures that may be under but ensuring that their practice does not put patients at risk. If a nurse observes a practice or procedure she believes to be wrong, advocating for her patient demands she speak out even if that practice was carried out by her superior. This is not always easy and may have a cost for the nurse. I realise that I need to be supportive to colleagues, understanding the pressures that they may be under, but ensuring that their practice does not put clients at risk. Action Plan My action plan is always to work as part of a team, learn more about how best to communicate in order to contribute to good nursing care. I will aim improve and develop my assertive skills when working with staff members to ensure health and safety of patients is maintained. Therefore I will make this a goal for learning in my next placement and discuss with my mentor to work out strategies for how I can achieve this.

Albert Camus The Stranger: Existentialism and Absurdism Essay

Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one’s acts. This philosophy is essentially the crux of the novel The Stranger and not only serves as one of the themes but probably the main reason Albert Camus wrote the book altogether. Presented in first person narration through the eyes of Meursault, the indifferent and apathetic main character, the novel serves to evoke the creed of existentialism through the embodiment of the philosophy in a person. Meursault’s speech, thought, and actions are what Camus believed a person who innately possessed the tenets of existentialism would have. Existentialism, what it represents, the results of its embodiment in a person, and the validity of the doctrine altogether are all important aspects explored in The Stranger by A lbert Camus. â€Å"Maman died today or yesterday maybe, I don’t know†. These opening lines of the novel serve not only to introduce the novel but to summarize it as well. Rather than focusing on what is important-his mother’s death-Meursault is focused on when exactly she died; whether it was yesterday or today, since the telegraph only stated the funeral would be tomorrow. Right away, within the very first sentence, the reader is introduced to existentialism incarnate. Meursault exhibits a complete and utter indifference to life manifested by a profound lack of emotion. He doesn’t care when his mother died, in fact the fact that he has to attend the funeral altogether is the most troubling part of this whole ordeal to him. When he finally gets to the funeral, he couldn’t care less about his mother-as he rejects the offer to open the casket-but is utterly consumed by the days heat. Camus does a great job in the first part of the novel of demonstrating to the rea der not only the philosophy of existentialism, but a corporal representation of it as well. This corporal representation of existentialism is what makes The Stranger the unique book it is. As opposed to the multitude of books and manifestos approaching existentialism from an academic perspective, The Stranger approaches the philosophy by detailing a character with the belief innately  in him and showing how someone like this might behave. Neither the external world in which Meursault lives nor the internal world of his thoughts and attitudes possesses any rational order. Meursault has no discernable reason for his actions, such as his decision to marry Marie and his decision to kill the Arab. The book, narrated by Meursault, is basically life detailed superficially by him. He talks about the weather, the food he’s eating, about the things he did that day rather than how he feels or thinks of other people, places and things. This is how a person consumed with existentialism would behave and think-indifferently and apathetically. Meursault passes no judgment on people and is ultimate executed for killing an Arab for no apparent reason. The philosophy or theory of Existentialism is somewhat controversial, but nonetheless in many respects it has some notable and legitimate points. If one were to truly take a look at the universe, it would seem purposeless. And humans do in fact possess the innate desire, or rather compulsion, to explain things and have things figured out-thus explaining their need to associate a purpose with the universe, even when it doesn’t necessarily exist. But what made this theory come about in the 19th century when it could have been realized centuries before? The reason is the tragedy and devastation the world saw at this time-several world wars in specific. If we take a look at the life of Albert Camus himself, it’s hard to deny the fact that there is a connection between the existentialism’s inception and personal tragedy. In 1914, Camus’ Father was drafted into WWI and killed in France. In 1934 he Married Simone Hià ©, but divorced her two years later. In 1939 he volunteered for service in WWII, but was rejected due to illness. In 1940 he wrote an essay on the state of Muslims in Algeria causing him to lose his job and move to Paris. In 1941 he joined the French resistance against the Nazis and became an editor of Combat, an underground newspaper. These, as well as many other incidents and events in Camus’ life influenced him in the sense that they formed in him a bleak, pessimistic view of life. This perspective undoubtedly set the foundation for his adoption of the theory of existentialism. â€Å"If there is a sin against life, it consists perhaps not so much in  despairing of life as in hoping for another life and in eluding the implacable grandeur of this life.† The point illuminated in this quote by Camus is that although some consider viewing life with despair to be wrong, or sinful, in reality hoping for an after life, â€Å"another life†, or living a life of implacable grandeur is the real sin. Camus held strong to the belief of Absurdism, or the belief that humanity’s effort to find meaning in the universe will ultimately fail-thus it is absurd to try to find meaning or to live as though there is a meaning because no such meaning exists. While Absurdism might seem like a synonym for Existentialism, the two are slightly different. Existentialism makes the point that there is no purpose or meaning in the universe. Absurdism goes a step further to say that not only is life purposeless, but any attempt at finding meaning is utterly absurd. Albe rt Camus, being the polarized man that he was, held more firmly to the belief of Absurdism than existentialism. In writing The Stranger, Albert Camus championed the idea of existentialism, a philosophy he truly believed in it. But the philosophy of existentialism is not free of criticism. Herbert Marcuse criticized existentialism, especially in Sartre’s Being and Nothingness, for projecting certain features of living in a modern, oppressive society, such as anxiety and meaninglessness, onto the nature of existence itself: â€Å"In so far as Existentialism is a philosophical doctrine, it remains an idealistic doctrine: it hypothesizes specific historical conditions of human existence into ontological and metaphysical characteristics. Existentialism thus becomes part of the very ideology which it attacks, and its radicalism is illusory† What Marcuse is saying here is that existentialism makes the mistake of thinking that just because human conditions are tragic and seem to lack a purpose, that they in fact do. Whether or not there is purpose to the universe is an ontological and me taphysical subject, not one that can be realized through historical events. Existentialism and its brother philosophy Absurdism are philosophies that emphasize the uniqueness and isolation of the individual in a hostile and indifferent world, and stress the fact the universe has no discernable purpose. This philosophy is essentially the crux of the novel The Stranger  as Meursault, the indifferent and apathetic main character, embodies the tenets of existentialism intrinsically. Existentialism, what it represents, the results of its embodiment in a person, and the validity of the doctrine altogether are all important aspects explored in The Stranger by Albert Camus. Bibliography 1.†Existentialism.† The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 28 Mar. 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/existentialism2.Marcuse, Herbert. â€Å"Sartre’s Existentialism†. Printed in Studies in Critical Philosophy. Translated by Joris De Bres. London: NLB, 1972. p. 1613.Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Middlesex: UK Penguin Classics, 1943. 4.Sartre, Jean P. Existentialism is a Humanism. World Company, 1956. 5.†Albert Camus.† 28 Mar. 2007 . 6.White, Ray. â€Å"The Meaning of Life.† 2004. 29 Mar. 2007 .

What to Expect From Harvey Mudd Supplement Essay Samples?

What to Expect From Harvey Mudd Supplement Essay Samples? Maybe you took an online French course to get familiar with the language before taking a visit to Paris with your family members. Ultimately, you're want to go beyond simply listing the things that attract you. Therefore, you ought to keep your answer sweet and easy. Your answer ought to be personal and, if at all possible, unexpected. Harvey Mudd Supplement Essay Samples Secrets ISAB also supplies recreational opportunities! By the minute you're done, you'll have a complete collection of reasons for applying to LMU. There's no advantage or disadvantage for a Harvey Mudd student selecting a major earlier in her or his career. There are lots of opportunities at school which I can make the most of to my success in course work. Basically, the admissions folks wish to understand why their school is of specific interest to you. Admissions officers would like to know you'll be willing to contribute to lively class discussion and possibly conduct research in your latter years on campus. Claremont McKenna College is a unique community since it is composed of talented folks who individually and collectively contribute to improving the life span of the College. Over the duration of the subsequent four decades, students receive support from the college through local host families, the global student services office, and a mentor program named InterConnect. What you decide to write about will give admissions an idea about what you truly care about and how you understand the world. Comparable to the preceding list, you're want to be careful to prevent self-aggrandizing or pandering choices. Through observations of the signals of confusion in the faces of men and women in the audience, an individual will know th e method by which the message is being perceived. It's typically a great strategy to pick something you've been doing for a very long time, where you're able to showcase key qualities like commitment, perseverance, and leadership. Even if you previously have a good idea, a small fact-checking never hurt anyone. Braveness is about wisdom. Since you just have 50 words, don't have any choice except to continue to keep your answer short and sweet. Predicted results for exams which are in progress needs to be sent with the application. Repeat this process till you're faced with just four questions. Unless Harvard is your very first choice and you're tackling this application with an early submission deadline before you, you might want to leave this essay until the conclusion of your supplement run. Understanding Harvey Mudd Supplement Essay Samples The GPA requirement that actually matters is the GPA you will need for an actual prospect of getting in. Some of the most prosperous applicants are heavily engaged in only a few pur suits. The college understands you want to have the ideal possibility of admission, and retaking the test is a great means to do this. We enroll new students just in the fall semester. In humans, for example, the appendix is considered to be a vestigial structure. Make your essay particular to the university so that it is going to be a strong supplemental essay. This quick essay will surely be a positive bit of her application. As you write your very own supplemental essays, make sure to prevent common supplemental essay mistakes. Abortion debates aim to reveal the rights and wrongs that are connected with the practice and answer the most important puzzle against the custom, while it is right or wrong. Thus, it's right to say that abortion is just wrong if it's done with no considerable reason. While interviews aren't required, they are highly encouraged. Since the interview isn't required, it isn't counted against you whenever you're unable to complete one. The interview lets you tell us more about your own personal background, together with your accomplishments, talents, and goals. As the interview isn't an essential element of the program, you won't be at a disadvantage if an interview isn't available in your region.

Analysis Of George Orwell s 1984 - 1608 Words

We live in a fast-paced world, one that thrives off of individuals being constantly connected to others around the world. Whether it be for an important business meeting, or for connecting with friends on one of the many social networking sites available, the luxury and convenience of such a connection allows for great leaps forwards in our technology. However, as this technology becomes more advanced, so too does the technology that exists to intrude upon our daily lives. It is the possibility of intrusion that makes one ask themselves, how close is our society to becoming one where every action is monitored? How close is the idea of western civilization to becoming a police state, such as in North Korea, or the one in George Orwell’s novel, ‘1984’? North American society is drifting towards becoming a police state at an ever increasing rate. This is shown in how North Americans are slowly losing their rights, the police force acting above the law, and the monitoring of citizens by government agencies. According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of a police state is â€Å"a country in which the activities of the people are strictly controlled by the government with the help of a police force† (Merriam-Webster). This means that a state employs the police force to keep citizens in line, and all aspects of their life, including social, political and economic decisions, are watched over carefully by the ruling party. These states do not only exist in fiction as there areShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of George Orwell s 1984848 Words   |  4 PagesCritical Analysis In the George Orwell’s novel 1984, much of the society is watched and have no privacy of any kind. Every person in the Party is under surveillance. 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