This essay aims to reflect upon an aspect of my professional practice I experienced as
a student nurse during my placement on an in-patient ward for children and
adolescents with complex mental health needs. The purpose of reflection as stated by
Jasper (2003) is to enable us to learn from our experiences by looking back at what
we have done, making sense and learning from them so as to improve our practice. I
will explore this incident and give my understanding of the event in relation to using
appropriate communication and interpersonal skills. In order to present a well-
structured reflection, I have chosen to use a framework of reflection by Gibbs (1998)
which I find easy to follow and understand. The nurse involved in the
incident will be referred to as Steve, for the purpose of maintaining confidentiality, as
stated in the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Professional Conduct (2008).
One morning I worked alongside a qualified nurse called Steve assisting a patient
with his morning routine which involved giving him a shower, getting dressed and
taking him to school. Steve asked me to bring the hoist and sling from the equipment
cupboard, as I handed him the sling he rudely told me it was the wrong sling and
looked aside, I went back to get a different sling and again he said it was the wrong
one I should go back and get the right one. On the third occasion he snapped at me in
front of the patient then proceeded to fetch the sling only to return with one of the
slings I had brought earlier.
I was enraged at the time that I felt like walking out of the room, pick up my bag and
go home because I felt humiliated and hurt at the same time. Steve appeared to
have an authoritative approach as I felt I was not listened to because I am a student,
but I was also extremely angry with Steve for snapping at me in front of a patient and
part of me felt like telling him that he was...