Reflective Writing Assignment, Essay Example

Personal Response Reflection

From a personal perspective, I believe that I have satisfied the goals sought with this term, as I have experienced a greater understanding of the Community of Inquiry (social, cognitive, and teaching) and the impact of these professional experiences on my personal beliefs. I have become more compassionate towards the health needs of women and strive to understand their specific needs more effectively and without prejudice. I believe that women’s health issues are of critical importance and that disease prevention is a primary characteristic of women’s overall health and wellbeing. I am personally grateful for the opportunity to work in the women’s health track because the experience has enabled me to recognize the different issues that women encounter throughout the life span. I underestimated the number of challenges that women face, in particular with respect to their reproductive health; however, I also now recognize that other challenges are inevitable for women, including an increased risk of chronic illness.

Analysis/Synthesis/Evaluation

During this clinical practicum experience, I learned that there are considerable issues that women face that often begin in the adolescent years and build over time, thereby increasing the risk of illness and disease. I was most surprised, however, by the number of issues that young women face with respect to their reproductive health and the lack of a so-called “normal” menstrual state. Many women find themselves facing reproductive issues at a young age that may impact their ability to have children or to carry children to term safely. These concerns are significant and pose a challenge for women who want to have children at some point in their lives. I was genuinely surprised at the number of women with reproductive health concerns and because of the risks posed to many women, the continued care and treatment that many require that has a direct impact on their reproductive health. In the future, I will take the reproductive health of women more seriously and consider the extent of this problem when evaluating female patients with possible reproductive problems.

Implications Beyond Self

During the clinical practicum experience, I began to recognize the importance of a well-rounded approach to patient care which includes a greater understanding of the role of family and the surrounding environment. Each of these factors plays an important role in how patients respond to care and treatment and whether or not their wellbeing is influenced by their surroundings and their support systems. I have learned that in the scope of nursing practice, I must examine the external environment and the level of support that patients have as they experience different health challenges. It is important to recognize the limitations that might exist for patients as they interact with their families, friends, and others, as well as the impact of the surrounding environment. It is important to identify the limitations that exist and to recognize how these conditions play a role in facilitating patient health. In the future, I anticipate that I will examine factors such as the external environment as I treat my patients so that they experience a warm and comforting environment throughout the treatment process. I believe that it is essential that women facing any type of health concern or challenge should be consistently treated with dignity and respect throughout the patient care process. In addition, they must be provided with an opportunity to express their fears and other concerns as they receive treatment. These efforts will play an important role in enabling women to obtain treatment and to preserve their health as best as possible. I also believe that in the future, I will be more perceptive of the needs of women who face reproductive health and other types of risks because these challenges are increasingly relevant in the lives of many women who otherwise might appear to be healthy and without serious health concerns.

Reflecting-While-in-Action

In the past, I was accustomed to establishing plans and strategies without much consideration of their social consequences and the impact they might have on the individuals involved because the ultimate goal did not include this component. However, upon participation in this practicum, I have come to recognize that there are many reasons to consider the social aspects of a plan or strategy during the development and execution stages. It has become increasingly important to address the social context of a strategy or plan, including its impact on those affected. In particular, plans of care require this dimension of support and understanding in order to determine how to provide the most effective care and treatment for a patient, given any limitations or other circumstances. These elements play an important role in how to frame interactions with patients and how to determine the most feasible course of action to take with respect to patient needs. I also believe that these moments serve nurses in a positive way because they educate regarding the importance of the social interaction with respect to patient care. It is strongly evident that nurses must demonstrate their ability to be effective communicators. However, this must include an understanding of how the social aspects of care and treatment must be integrated into the care plan because they are likely to have a positive impact on patient care and related outcomes. It is necessary for nurses to treat their patients as human beings and not merely as statistics. Patients have strong feelings, opinions, and emotions regarding their health; therefore, they must be treated accordingly and with great respect. This may be an adjustment in some ways, but the payoff and the rewards of achieving greater patient satisfaction cannot be ignored. These issues are highly relevant in the development of new approaches to creating care plans that will lead to the most successful outcomes for patients.