The Three Questions That Refashion Nursing Practice
To become an outstanding nurse, one needs to do more than possess clinical skill—it takes a talent for reflection on experience. Driscoll's model of reflection provides practitioners with a concise yet effective structure based on three questions: What happened? So what does it mean? Now what should I do differently? This model links nursing theory with practice, offering a route towards improvement and enhanced patient care.
Deconstructing the Reflective Process
The "What" stage is similar to hitting a pause button on experience. Here, I merely told what occurred during our nursing promotion project without judging or analyzing. This formed a distinct snapshot that I could delve into more intensely later.
In the "So What" phase, I discussed my feelings and related them to nursing theories. This intermediate step took unprofessional wisdom and re-shaped it as professional knowledge in identifying patterns and opportunities for development. I recognized my emotional responses, too, which aided the development of empathy and resilience within me.
The last "Now What" step was developing action plans. Instead of simply dwelling on what had happened, this process compelled me to decide exactly what I would do differently next time. This positive orientation to the future makes Driscoll's model especially useful for ongoing improvement of nursing care.
Communication: The Heart of Compassionate Care
Our group exercise emphasized the significance of communication, particularly with mentally vulnerable patients. Communicating with Mrs. Childs, the patient with dementia, showed me that conventional forms of communication wither away from patients with impairment of intellect.
We learned that modifying our approach—through the use of visual aids, sign language, and non-verbal methods—significantly enhanced our rapport with Mrs. Childs. This wasn't a matter of information transfer; this was about maintaining her dignity and self-respect. Once we developed effective means of communication, we recognized her value and right to be involved in her care planning.
This epiphany transformed my perspective on nursing practice. I now recognize that effective nursing extends beyond clinical practice—it builds spaces where all patients are respected and heard, no matter their communication capacity.
Learning from Team Dynamics
Working in our team taught me valuable lessons in collaboration. There were instances when my opinion differed from my colleagues', especially when it comes to patient-centered strategies. While I lobbied for Mrs. Childs to be allowed more time to articulate herself, others proposed other tactics.
These differences first caused tension but eventually added depth to our knowledge. The process taught me that professional development frequently results from going through differing perspectives while maintaining patient well-being as the primary focus.
I was occasionally annoyed when there wasn't equal participation among members of the group. In reflection, I understand that this experience provides insight for my future career as a member of healthcare teams—I need to promote inclusive processes that respect every voice, just like I promote patients.
Creating Empowering Healthcare Environments
The reflective process made me understand how healthcare environments affect patient wellbeing. Healthcare workers need to design spaces that embrace and empower all patients, irrespective of their conditions. This involves being innovative and flexible to accommodate different needs.
Patients with conditions such as dementia tend to feel isolated when environments are not designed for them. I understood that "environment" is not only physical spaces but also the way we engage with patients and among ourselves.
My future practice will focus on establishing environments in which all patients are treated as valued and included individuals, and in which communication adaptations are ordinary practice and not extraordinary accommodations.
Moving Forward with Reflective Practice
What I have learned through this reflection will inform my future nursing practice. I now understand my obligation to effectively advocate for patients—especially those with difficulty communicating. This advocacy is a core moral obligation in nursing.
For those with cognitive impairment, successful advocacy can make all the difference in their healthcare journey, allowing them to express needs and be meaningfully involved in decision-making.
The reflective cycle of Driscoll provides with more than an exercise in hindsight—it gives one a model for ongoing development across an entire career as a nurse. Through deliberately exploring experiences, relating them to knowledge, and applying improvements, nurses are able to continually evolve practice.
This journey of reflection has brought my emerging practice in line with fundamental values of patient dignity and good healthcare. As I move forward to becoming a professional nurse, this reflective practice will continue to be a cornerstone—closing the gap between theory and practice, and eventually professional care and authentic human relationship.
If you want to explore more, head to desklib’s website and explore more about this topic with our AI researcher tool.
Comments
0 comment