Structure

1. Complete the three patient safety and clinical quality focused activities.
2. Use Gibbs reflective cycle to structure your reflection. Suggested word count guides are given:

• Description (100 words) – simply describe the activities, what you did. Avoid making judgements. (keep this section short, this part is not analytical)

o   Feelings (125) – what were your thoughts and feelings?  (again keep this section short and descriptive, this part is not analytical)

o   Relate to your thoughts and feelings on the activities and your ability to maintain patient safety and clinical quality prior to commencing this subject.

• Evaluation (200) –this part is not analytical, it makes positive and/or negative judgements about the experience

o   What was important, relevant, interesting or useful?

o   For example, did you encounter information sources or ways to develop your knowledge that you hadn’t used before?

• Analysis (250) – This part is analytical and asks ‘why’ type questions. The literature should be incorporated to support your comments

o   How successful was this experience, for example, in helping develop your knowledge and understanding and why?

o   How will this impact on your future nursing practice to ensure you maintain, patient safety and clinical quality (for example on your next clinical placement)?

o    If something went well (or didn’t go well) review this and consider why?

o   Example: X or Y was useful as this helped me to understand how significant falls are in relation to how frequently they occur and consequent impact on patient safety.

 (The evaluation and analysis can be blended together if preferred)

• Conclusion (250) – what have I learned

o   Has your awareness of what you know/don’t know/ need to know changed?

o   What did you learn about your knowledge base and your ability to practice safely?

o   Summarise key points – for example:  I now realise…, I now think… Having read… I now know that, I have improved my knowledge of…..

o   Try to be specific about what you learnt or realised about yourself, give specific examples and try to avoid being too generalised

o   Example: I have learned about transfusion reactions (general comment), as compared to….I learned the signs and signs and symptoms of symptoms of anaphylaxis which I wasn’t clear about before.

• Action plan (250 – can use bullet points) what I need to learn and why

o   List 3 specific actions to continue to develop your awareness of patient safety – can be related to your knowledge, skills practice, etc

o   Example – I need to develop confidence to…. I need to work on my communication skills …..I will read the NSW Health policy on….

o   Provide a rationale supported by the evidenced based literature