Reflective Account Of A Student Placement Within The Community Setting Nursing Essay

Reflective Account Of A Student Placement Within The Community Setting Nursing Essay This assignment will provide a reflective account of a student placement within the community setting. The   reflective   model   Kolbs learning   cycle   (1984) is   often   referred   to   in   describing   experimental   learning   and   can   be   used   in   any   learning   situation.   Reflective practice is important to the development of Mentors as   professionals as   it   enables   us   to   learn   from   our   experiences   of  teaching   and   facilitating   student   learning. Dix and Hughes (2004) recognise that students and learners can benefit from reflective practise. Jasper (2003) also identifies that reflective practise is an essential tool for student nurses to make that very important link between theory and practise. It will also highlight the role of the mentor and look at how the learning outcomes of both the mentor and the student were achieved. According   to   the   Nursing   and   Midwifery   Council   (NMC   2008) the   term  Ã‚   mentor   is   used   to   highlight   the   role   of   a   registered  nurse   who   facilitates learning   and   supervises and   assesses   students   in   the   practice   place.  Ã‚   They   also   identify   the   eight   mandatory   standards   that   must   be  Ã‚   achieved   to   become   a   mentor,   and   within   the   assignment   I   shall   be  Ã‚   referring   to   the Standards   to   Support   Learning   and   Assessment   in  Ã‚   Practice; NMC   standards   for   mentors,   practice   teachers and   teachers,   and  Ã‚   identifying   the   standards   that   mentors require. I   am   a   staff   nurse   working as part of a busy district nursing team   within   the   community setting. I have 5   years   experience as a nurse,   as   I   me ntee   I   will   be   under   the   supervision   of   my   mentor   who   is also   a   staff   nurse   with   over 20 years experience. Who has over   7   years   experience   as a   mentor.    The   student   that   has   been   allocated   to   my   area   of   work   is a   26   year   old   women   who   is at   the   beginning   of   her   2nd   year,   she   has   previously   worked   with   the health   visitor   and   In   a   nursing   home   setting.   Before   starting   her   training   she   worked   as a   carer   in   a   nursing   home   setting   which   has   given   her   confidence   and   personal   experience   outside   her   nurse   training. I   will   be outlining   the   students   journey   whilst   on   their   placement   and   How   I,   with   the   suppo rt   of   my   mentor   provided a   constructive   and   nurturing   learning   environment   for   the   student   to   develop   and   meet   her   learning   outcomes.   To ensure the student has a positive learning experience it is important that the learning environment is supportive for the student and those who work in it . Clarke et al. (2003) makes reference that learning in the clinical environment is very highly valued and this places several demands on clinical areas and staff. The clinic in which I am based has a wealth of mentors and nurses with vast experience. It provides a positive and supportive learning experience to students who are placed with the district nurses. Although the clinic can be unpredictable clinically and tend to have heavy workloads. We have a resource room for students and the staff are always interested in and aware of the students experience whilst on placement.    Our   initial meeting   took   place   on   the   students   first   day   of   the   placement   I   issued her   the   clinics   student   nurse  Ã‚  orientation / resource   pack.   This   provided   her   with   all   the   basic   information  Ã‚   about   the   clinic   and   the   different   members   staff   within   the   team. Also   within   the   pack   was a   copy   of   the   NMC   guide   for   students   of   nursing   (2005) for   her   to   keep   referring   back   to, this   was   to  Ã‚   provide   a   good    introduction   into   the   learning   environment   that   she would   be   in   during   her   placement.   Cahill   (1996)   acknowledges   that   the   single   most   crucial   factor   in   creating   a   positive   learning   environment   is   the   relationship   between  Ã‚   staff   and   the   student   nurses.  Ã‚   She   also   discusses a   common   problem   which   arises   for   students   is   that   they   are   regularly   unable   to   work   with   their   mentor,   so   during   our   initial   meeting   we   discussed   and   planned   her   time table taking   into   account   any   study days she may have.  Ã‚   Kenworthy   and   Nicklin   (2000) comment   that   the   more   comfortable   and  Ã‚   welcome   a   student   feels   within   the   working   environment, the   more    likely   it   is   that  Ã‚   effective   learning   will   take   place   and   the   student   will   become  Ã‚   motivated   to   learn   which   is a   key   factor   in   successful   learning.   During   this   meeting   we   also   outlined   her   learning   needs and   establish   a   learning contract . A   learning   contract   is a   short   agreement   in   writing   between   the   mentor   and   their   student   used   to   ensure   learning   objectives and   module   outcomes are   identified   and   met   throughout   the   placement   (Lowry 1997). Downie and Basford (2003) believe that to identify the learning outcomes at the beginning for the placement is of great benefit to the students. In the learning contract the student outlined she would like to develop skills in the technique of administrating injections. She also expressed an interest in learning the role of a district nurse. It   was   important   for   me   to   know  Ã‚   where   in   her   training   the  Ã‚   student   nurse   was   so   I   could   plan   with   her   effectively   when   supporting   her   in   the   clinical   setting. A   frequently   used   taxonomy  Ã‚   in   nursing   is   the   framework   by   Benner   (2001)   in   which   are  Ã‚   five   levels;   novice, beginner,   competent,   proficient,   and   expert. According   to   Benners   stages   of   clinical   competence   which   shows   the   journey   of   a   novice   to   an   expert   my   student   appeared   to   be   an   advance   beginner   as she shows   understanding   of   the   NMC   code   of   professional   conduct   and has   some previous   work   experience   which   some   st udents   in   the   same   year   on   the   course   may   not   have. Honey and Mumford (1992) explore four different styles of learning which is a variation on kolbs model. It is thought whenever possible, it is essential to allow the students individual style of learning determine your choice of teaching. In seeking to explain kolbs model there are four different styles of learning they describe activists, pragmatists, theorists and reflectors. They also mention that although many people can be a mixture of the 4 styles they primarily had a preference for only one. When establishing the learning style of my student I became aware that she was an activist and also reflector. Preferring to observe and gain understanding of the theory and evidence based practise. Then showing a very hands on and experienced approach it became very apparent she preferred to be practical and experimental once she became comfortable with her surroundings. As outlined in her learnin g contract she was keen to meet her clinical outcome for administrating injections. The NMC standards for mentors (2008) states that students must spend forty percent of their placement with their mentor. This presented a problem as I had a numbers of annual study days which were mandatory and I had to attend. I discussed this with the student and explained other members of staff would oversee her learning outcomes whilst I was attending courses. This would be arranged well in advance so she knew who she would be placed with. She felt this arrangement was suitable as she would be given a chance to work with members of staff with differing experience and skill mix. This would also highlight the diversity in district nursing. I also felt this would enhance her experience within the team making her feel more comfortable with all the members of the team. Beskine (2009) suggests that starting off with a positive approach promotes the students experience as well as the quality of the plac ement. It was found by Pearcey and Elliot (2004) that students who have had negative experiences with their mentor and placements tend to leave the course before qualifying. Spoke placements with members of the multidisciplinary team were also discuss at this point and I gave her a list of recommend contact numbers and details.