In this reflective journal, I am going to discuss a skill that I gained through assessing a specific patient, and reflect on my competence, in regard to what I did well, and what I need to improve. The skill I have chosen is administering oral careservice to Ms Ann Johnson, a 55 year old lady in the medical ward. I have chosen to use the Gibbs (1988) reflective model which contains the steps of description, the feelings, the evaluation, conclusion and the actions that the caregiver took. I have decided to discuss oral care because I have observed the procedure several times and I am sure I have a lot of experience in the procedure. Overall, I believe I did well as I cared for Ann.

While doing the head to toe assessment on Ms Ann Johnson, I realized that she urgently needed mouth care to safeguard her oral health. I embarked on a comprehensive assessment of the mouth, after explaining the need for the same to Ann. In the assessment phase, I looked for mouth sores, reddening of the gums, the condition of the teeth, the oduor, the condition of the tongue, the condition of the lips and the wetness or dryness of the mouth, in general (Carpenito-Moyet, 2007). I realized that the teeth were coated for not having been brushed for a period of more than 24 hours. The gums and the tongue had the normal color. The lips were a bit dry. In addition, there was a characteristic bad odour that came from her mouth. I embarked on planning for her mouth’s care, and I decided to give her oral toilet. I prepared all the necessary equipment and the oral Betadine. I explained the procedure to her as I administered the care. When I was through, I embarked on reassessment to evaluate the care and determine its effectiveness. She looked okay in the mouth, and she even verbalized her comfort. I documented the care in her file and the nursing Cardex.

On reflecting the mouth care procedure I administered to Ms Ann Johnson, I realized that I did extremely well on several occasions. For example, I explained the procedure to Ann, and I secured her consent. In addition, I was accompanied by a qualified nurse who served as my assistant as I administered the care. Whenever necessary, we consulted one another. As I assessed Ann’s mouth, I checked for any other signs of systemic illness. This, I also did as I administered the care. In the administration, I made sure I engaged the patient to assure her and allay anxiety (Carpenito-Moyet, 2007). In the plan of care, I made sure I had all the necessary equipment before starting the implementation. I also did well in that I did not take excess time in the administration, which would have made the patient be more nervous. It is also a positive point on my side that I evaluated the care and determined that it was effective, which even the patient herself acknowledged by verbalizing her pleasure. Lastly, I did well to document the care given.

However, I realized that I was a bit nervous while assessing and administering the care. At one point, I realized that the patient might have doubted my competence. This can be improved through practice with many patients in order to gain the total confidence of working with clients. I purpose to perform the procedure frequently in order to sharpen my skills and work on my confidence. I am, however, proud that, after the care administration, Ann was all smiles.

References

Carpenito-Moyet, J. L. (2007). Understanding the nursing process: concept mapping and care planning for students. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press.