Reflective Experience in the Residential Care Report (Assessment)

It has been acknowledged that reflection is critical to health professionals. In this respect, reflection plays an essential role in the health care profession. Notably, health profession entails both the theoretical and practical aspects. According to Andrist (2006), “reflective practice allows for the uncovering of knowledge embedded in practice and expands nursing knowledge” (p. 411). Reflection is said to fill the gap that exists between theory and practice (Andrist, 2006).

As noted previously, reflection is a very important aspect of the health profession (Richardson, 1995; Fulbrook, 2004). As a nurse caring for the aged and individuals with disabilities, I will make use of reflection in carrying out my nursing duties. Thus, I will need to adopt the ways in which I will express myself towards in the work environment. In this way, I will be able to connect with the patients under my care in a special and professional way. Different patients require different attention from the nurses. Therefore, I need special ways of understanding different patients in order to meet their expectations. In this way, I have to develop my skills in order to connect with the various categories of patients.

This unit on reflection has been very intriguing. I used to think that health professionals only practice what they are taught in school. However, the aspect of reflection requires an individual to adopt new skills from the experience and adjust while interacting with others (Jasper, 2006). In this respect, this unit has been instrumental in bridging the gap between what is taught in class and then real work environment (Rolfe, et al., 2010; Glaze, 2002). Therefore, I can proudly say that the unit has provided a missing link between theory and practice in my chosen profession.

In Australia, the aged care and disability services are often confined in a single residential aged care. Therefore, it is possible to find young individuals who are disabled living with the aged in residential care units (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012). My visit to one of the residential aged care in the country put to test what we had learnt in class. I found that I had to use personal skills in relating to the people in the residential care. The way I would treat the aged is not the same way I was to relate to the young disabled individuals.

My interaction with the older persons was quite challenging. This is due to the wide age gap between us. This was also based on my previous experience when I visited other residential care in the past. Nonetheless, the unit on reflection proved critical. I was able to bond well with the aged. In this regard, I made them feel appreciated by engaging them in discussions. I was attentive to them, and I could offer to assist when I realized that they were struggling. For instance, when they wanted to move around, I would offer to hold their hand and help them move.

During my visit to the residential care, I was able to analyse and compare what I had learnt with the practical aspect. From the nursing classes, we were taught that old people are frail and weak. This painted a picture of individuals who will solely depend on others to live well. However, when I visited the residential home, I discovered that some of the old people could handle some simple aspects. For instance, some could move around without independently. However, their movement was slow and supported by the walking stick. Therefore, not all aged people are solely dependent on nurse’s assistance.

The experience I encountered in the residential care was great. I came to learn that the old people are human and can be engaged in discussions. Initially, I thought the aged were troublesome and very challenging to handle. However, my experience with the old people at the residential care proved me otherwise. They were friendly and interesting. In fact, I was able to make friends in the shot while we stayed together. I realized that establishing rapport is very critical in working with the aged.

In reflecting experience, I have used two main skills. These include group reflection and guided reflection. In regard to group reflection, I was able to reflect on real-life occurrences together with a group of practitioners in the field (Smith & Jack 2005). Thus, I engaged other nurses in developing solutions and knowledge. On the other hand, guided reflection involved questioning getting the insights of other practitioners who have vast experience in the field. In this respect, I engaged established nurses in the residential care to learn. This was critical in enhancing my learning about the profession from the experienced staff (Howatson-Jones, 2010).

Aged care and disability services form a special aspect in the provision of health care. The aged and individuals with disabilities need a lot of care and understanding. These are people who