Personal Reflection In Nursing Practices

In healthcare practices reflection has been described as the process of reviewing, analyzing and evaluating one’s own experiences, depict upon theoretical concepts or previous learning to enhance future action (Reid, 1993). A proficient reflective nurse continuously reflects on experience and is able to reflect in action, constant learning from experience to benefit the future actions (Schon, 1983). Today I am also reflecting on one of my experience which is confronted during my Senior Elective Course rotation.

I still remember that day it was Tuesday morning around 11:00am I was in HN office helping Liza (CNI) to finalize the names of staff members who have completed successfully ACLS. Suddenly a name came in front of me that staff ABC hasn’t

She should also encourage staff in implementing self-development plans to ensure effective development of staff (AKUH; Reviewed March 24, 2015). Head nurse’s support and behavior plays vital role in enhancing staff and unit performance. She is not only the counsellor but motivator. No matter which way we look at the situation but as a head nurse our attitude directly affect staff’s morale. Our body language, our expression of gratitude when a staff performs more than what is expected and our way to discipline staff when she is not performing up to the standards makes a lot of difference. Author James Kouzes and Barry Posner claim in “The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership” that motivating nurse is one of the biggest challenges and can be met by initiating interactive and proactive practices and avoiding reactive responses. Good motivating strategies empower staff to put knowledge, skills and expertise in their work (Mann, 2008). The link between motivation and staff satisfaction is very obvious. If an individual is highly motivated he/she will perform well and get satisfaction. This satisfaction leads to sense of achievement and result in greater motivation. Thus the relationship between motivation and satisfaction can be mutually highlighting one

There were many turnover predictors identified by Tai et al. (1998) as age, job satisfaction, organizational commitment and head nurse’s behavior. Similarly Yin and Yang’s (2002) analysis exposed that internal environmental factors such as stress due to shortage of staff, poor leadership style and inflexible administrative policies are significantly related to turnover. In the clinical setting some head nurses are very supportive and seemed ‘fit’ with the unit and staff they led. When this ‘fit’ is present staff will be supportive, unit performance will be good and staff is generally satisfied with their jobs. Head nurse had a great influence on unit