Reflective Essay On Clinical Experience

During my second week of clinical, the first day on the floor, I encountered an incident in which I wanted to reflect upon. I was assigned a nurse to observe her teaching. I had observed that whenever she would enter a client’s room, she would introduce herself, which was great, but she would use elder speak to address the client. This incident stood out to me because throughout first semester, almost every course specifically outlined not to use elder speak as the client might not like it and they might feel a certain way and we as nurses, want the client to have the best experience at the hospital. Not only that, but a professor had narrated an incident of her at the hospital with her husband, in which the nurse assigned to her husband was addressing him as “poppa,” she explained how she did not like that at all because he was not very old and that was very offensive to her and her husband. After hearing about that, I always thought that elder speak should not be used as it could negatively affect the client, which we do not want at all. This is why I thought I would reflect upon this incident because many nurses do not think that it is a big issue when the client thinks otherwise. I want to further learn

Since I’ve heard to never use this form of language, I always refrained from it and I thought that nurses in hospitals also do not use it. However, I came to realize that there are many nurses and caregivers who use it. Although the client did not share how she felt when she was addressed as “momma” or “grandma,” I do not think that she liked it. I personally think that she did not feel respected because it is baby talk. If I were in her shoes and I was talked to in that way I would not like it either. Not only that, but I know from previous courses that there are many consequences of elderly speak, including poorer health. Although some nurses find it as an easier way to communicate, it should be avoided at all