Critical Reflection Of Communication Personal Development Essay

Critical Reflection Of Communication Personal Development Essay In 2006, a patient named Robin became pregnant. In the 5th month of pregnancy, the patient began having trouble with diarrhoea and then developed a severe infection in her upper respiratory system. Robins obstetrician immediately hospitalized her and within 24, hours, Robin had a temperature of 105 degrees and was in preterm labour. Just before Christmas, Robin was diagnosed with Acute Viral Pneumonia. After getting permission from the doctor to go home for Christmas, Robin was back at the hospital 15 days later because she was in preterm labour yet again. It was then that Robin was introduced to a gastroenterologist who diagnosed her with Crohns Disease. Robin was immediately put on medications to try to save her and her unborn childs lives. On 3rd February, Robins contractions were five minutes apart but her due date was the 17th of March. Robin came to the hospital and within one hour, I performed an ultrasound on Robin, only to let her know that her unborn baby boy was no longer alive. After the funeral of her son, Robin was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in her inner thigh. Reflection: Interpersonal communication skills Listening is an active and basic process that involves not only taking the content of the person speaking by looking at their body language and listening to their words, but also being perceptive. Good listening skills are shown by attending behaviour that is practiced by establishing eye contact, maintain a relaxed posture and sending appropriate messages to the patient through gestures. Attending behaviour works well in that it encourages the patient to verbalise their feelings and ideas freely. During listening, the nurse paraphrases the words of the patient in fewer words so as to make sure that the nurse understood what the patient wants. Paraphrasing is an important part of listening because it exposes and clarifies any mixed or double messages sent when the patient fails to make a direct statement. The third part of listening is clarifying. Clarifying goes beyond paraphrasing with an intention of bringing vague material into sharper focus. Perception checking is an effective p art of ensuring accuracy of a communication because it is a method of giving and receiving feedback from the patient. When helping Robin, I can say that I had effective listening skills. I made a point of listening to what Robin told me and I made sure that when she was talking, I made her feel comfortable and showed that I was interested in what she was saying. Leading is a communication skill that encourages the patient to respond in an open communication so as to invite verbal expression. The helper slightly anticipates what the patient is thinking and where those thoughts are headed. In anticipating these thoughts, the nurse leads the patient so as to stimulate the communication. Leading encourages the patient to retain primary responsibility for the direction of the communication and helps them to be active in the process. Leading also encourages the patient to explore and elaborate on their feelings. One of the tools used in leading is using open questions that can be answered by more than just a yes or a no. Choosing appropriate questions lead to clarification for the patient. Another tool used in leading is by being indirect when leading the patient. Indirect leading keeps the responsibility of keeping the communication going on the patient. Indirect leading allows the patient to control the direction of the communication and protect their ideas. Direct leading on the other hand specifies a topic and the nurse uses suggestions to direct the patient. Direct leading is important in elaborating, clarifying and illustrating what the patient has been saying. In the case of a patient who has multiple problems or is vague, focussing is an important aspect that should be used in leading the communication. Focussing is a way that emphasizes on a certain idea or feeling and helps the patient get in touch with their feelings. I did not use leading skills when communicating with Robin and this is a skill I should in the future. I will enhance my abilities in leading skills by using open questions that will encourage the patients to share their ideas and feelings freely. Reflecting feelings, experience and content of the patient expresses that the nurse understands and wants to perceive the world as the patient does. Reflecting the patients feelings brings those feelings into clear awareness from the vague expressions that they were. Helping the patients to own their feelings is done by identifying both the obvious and subtle feelings that are hidden behind words. In reflecting experience, the nurse broadly observes the patients verbalised feelings and their nonverbal feelings. Like paraphrasing, reflecting content involved repeating the essential ideas of the patient in fewer and fresher words. When the patient is having difficulty in expressing an idea, reflecting content helps the nurse to clarify those ideas. During communication, reflecting helps the patient to recognise and express their feelings effectively. In communicating with Robin, I sounded monotonous and insincere when I began my reflection with saying, It seems you were very upset even after yelling for everyone to get out. In saying this I also said words that that Robin was unprepared for because they had too much depth of feeling. In future communication with patients, I should not read more interpretations into the statement than was intended, and I should use less monotonous words that sound sincere. Confronting the patients is intended to help them recognize what is going on or what the nurse infers is going on. A patient may feel threatened and anxious at first when they are confronted. However, the patient is also grateful for the honesty albeit direct expression that shows that the nurse cares. Confronting the patient presents feedback that is difficult to hear, and as such, the nurse should poses good timing to ensure that the patient is ready for honest feedback. Sometimes I find it hard to confront patients. In Robins case, I was finding it hard to understand and deal with her. I know that confronting the patient is one of the crucial skills that I must poses. I must recognize my feelings as the nurse and share those feelings with the patient. I must be able to involve myself in self-reflection as a form of confrontation. I believe that by practicing, training and observing others, I can develop my confronting skills. Using interpretation helps the patient to see their problems in new ways. Unlike paraphrasing where the patients frame of reference is maintained, in interpreting, the nurse offers the patient a new frame of reference. The nurse adds his or her own meaning to the patients basic meaning. When the nurse adds on to the basic message from the patient, and the patient understands the new idea, then communication is accelerated. Interpreting is useful in helping the patient get a broader perception their feelings. Interpretation is a communication skill that I used with Robin. While talking to Robin, she mentioned that she felt that the nurses around her were angels who lit her fire up in a time when she needed much encouragement. I told Robin that the way I saw it, she could join also become a nurse. Due to the Crohns disease, Robin could only live a stress-free life. However, after living the hospital, the first thing that Robin did was to go to Upper Valley Joint Vocational School where she applied for pre-requisite classes in the Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) program. Robin graduated in November 2009 and has been working in the nursing profession since then. The most important thing that a nurse can do for the patient is sharing simple facts. Informing is a communication skill that is integrated with giving advice. Under some circumstances, where advice giving does not foster dependency and is not arrogant, giving advice can be helpful to the patient. Communication through informing gives the patient a recommended course of action that the nurse has experience with. Through giving suggestions, the patient can decide the course of action that he or she will take. Crisis situations where the patient has to adjust to a readjustment in life are an appropriate situation for giving the patient advice. In Robins case, after she had a stillbirth, I advised her to take her time with her son, Benjamin. I encouraged Robin to spend as much time as she wanted holding the five pound fifteen ounce baby boy. As much as Robin did not want to, I took pictures of robin and Benjamin for the memory album. I knew that that was the best albeit hardest thing ro bin had ever done. Summarising skills involve paying attention to what, how, why, when and the effect of what the patient said. After communicating with a patient, the nurse should try to gather all the ideas and feeling expressed in one statement. Summarising is important in that it gives the patient awareness of progress in exploring ides and feelings, problem solving and learning. In summarising, the communication ends in a natural note that clears a way for new ideas and clarifies scattered ideas. Patients also gain confidence in that the nurse was attentive to them throughout the conversation. The nurse can use summarising as a means to check the accuracy of the ideas and feelings that were communicated by the patient. When communicating with Robin, I did not use summarising skills. In future communications, I should use the ideas from the patients to make a summary of the statements made. Instead of making the summary myself, I could ask the patient to summarize the themes, agreements and plans m ade during the communication. Enablers and impediments to interpersonal communication While communicating with Robin, the physical environment did not pose as an obstacle. However, my discomfort as a nurse was an obstacle when communicating with Robin. This discomfort originated from death and dying in general. I dealt with this discomfort by thinking that it was not my responsibility to communicate with Robin about hospice care and prognosis. My desire to maintain positive thoughts in Robin and her parents was also an obstacle. I would put off discussions about Robins possibility of a stillbirth until I felt that Robin and her parents could handle that conversation. In the future, I will initiate communication on prognosis and hospice care without thinking it is too much trouble. I will also control fear that emerges after telling the patient bad news. The patient can also be an obstacle to effective communication when he or she is unwilling to accept prognosis or hospice care. This unwillingness that was evident in Robins case is ascribed to her non-acceptance of he r sons death and her diagnosis with Crohns disease. In helping with Robins acceptance, I encouraged her by letting her know that I would be there to help her and listened to her. Because this worked well, I will continue being an encouraging factor for future patients. Cultural and social issues did not act as an obstacle while I was communicating with Robin. During Christmas, Robin when home to celebrate the holiday with her family, and when she was admitted back a few days later, I gave Robin a Christmas present that facilitated communication. Conclusion and recommendation Nurses play an important role in communicating with patients because they are always in close contact. A nurse-patient relationship is improved by communication and as such, having effective communication skills is an important factor and a priority for every nurse. I must develop my skills further in leading, confronting and summarising by participating in training activities. By participating in learning activities, I can develop strategies and acquire new skills as well as effectively employ those skills. Another strategy I will use is practicing key skills with actors and simulated patients because I will be able to control the nature and complexity of the task. Lastly, I must use the communication skills acquired in practice.

How Shakespeare Presents Helena Essay

Helena is clearly longing for something to make her like Hermia in hope that Demetrius would see some of Hermia in her. She is also jealous of Hermia’s beauty. It also shows us that she is insecure about her own appearance. The audience would’ve felt sorry towards her at this point as she is clearly devastated about Demetrius. A bit more into the play Helena expresses her confusion and betrayal towards Demetrius. â€Å"For ere Demetrius looked on Hermia’s eyne, / He hail’d down oaths that he was only mine. / And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt,/ So he dissolv’d, and showers of oaths did melt. In this metaphor Helena is saying that Demetrius had made so many promises to her like balls of ice (hail stones) but when Hermia came along he made broke them causing Demetrius’s promises to have melted. We feel sympathetic towards Hermia as Demetrius led Helena on, making all of these promises when only later he would break all of them. Desp eration is shown when Helena tells Demetrius about Hermia and Lysander’s plan to run away, betraying Hermia in the process. She is so desperate that she betrayed her best friend, Hermia. It was a bit hypocritical of her to betray Hermia and endangering their friendship like that when later on she accuses Hermia of throwing away their friendship when actually Hermia was stating the truth. â€Å"But herein mean I enrich my pain, / To have his slight thither, and back again. † In this quote it shows that Helena has come to the conclusion that Demetrius would never love her. So she would betray her best friend to just be pleased with by Demetrius but this doesn’t seem the case when you read later on in the play that Demetrius gets even more irritated with Helena. Helena is basically saying that even though it would pain her to see Demetrius chasing after Hermia she would still do it. At this moment the audience would’ve felt annoyed and sympathetic. The audience annoyed at Helena because she had ruined her best friend’s plan just to help her in her love life. This would be considered as selfish. However we would be sympathetic towards her as she has completely given up on being loved by Demetrius. However when her wishes are finally granted she doesn’t believe it creating a huge argument: â€Å"Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? When at your hands did I deserve this scorn? † At this point Helena lets out all the insecurities, anger and sadness she’s ever been feeling. Her life for the last couple of months has been an emotional rollercoaster. â€Å"Is’t not enough, is’t enough, young man, / That I did never, no, nor never can/ Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius’ eye/ But you mu st flout my insufficiency? † The repetition that she uses suggests that she is so angry at Demetrius that she repeats her words; she’s so angry that she cannot think straight. The whole reason she’s angry is that she thinks that they are mocking her as Helena cannot believe anyone could possibly love her as she is so used to being rejected. If Demetrius couldn’t love her, who would? Her low self esteem also appears into her passage and her words. Helena feels confused at how anyone could ever like her and most of all outraged that her friends would mock and make fun of her. The audience feel humoured at this situation as Helena is claiming that Lysander and Demetrius don’t love her when actually they are in love with her to the point of madness. We also feel sorry towards her as she sees herself as a reject. At the end, when the confusion is solved and Helena finally has Demetrius she says some final words. â€Å"So methinks; / And I have found Demetrius, like a jewel, / Mine own, and not mine own. † In this metaphor she compares Demetrius to a jewel like she had been digging for a diamond and had finally found it. It shows how much Helena values Demetrius. At this point she finally realises that Demetrius actually does love her. At this point the udience would be feeling happy for Helena as she’s finally cheerful. However they might think that Demetrius doesn’t actually deserve Helena. In conclusion, Helena is showed as a heartbroken and desperate girl at the beginning then at the end she seems happy. The audience experience a range of emotions towards her, including sympathy, irritation and happiness. At the end of the play, we are likely to feel happy and satisfied because she finally has what she wan ts. Also throughout the whole play she is always depressed, sad or scolding herself.

Schizophrenia And Its Effects On The Nervous System

Schizophrenia is characterized as a psychotic disease that dramatically affects one s nervous system to a point of where every day basic functions can be inhibited. It is defined as the loss of contact with the external environment the person is in due to delusional thoughts and hallucinations. Perception and behavior of someone plagued with this disease is notably altered and their actions can become a concern of the people around them. Like many other diseases that affect the nervous system it is not curable at the current time but it can be treated to lessen the signs and symptoms of the disease. Records of the disease date back to old Pharaonic Egypt, but it was not until 1887 that it was fully discovered by Dr. Emile Kraepelin. The disease was not dubbed schizophrenia until 1911 by Eugen Bleuler. One place most people have heard of schizophrenia is when the subject of witches or evil possessions come up. 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Significance And Effectiveness Of Disney s Wartime...

Before discussing the importance and effectiveness of Disney’s wartime propaganda, it is imperative to have an intimate understanding of the term â€Å"propaganda† and what it implies. Propaganda is defined as â€Å"any organized attempt by an individual, group, or government verbally, visually, or symbolically to persuade a population to adopt its views and repudiate the views of an opposing group† (Laurie 6). While the term propaganda is usually uttered oozing with negative connotation, it is important to understand that it is not only the tool of â€Å"totalitarian regimes,† but is also employed by â€Å"liberal democracies† (Taylor 3). The only difference between these two propaganda users (or abusers) is the intended audience and the rival group being criminalized. Disney Gets Drafted As already mentioned, the United States readily took part in the propaganda parley of World War II. The threat of subversive Nazi propaganda on U.S. soil caused private citizens to use their contacts to pressure the government into counteracting the â€Å"attack on democracy† (Laurie 30-32). This spurred the creation of government organizations such as the U.S. Office of the Coordinator of Information (COI) and the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The role of these organizations was to oversee the propaganda released on behalf of the government (Laurie 45). The military naturally became involved in the creation and implementation of propaganda films to promote anti-Nazi feelings across a nation immersedShow MoreRelatedStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 Pages75 77 79 79 80 81 86 88 89 101 102 104 107 109 Stage One: Where are we now? Strategic and marketing analysis 2 Marketing auditing and the analysis of capability 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Learning objectives Introduction Reviewing marketing effectiveness The role of SWOT analysis Competitive advantage and the value chain Conducting effective audits Summary 3 Segmental, productivity and ratio analysis 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 Learning objectives Introduction The clarificationRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesB y any of the customary measures we deploy to demarcate historical epochs, the twentieth century does not appear to be a very coherent unit. The beginnings and ends of what we choose to call centuries are almost invariably years of little significance. But there is little agreement over when the twentieth century c.e. arrived, and there were several points both before the year 2000 (the collapse of the Soviet Union, the reunification of Germany, the surge of globalization from the mid-1990s)