The provided paper focuses on analyzing a particular experience using Johns’ model of structured reflection. This activity is vital for nursing as it helps to outline possible areas of improvement and plan actions to become a better specialist. For this reason, the paper explains the importance of reflection, describes the case to be analyzed and introduces questions associated with this area. It helps to understand how to use the model in real-life settings and create the basis for further improvement.
I would like to reflect on the case involving an older adult. I helped my aunt to provide care for her elderly husband with dementia and hearing issues. The woman had to leave for one day because of an urgent matter, meaning that I became responsible for assisting an older man in his daily activities during one day. The experience is characterized by several important issues. First, caring for people with dementia demands specific skills and attention (Konerding et al., 2019). Second, hearing problems mean that communication might be complex and require additional tools (Shukla et al., 2019). They are needed to ensure you understand a person and can deliver specific messages.
Application of the Johns’ model to this case will help to understand my actions better. The framework implies asking five major types of questions such as aesthetic, personal, ethical, contextual, and reflective ones (Johns, 1995). They help to outline influencing factors, how a person managed them, learn from the experience, describe it, and use these for improvement (Johns, 1995). In my experience, I was trying to look after a person with dementia and associated behaviors. My actions were influenced by his state, my lack of experience, and my aunts’ recommendations. I worked with the best intentions and managed to succeed in accomplishing this task. There were no accidents; however, I could have done it better because of the absence of relevant knowledge.
In general, I think that reflection is fundamental for the nursing practice. Application of models similar to Johns’ one helps to analyze past situations and generate knowledge to act more effectively in new ones. Additionally, the idea of evidence-based practice also rests on information acquired due to the cogitations about past cases and areas that can be improved (Potter et al., 2018). My own experience proves this statement, as, caring for the older man, I acquired new skills and knowledge. First, it showed that individuals with dementia demand specific care (Ammons et al., 2020). Second, family support is vital for such patients as they are helpless in some situations (Jensen et al., 2020).
Moreover, I discovered that hearing problems combined with dementia complicate interactions between a caregiver and a person and require specific tools to succeed (Hamdy et al., 2017; Kiriake & Moriyama, 2016). At the same time, I learned that every patient requires a unique approach resulting from their state and current condition (Dai et al., 2020; Whitehead et al., 2021). Dementia is characterized by multiple risks that should be considered by a person who cares for a patient (Brooke & Semlyen, 2019). For this reason, this experience stimulated my learning and provided me with new information about the theme.
Reflecting on the case and analyzing the importance of this process, I also generated two questions:
- What is the most effective way of knowing in nursing practice?
- How can a nurse improve his/her skills if he/she lacks real experience that can be analyzed?
I think these questions are essential as answering them; it is possible to understand how to become a better specialist. Altogether, by using Johns’ model, people acquire an opportunity to critically evaluate their competencies and outline goals for future improvement, which is essential for every specialist who wants to become successful.
References
Ammons, D., Engelman, A., & Kushalnagar, P. (2020). Quality of life and needs of deaf informal caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer’s and related dementia. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 6. Web.
Brooke, J., & Semlyen, J. (2019). Exploring the impact of dementia-friendly ward environments on the provision of care: A qualitative thematic analysis. Dementia, 18(2), 685–700. Web.
Dai, Y., Zhao, J., Li, S., Zhao, C., Gao, Y., & Johnson, C. E. (2020). Caregivers’ dementia knowledge and care approach in residential aged care facilities in China. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias, 35. Web.
Hamdy, R. C., Lewis, J. V., Kinser, A., Depelteau, A., Copeland, R., Kendall-Wilson, T., & Whalen, K. (2017). Too many choices confuse patients with dementia. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 3. Web.
Jensen, A. M., Pedersen, B. D., Olsen, R. B., Wilson, R. L., & Hounsgaard, L. (2020). “If only they could understand me!” Acute hospital care experiences of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia, 19(7), 2332–2353. Web.
Johns, C. (1995). Framing learning through reflection within Carper’s fundamental ways of knowing in nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 22(2), 226-234.
Kiriake, A., & Moriyama, M. (2016). Development and testing of the partnership scale for primary family caregivers caring for patients with Dementia. Journal of Family Nursing, 22(3), 339–367. Web.
Konerding, U., Bowen, T., Forte, P., Karampli, E., Malmström, T., Pavi, E., Torkki, P., & Graessel, E. (2019). Do caregiver characteristics affect caregiver burden differently in different countries? American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias, 148–152. Web.
Potter, P., Perry, A., Stockert, P., & Hall, A. (2018). Essentials for nursing practice (9th ed.). Elsevier Masson.
Shukla, A., Nieman, C. L., Price, C., Harper, M., Lin, F. R., & Reed, N. S. (2019). Impact of hearing loss on patient-provider communication among hospitalized patients: A systematic review. American Journal of Medical Quality, 34(3), 284–292. Web.
Whitehead, P. B., Gamaluddin, S., DeWitt, S., Stewart, C., & Kim, K. Y. (2021). Caring for patients with dementia at end of life. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Web.