PART 3 – PLACEMENT 1 – 2024 SEPT – Handling Time-Sensitive Situations and Urgent Decision-Making in Primary Care
NMC Reflective Account Form
Reflective account:
What was the nature of the CPD activity and/or practice-related feedback and/or event or experience in your practice?
During my GP placement (October 2024), I encountered situations where I had to identify patients requiring urgent escalation and communicate concerns to my assessor and senior colleagues. This included recognising potential clinical deterioration, assisting with patient triage, and ensuring timely intervention in high-risk cases. The experience tested my clinical judgement, prioritisation, and ability to escalate concerns effectively.
What did you learn from the CPD activity and/or feedback and/or event or experience in your practice?
I learned that early recognition of clinical warning signs and prompt communication are essential in primary care. Applying Tanner’s Clinical Judgement Model (2006), I became more aware of subtle cues indicating patient deterioration and the importance of relaying information concisely to the GP or senior nurse. Additionally, observing how experienced clinicians assessed and triaged urgent cases reinforced the importance of structured assessment tools like NEWS2 (National Early Warning Score 2) in decision-making.
How did you change or improve your practice as a result?
Following these experiences, I became more confident in identifying at-risk patients and effectively escalating concerns. I refined my clinical observation skills and learned how to communicate urgency while providing relevant clinical details. Moving forward, I plan to engage in additional training in early recognition of deterioration and emergency response protocols to enhance my ability to contribute effectively in urgent situations.
How is this relevant to the Code?
- Practise effectively: Ensuring that deteriorating patients are identified and escalated appropriately.
- Preserve safety: Recognising early warning signs and acting promptly helps to prevent adverse patient outcomes.
- Promote professionalism and trust: Communicating urgent concerns clearly and efficiently strengthens team collaboration and patient confidence.
This reflection highlights the importance of clinical observation, effective escalation, and decision-making in time-sensitive patient care scenarios.
Sources Used:
1️⃣ PART 3 – PLACEMENT 1 – 2024 SEPT – Reflection on Learning from Others 2.pdf
- Observations of senior staff handling urgent cases and how structured frameworks like NEWS2 guided decision-making.
- Identified best practices in clinical assessment and escalation.
2️⃣ PART 3 – PLACEMENT 1 – 2024 SEPT – Mid-point Interview – Student Reflection.pdf
- Reflected on experiences where patients required escalation and how communication with senior colleagues played a role.
- Supervisor feedback encouraged refining clinical observation skills for early warning signs.
3️⃣ PART 3 – PLACEMENT 1 – 2024 SEPT – Final Interview – Student Reflection.pdf
- Feedback from assessors regarding effective escalation and communication in urgent situations.
- Identified areas for further learning, including emergency response protocols.