Date of Learning: 15/09/2023

Time: 09:30-16:30

Learning Activity 1: Health Promotion, Physical and Mental Well-being as a Nurse.

In this learning activity, I will reflect on an episode of learning from my module promoting health and well-being across the lifespan. In this class session, the learning outcomes are to understand the importance of maintaining own physical and mental well-being as a student nurse and to recognise own stress levels and how to manage these. We also discuss when and how to access help and support and our impact as a role model to patients, service users and the wider community.

The class session started with a brief recap of our assignment criteria and a quick review of our last class session. We had an opportunity to ask more about the assignment in which I was able to get some clarity about it. In the early part of the session, we looked at some statistics related to the health of the working-age population in the UK. I found out that 1 in 3 working-age people in the UK has a health condition, 1 in 6 adults have experienced a mental health disorder for the past week and 1 in 10 experienced a musculoskeletal condition.

Stress makes a difference in the overall well-being of a person depending on how people respond to stress. The class defined stress as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. It is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. It was discussed in the class that the body has an alarm system called alarming adrenaline. An adrenaline hormone in the adrenal glands activates the body’s ‘fight or flight’ alarm. It is a system that helps or tells our body to prepare for a stressful or dangerous situation.

Personal stressors are events or conditions that occur in a person’s life that may impact individual health and well-being. Personal stressors can be issues that come up regularly or one-off events. It can be a big thing or a build-up of small challenges. The class was introduced to the traffic light system, which is a system used to understand own emotions and behaviours. It consists of green feelings, amber feelings and red feelings. The green feelings simply mean go – these are good-to-go emotions, emotions that are appropriate for all situations. The amber feelings mean slow down – these are proceeded with caution emotions, these emotions are more intense than normal but still have some control over thoughts, feelings, and reactions. The red feelings mean stop – these are out-of-control emotions, these emotions are extremely intense, and are not in control of thoughts, feelings, and reactions.

We had a group discussion on how we manage and reduce stress. Each student had different ways of stress-coping mechanisms. For me, journaling or writing helps when it comes to reducing or managing stress. Some of the students mentioned several coping skills such as talking to friends and families, walking, running etc. After discussing as a group how we manage and reduce stress, we were given a group activity. We were given a set of questions; our group task was ‘How does a nurse’s health and well-being impact patient care?’ Each participant contributes both positive and negative impacts. We then presented this to the whole class. Other groups presented the remaining questions which are: ‘How do nurses impact the health and well-being of other members of the nursing team?’ and lastly, ‘How does our health and well-being impact our lives outside of work?’

In this learning activity, we discussed that there are 5 key elements of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage both own emotions and understand the emotions of other people around. The five key elements of emotional intelligence are empathy, social skills, self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation. Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s feelings, experiences etc (Oxford Learners Dictionary, 2021). Social skills are the ability to communicate effectively, conflict resolution, active listening, relationship management and respect. Self-awareness is the ability to have an open mind, regulating own emotions to understand other’s feelings. Self-awareness is about knowing and being mindful of strengths and weaknesses. Staying focused, setting boundaries, and practising self-discipline. Self-regulation is the ability to manage own emotions and behaviours per the demands of the situation. It is a set of skills that enables you to achieve a certain goal. It is about managing own feelings, thoughts and impulses. Intrinsic motivation is doing an activity for satisfaction or due to enjoyment rather than for separable consequences. Extrinsic motivation is when someone feels motivated to do something to gain a reward or to avoid punishments or consequences. Emotional intelligence helps build relationships, reduces stress, and defuses conflicts.

Self-care is important when it comes to physical and mental well-being, it can help manage or reduce stress. An example of self-care would be regular 1:1 talks, reflective practice, journal writing, communication, hobbies or interests, physical exercises, seeking help when needed, meditation, prayer etc.

This learning activity made me realise and recognise the importance of maintaining my own physical and mental well-being as a student nurse/nurse associate. Nurse’s well-being affects patients and the quality of care they receive. High-quality patient care relies on motivated and skilled staff. When a patient is satisfied with the care received it reduces the days of hospital stays.

Learning Activity 2: Medicine Management

In this learning activity, we covered medication management and injection techniques for the care delivery module. The session explores the ethical, legal, and professional issues involved in administering medication. We identified processes involved in the safe administration of medication and discussed actions that are required when an error or adverse event occurs. We also looked at relevant drug calculations which we applied during our clinical simulation.

Administration of medicines is an important aspect of nursing; they must be registered under the NMC and a written prescription of a medical practitioner. It requires knowledge, skills and competence. The registered professional is accountable for his/her actions, own moral and ethical judgement is needed. Nursing associates must adhere to the law, standard policies of work organisation and the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

There are categories when it comes to medicines. General sales medicines (GSL) are over-the-counter medications. These medications can be bought without the presence of a pharmacist and can be usually found on supermarket/shop shelves. Pharmacy-only medicines (P) are medicines sound under the supervision of a pharmacist from a registered pharmacy. Prescription-only medicines are prescribed by doctors, dentists, or independent prescribers. Controlled drugs can be categorised into classes – Class A, Class B and Class C. It has a high level of regulation; this kind of drug can be addictive and harmful to our bodies.

Mistakes with medication can cause unpleasant or dangerous side effects. There are guidelines available to support professionals in delivering effective medication management. Professional guidance from the NMC The Code and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society was introduced in this class session. We also covered the importance of being competent which nursing associates must maintain to deliver effective medication management. In this learning activity, we covered the 6 rights of medication management which are right patient, right medicine, right dose, right route, right time, and right documentation. I learned about drug calculation and routes of administration. It is also important to know conversion on units when it comes to administering medication.

Learning Activity 3: Injection Technique

In this class session, we were provided with knowledge and clinical skills to administer both intramuscular and subcutaneous injections safely. The learning outcomes for this class session are to understand the rationale for administering medications via subcutaneous and intramuscular injections (IM), gain knowledge of risks/contraindications associated with IM injections, gain confidence in the procedures of administering injections and understand the importance of patient factors when administering medications via injections.

In this learning activity, we discussed the risks or contraindications associated with IM injections. Unsafe practice of injection can impact patient outcomes which can cause nerve damage, abscess, pain and possibly death. The rate of absorption is quicker than oral medication which can cause exacerbated anaphylaxis, infection, and bleeding if unsafely practiced. A common risk with IM injections is needle stick injury. Common sites for IM injections are the upper arm, buttocks, hips, or lateral thigh.

Good hand hygiene is the first step of the procedure. It is also important to gain consent and explain the procedure to the patient. The medication record must be checked, and the 6 rights of medication must be considered. Confirm any allergies to the patient and check if the medication is licensed to a particular site. Once all the equipment is gathered, consider the use of gloves if needed and prepare the patient’s skin. When preparing the equipment, the injection should be drawn up in a clean area and using an aseptic non-touch technique. We used a mimic of a deltoid site to practice our injection technique. A glass ampoule was used during this practical activity. I made sure that all the medication drained from the stem of the glass ampoule covered the neck with a sterile swab and broke off the top by snapping it along the score line. I made sure that there were no glass particles inside the ampoule. We were advised that if there are glass particles a new one must be used.

The process of preparing IM medication was to draw up the medicine, remove and dispose of the needle in the sharp bin, attach a new needle and tap the syringe to remove air bubbles. The next procedure is to take the prepared equipment to the patient and confirm the patient’s identity. Locate the site and proceed with the injection with the Z-tracking technique. The Z-tracking technique is slightly stretching the skin/area and then inserting the needle into the skin. After injection, wait for a few seconds before removing the needle. Some of the needle has safety cap which can be put after use and the needle must be disposed of in the sharp bin. The last step is aftercare for the patient’s skin and documenting the procedure.

Overall, the class session was helpful and useful for my clinical skills. I gained confidence in medication management and injection techniques. The class session was interactive which gave me plenty of new knowledge and skills for me that I will be able to use in the future of my clinical career.

KSB Addressed:

Knowledge:

Skills:

Behaviour: