During the third week of our simulated practice placement, we focused on learning about autism and how best to care for patients we may encounter that are living with autism. I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on the simulation/skills day. I took part in a simulation with another student who attends main campus who I have not really worked with before. The simulation we took part in was focused on communication skills. We received positive feedback, including that from the actor within the simulation who is an autistic person themselves. She said that if she were in our care in real life, she would’ve felt comfortable and at ease and she felt as if we listened to her appropriately. Communication is something we are continually working on as nurses, so to receive positive feedback about our communication skills was really reaffirming. From the activity I learnt that I can work well in partnership with both my peers and my patients and that I am able to form positive professional relationships in good time. In order to improve my practice, I will continue to practice and reflect on my communication skills. As a group whilst we were reflecting, we spoke about appropriate use of humour. Humour can be used as a communication tool, but we must always be sure that it is appropriate and that the patient will understand. For example, some autistic patients may interpret jokes in a very literal sense.

When reflecting in line with the code I believe this activity is relevant to ‘practicing effectively,’ as part of practising effectively you must be able to communicate clearly. Given the feedback received I have got strong communication skills. In addition to this, it also relates to prioritising people. Recognising that someone may have an additional need such as autism is something important to remember when it comes to holistic assessment.