Reflective Journal

Review of Learning/Personal Experiences

During weeks 2-10 of the Relational Nursing Practice I course, I engaged deeply with both the theoretical and practical aspects of nursing. The course content emphasized the importance of relational practice, focusing on the dynamics of nurse-client relationships. Three areas where I have been successful include:

• Therapeutic Communication: The mask making activity conducted during week-7 helped us in sharing our internal thoughts as stories while others were involved in active listening to understand our stories in a better way. The two-way communication technique by Balzer-Riley (2024) helped us to express our concerns more openly and understand the same from others.

• Building Trust: While engaging in effective communication in my course interactions, I worked towards providing a safe environment for others by being consistent and reliable during my interactions. The insights obtained from Doane and Varcoe (2021), helped me understand that trust forms the base in building therapeutic relationships which was effectively implemented by me in the workplace.

• Cultural Sensitivity: The discussions held in our class among the diverse group of people helped me in understanding the different cultural perspective on health. The mask making activity during week-7 helped me reveal my cultural identity for myself and others by creating a mask. It not only helped in nurturing the creativity inside me but also enhanced the respect and appreciation for other individuals in the group belonging to diverse backgrounds.

Areas for Improvement

Although the course content from week 2 to 10 helped me in excelling but there were certain areas that were recognised by me for improvement in the future nursing practice. They are as follows:

• Therapeutic Nurse-Client Relationships: I need to learn the tactics for engaging in difficult conversations with the patients who are anxious about their treatment plans and quality of medical care.

• Assertive Communication: It is very important to develop the skills of assertive communication which will help in advocating for my patients and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams.

• Conflict Management: I also need to learn the constructive techniques of resolving the conflict in order to effectively handle the complex situations in the clinical settings.

Goals for the Future

SMART Goal-1: To Enhance the Therapeutic Nurse-Client Relationship

In order to improve my therapeutic communication skills, I will participate in a workshop related to implementing effective communication skills in nursing (College of Nurses of Ontario, 2024). This will be measured by applying atleast three communication strategies in my clinical setting. It will be achieved by participating in a suitable workshop within the next month which will help in improving my communication skills and build trust and rapport with the patients. The timeframe for achieving this goal will be the next three months.

SMART Goal-2: To Develop Assertive Communication Skills

I will learn effective assertive communication skills by reading atleast two books or articles and participating in role-playing sessions on dealing with complex situations in the healthcare environment. For this, one hour every week will be designated for reading and discussion and the requirement shall be finished within four months.

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