Reflection is an important process anyone’s personal and professional development. It activates metacognition helps to regulate thoughts and promote understanding. This essay helped me to acknowledge my weak and strong areas and ways how I can improve in my future practice. The essay will address 5 module learning outcomes and use both external literature and evidences from my placements that can be found above every reflection and are expressed in blue colour.
Evidence 1
Critically evaluate clinical practice experiences from both a personal and professional perspective through reflexivity, reflection and reasoning.
DATE: 25.01.18
Description:
On one of my 5th placements, I had organised a first year student to visit me. My job was to show him how the placement works and what he is going to be expected to do during this placement at some point during his degree. I had a patient booked to see, along with the student. I knew this patient and I had previously identified a variety of treatment techniques which I could use when dealing with the patient. However, I decided to use the technique I was more confident with as well as more familiar with in order to reflect on all my positive aspects as a final year physiotherapy student.
Feelings:
Having two people observing me, my educator and student made me feel stressed at first.
Evaluation:
From my personal point of view I wanted to show the student that I am a good physiotherapy student. Moreover, I wanted to show him that I knew what I was doing and I am confident to carry out treatments independently. This situation influenced the technique I decided to use, as I used the one which I thought I was competent in carrying out correctly rather than a technique that would have been possible same helpfulness, but I did not had enough experience performing it.
Analysis:
Because I was assessed by both my educator and the student I felt more pressure and responsibility to chow best assessment and treatment skills. I wanted to be a good role model for my student and hear a good feedback from my educator after the session. I think If I was not so stressed to be unsuccessful I my treatment in front of the student I could choose a different technique to gain experience in completing it. However, at the point of time my priority was not learning and developing new skills, but it was completing successful treatment to the patient, showing good technique to educator and being confident in front of the student.
Conclusion:
I have learned that stress and personal understanding of professionalism, in my case being confident in what you are doing can influence the choice of treatment.
Action plan:
Provide the best care I can possibly give and stay professional at all times, knowing your competency and scope of practice. Practice different techniques to be experienced and confident enough to use them in my practice.
Reflection 1
Clinical practice experiences are of critical importance to physiotherapy students. They serve to influence various competencies that empower an individual to register positive outcomes in the delivery of care (Gordon and Milanese, 2015). Clinical practice experiences allow students to gain expertise on how to handle various situations and challenge them to develop outstanding personal and professional skills.
During my placement, it became apparent that the various experiences were determinants of the competencies that I would develop throughout my placement period. From a professional perspective, it is evident that students pursuing physiotherapy need to demonstrate their understanding of the theories learned in class and handle various clinical experiences. It also important to understand that a key element of professional autonomy is to work within the limits of personal competence and scope of practice (The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, 2011). That is one reason why I chose a treatment technique which I was most confident with and not any other appropriate techniques.
From a personal perspective, I wanted to show the visiting student that I am a competent physiotherapy student with a remarkable level of confidence. I wanted to gain a good reputation that I will become a professional physiotherapist. Innately I consider myself to be an unconfident person in my character however, having a long history of being a senior gymnastics coach encouraged me to be responsible and exude confidence with other gymnasts and junior coaches. I have the perception that confidence helps me to gain trust from students and respect from assistant coaches. Therefore in my professional physiotherapy clinical practice I felt that patients were similar to my gymnasts in that they learn something from me and want reassurance that I know what I am doing. Further, I also wanted to get respect from a first year student as in this situation he was my ‘junior coach’ who may of lacked confidence himself and required someone to help him throughout his professional journey.
The placement enabled me to understand the expected levels of professionalism in meeting outstanding patient needs. I highlighted the need for various non-physiotherapy personal experiences that impart many skills that the physiotherapist may need in daily practice. Critically analysing the relevance of theory on my personal perspectives and beliefs, helped me to gain confidence in handling different clinical practice experiences and show my professionalism.
Evidence 2
Reflect and respond to peer and seminar discussion.
DATE: 28.02.18
Description:
During a seminar in university we discussed a module learning objective (MLO) 5 of the Critical Reflection and Reasoning module. How we understand MLO 5 and what clinical examples from our placements can show things described in that MLO. I had shared with my group the situation I had observed during my placement (reflection 5). I had explained to them what worried me and asked them how they would behave in the given situation. My peers used Socratic questioning to challenge my thinking and helped me understand what I thought and why I thought so.
Feelings:
I felt like Socratic questioning opened my mind and helped me analyse the situation. It was interesting to hear other peoples’ opinion and whether it was similar to mine.
Evaluation:
Group discussion is definitely a positive course of action as it influences my thinking. Regardless, I still have my own opinion, but listening to other people’s perspectives made my thinking more flexible.
Analysis:
They challenged my thinking and changed my perception of the situation. Answering all types of Socratic questions made me think deeper into this topic. I realised that I wasn’t the only one who would struggle answering these questions. As from a moral point of view, there is no right or wrong answer.
Conclusion:
This discussion made me take other people’s opinion into account.
Action plan:
Next time I face a difficult situation during my placement or as a graduate physiotherapist, I will use this opportunity to discuss my thinking with others (not breaching the confidentiality) to activate a deeper understanding of the situation.
Reflection 2
The seminar discussion held at the University presented me with an opportunity to discuss my perspectives with peers and to listen to their opinions. I explained to them that I had witnessed a critical situation during my clinical placement. I gave them the general insight of the patient who needed to talk to the physiotherapist.
My peers relied on Socrates’ reasoning as a way of identifying the most justifiable course of action when facing the situation I had witnessed. Socratic reasoning and questioning helps in exploring different situations by seeking clarifications, challenging the assumptions, identifying evidence, challenging viewpoints and perspectives, critically analysing implications and consequences, and drawing a conclusion (Edwards, Braunack-Mayer, and Jones, 2005). The peers utilised all these approaches of Socratic reasoning to understand my perspectives regarding the incident.
Through the peer discussion, we could explore all the potential alternative solutions to this situation and their implications. Moreover, I had the opportunity to understand and gain familiarity with new concepts regarding the ethical and moral issues described. I recognise that peer discussion is of critical importance because it helps in collaborative learning. In many cases, discussing a difficult situation with peers leads to the exploration of ideas, and the potential evidence governing the perspectives (Gordon and Milanese, 2015). It was a great moment of learning for me because I recognised the benefits of carrying out consultations. I conceive that this approach applies to my future physiotherapy practice because I can consult with other clinicians without compromising the privacy of my clients. I recognise that consultations lead to effective discussion of ideas and a critical analysis of the available alternatives. The seminar created a significant platform for collaborative learning from the experiences and convictions of other physiotherapists. The interactions between the peers and myself proved highly informative concerning the potential alternatives of handling the specific situation. The discussion changed my perspectives regarding the specific situation. Initially, I was highly empathetic because the patient was crying. However, my peers made me recognise that I should act within my scope of practice and demonstrate a good mastery of ethical principles such as equality (Connaughton & Gibson, 2016). For this reason, I recognise the need for critically considering the situation based on ethical and moral principles that governed my practice (Edwards, Braunack-Mayer, & Jones, 2005).