¶ … learning experience related to end of life care surrounded two particular issues: communication with the patient and family members and the concept of caregiver grief. This internal grief fits well with the communication issue because communication with the client and family are external, while caregiver grief is internal. The focal point of the assignment, however, is to examine the way in which I applied these learning issues to my practice, nursing a patient with Alzheimer's disease at the end of life and then analyzing my own communication skills when interacting with the patient and family members. Reflection is defined as a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse and evaluate to inform externally and develop internally regarding a practice, theory, or set of events (Reid 1993).
Significantly, end of life issues are often critical incidents for health care professionals and often cause a person to contemplate events to try to gain some sense of meaning, and are often difficult to adequately prepare oneself (Chiplasky 2012). In nursing, in order to continually develop in one's professional practice, critical incidents can offer the opportunity to grow both emotionally and intellectually. An important consideration surrounding this type of learning is the ability to organize both the factual data one learns from the experience and combine it with the emotional side, understanding that in a holistic care environment, both are crucial for both the patient and caregiver (Elliott 2004).
Additionally, the healthcare scenario in the U.S. has undergone a drastic change in the last few decades. The modern nurse's role is far broader than ever; taking on a partnership role with both the doctor and patient as an advocate, caregiver,...
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