Clinical placement learning experience and nursing mentorship development

Personal Learning Experience

I have to admit that there was a positive learning experience in the clinical environment. This was possible because of adequate supervision and mentoring we received. However, owing to the fact that the number of students was huge and the number of staff at the hospital was depleted, my learning experience suffered in some aspects. The intervention of authorities saved the situation. They developed a student learning model that ensured that learning activities were structured during our clinical placements. This ensured that we achieved a positive learning experience. The model that focused on five key areas was an eye opener to us who were in the clinical experience. Most of the clinical work I was engaged in was done in collaboration with a mentor or other nurse. The mentor explained to me why certain clinical work was done in a specific way. I was also engaged in observing practice where I was majorly involved in observing how registered nurses carried out certain procedures. This helped enhance what I had previously learnt in theory classes. My involvement in researching relevant subjects helped enhance my research skills. The research gave me some background before I carried out any clinical activity. This instilled confidence in me. My learning in the clinical environment also involved the use of learning pack related to the clinical area of placement. I also made frequent visits to departments outside the base placement. I found this thrilling and fulfilling because it made me develop holistically in the sense that I had a grasp of all that goes on in healthcare delivery environment. I have to admit that I found it a little bit difficult working with certain registered nurses who in my honest opinion I considered overbearing and cagey. Some of them whom I was assigned to work with were never willing to part with certain vital information that I desperately needed. This incident made me rate the psycho-social learning environment at the time of my clinical practicum significantly low. This made my experience at the two surgical wards where I took my clinical practicum unbearable. I feel that services of researchers or educators should be procured to conduct capacity building sessions to effectively assist and support registered nurses on how they should engage with students on clinical experience. Capacity building sessions can help improve practice. In whole, workplace learning helped in development of skills, attributes, and knowledge.

Some of the continuing education courses I undertook centered on infection control, infectious disease, leadership management, gerontology, clinical care, critical care, and bioethics to mention but a few. The unit on infection control was helpful as it helped enhance my knowledge on blood borne pathogens, HIV, safety in the workplace, and preventive hand hygiene. The course on infectious diseases had great impact on me as it prioritized HIV awareness in a nurse working environment. HIV is a global phenomenon and it is imperative that any nurse in practice knows how it is transmitted and how it is prevented. The awareness course has enhanced my ability when it comes to caring for HIV infected patients. It is also handy when it comes to issues pertaining to post exposure prophylaxis to those exposed to HIV infection especially those handling patients with high viral load. It also captured the aspects of preventing HIV global mortality. Because of prevalence of cancer and other untreatable diseases palliative care has taken center stage in healthcare delivery. The course on clinical care was handy as it equipped me with knowledge on symptoms to expect in hospice and palliative care patients, deactivation of cardiac devices. Hospice and palliative care facilities are the place to be for patient with terminal illness.