Reflections of a Student Nurse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflections of a Student Nurse - Essay Example Taking a Service User Out for an Activity Description: I was given the task to take a service user out to attend piano lessons. This individual had a Learning disability (LD). According to Rennie 2009, p.3, â€Å"in the U.K. the term ‘learning disability’ is used to mean mental retardation or intellectual disability.† Feelings I was nervous initially because I did not know the exact location of where the Piano lessons were held. I was relying heavily on the service user to direct me. In addition, I wondered whether the service user would be comfortable with me taking the service user out, as this would be the first time the service user would be out alone with me and may not have confidence in me, as I am a student. What was good and bad: In spite of all these feelings, it felt good to be given some responsibility by the staff. It was obvious that they trusted me and had confidence in my abilities to fulfil that carrying out of the task given to me. What wasn†™t so good was that although I know the service users better now, in comparison to when I first started, I did not know them in the same way as the staff did, and did not know their preferences, which could affect the way I support them (Bender, 2008). What sense can I make/conclusion Thinking about this later on, I do now realise that this may be because of me not having complete faith in the service user ability to guide me and I felt as though I was the responsible one, out of the two (Bender, 2008). It should be the support worker leading the service user, and not the other way around. Now that I have talked to my Mentor, I realise that historically people with learning disabilities (PWLD) were looked down on by society (Sudbury, 2010) and were devalued and seen to be incapable because of their disabilities (Sudbury, 2010). I now know that as Government policy on PWLD has developed (Department of Health, 2001) and societal understanding has increased about PWLD, attitudes towa rds PWLD have significantly changed for the better (Walmsley, 2008) and PWLD are recognised as individuals with their own skills and abilities (Thomas & Woods, 2003). Action plan In the event a service user was to lead me to an activity, I would not keep questioning them about where it is, unless they tell me that they are unsure and at that point I would be prepared with directions or a map to look at. Body Mass Index (BMI) Measurement Description I had to measure each service user’s weight in order to work out their BMI and document it in the care plan. I approached a service user whilst the service user was at on the dining table and asked if it was possible for the service user to stand on the weighing scales, making it clear that I would appreciate an honest answer. Feelings When I first told the service user to be honest, I did not feel much or give it much thought, considering it a routine action on my part, but after taking the weight and speaking with my mentor, I fe el different now. My mentor asked me to put myself in the shoes of the service user. This role reversal made me realize that I would feel disempowered and incapable of taking care of myself. Moreover, as a 20 year old student nurse,