Running head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY USING GIBBS MODEL 1

Reflective Essay using Gibbs Model

Name

Institution
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Case study 2 Cultural Practice and Respectful

Introduction

For a nurse to establish or develop professionally, they must learn from previous

experience. In this manner, learning occurs when a nurse takes reflection on the issues they have

undergone through in the profession. Reflection helps the nurse’s to understand the code of

conduct and ethical consideration of the situation (Hemberg & Vilander, 2017). Hence in the

case study using the Gibbs model will be important to help me understand the Cultural practice

and respectful relationships of patients. Hence the Gibbs model cycle will help me to learn from

the ongoing practices and acquire experience that will help to offer the best care to the patient in

the future.

Description of the experience

In concern about cultural practice and respectful relationships, I as a registered nurse,

carried an intimate examination to an Aboriginal woman. Through the explanation of the

process, I did not bother to ask the patient about her culture and beliefs about the process

approach that I should carry when examining her particularly the one that is not offensive to her

personality and culture (NMBA, 2016). Even if the woman was uncomfortable with me, she did

not have any alternative as I was the only person who could have carried the examination in the

hospital. However, the family member of the Aboriginal woman made a complaint to the

manager about my behaviors of examining the woman without considering or being bothered

with her personal or cultural preferences.

The experience the woman underwent through intimate examination was perceived as a

violation of cultural belief and norms along with personal preferences choice. If I could have

considered the way to communicate with the Aboriginal Woman about their personal preference
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of the examination, I could have discussed with the patient about any alternative that was best for

her. May be she should have suggested to be assigned a female nurse or a person from her tribe,

but I neglected the opportunity which mad me violate the social concerns of the patient. Since I

carried out the intimate examination to a woman and I was a male, the differences made the

woman weak and unable to talk to me about either been assigned to a female nurse or a person

from her tribe. The fear of the woman and my negligence about the code of conduct about

consideration of the personal and cultural belief led me to violate the code of conduct and the

family members filling a complaint to the hospital manager.

Feelings and thoughts about the experience

As per my understanding, I must have understood about diverse culture aspect of

healthcare in order to offer and provide a quality healthcare to the Aboriginal woman. I feel that

respecting patient concerning their gender, age, or ethnicity, becomes essential to acknowledge

the patient beliefs, culture norm, personal attitude, and preferences (Truong et al., 2017). As I

was examining the woman I found she was nervous and scared to break words about her feeling

if it was comfortable with me or I was offending her. I could not have imagined that I was

dealing with a patient who in her heart considered me as a stranger despite being on my duties. I

think that it is crucial to consider the culture of a patient, values, and beliefs to provide him or

her treatment that is not deviance according to their culture. Hence, it will help to create trust by

telling the patient something about their beliefs to create honesty and understanding of the

situation.

The most important knowledge I have gained is to consider the code of conduct on

cultural practice and respectful relationships between patient and a nurse about the Aboriginal

culture in Australia and their health beliefs. The primary aspiration of the learning and
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understanding of a patient culture in delivering better treatment help in creating confidentiality

and privacy of given health beliefs (Jeffereys, 2015). Then, it may be deduced that the delivering

of ethical consideration and discussing first with the patient about their preferred method of the

culturally accepted way through proper communication is essential to avoid bias and complains.

Hence, it helps to understand the disparities of between the western and indigenous health code

of conduct and manipulate it to fit the health beliefs systems of aboriginal people.

Evaluation of the Experience

Through the complains given by the aboriginal woman’s family members of violation of

cultural healthcare services to be provided, the manager used the code of conduct to educate me

on rule and regulation of adhering to different culture and belief on the healthcare system (Jha et

al., 2015). Then, I believed that I was offering a safe and respective care for the woman. My

conduct and failure to discuss with the patient about their system of treatment became below the

expectation of the code of conduct of nurses. In particular, I made the assumptions about the

right way of what is culturally accepted for his patient without even involving the patient in a

realm of deciding g on her approach of care.

I have come to my understanding that every culture has its unique beliefs and values

associated with the health system. Then it implies that there are diverse remedies and treatment

for illness in different societies and distinctive culture (Chang & Daly 2012). Hence, I should

always understand the concern about the way people from culturally diverse background

experiences the kind of healthcare services and how their system works. Then, following these

values, I think, helps to acknowledge and know how to initiate culturally sensitive care. Through

the use of cultural competency skills, a nurse can practice promising care approaches as a

profession in the future.

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Analysis to make sense of the situation

In my case and the Aboriginal Woman, it occurs that the manager has to use the code to

review my conduct with him. Hence, it will enable me to understand further about the issue that

other culture like and do not like when it comes to offering them health care services. Then it

will provide an opportunity to acquire direction to use when providing cultural safety and

appropriate care. Hence, the third principle of a code of conduct when dealing with cultural

norms and personal preferences of care offers an overarching standard a nurse is expected to

adopt when dealing with a patient (Jeffereys, 2015). The reason is that nurse usually engages

with people as an individual along with a cultural safe as well as respectful way, fostering

openness, honesty along with the companionate professional relationship. Also, the code

suggests that a nurse must adhere to their obligated approaches about patient privacy and

confidentiality.

I have learned that the code of conduct that is related to cultural practices and respectful

measure of patient’s behavior is that as a nurse I should advocate for and perform their duties in

facilitating access to a high quality and culturally safe health services. These services in

Australia are for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Gardner et al., 2018). In

addition, as a nurse I must be able to acknowledge that only the person or the family has full

responsibility to determine whether the care and diagnosis carried to their members are safe or

culturally unethical or deviance. Perhaps, I have learned that appropriate communication skills

when dealing with a patient is important so that the nurse listens to the client demands and the

way their culture says towards the approach of treatment that is being offered.

Conclusion
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From my experience with the aboriginal woman, it is clear that transcultural nursing is a

commodity of basic rehearses. Hence, I have understood that the progressive development of

several patients in a hospital from different social foundations establishes an unworthy test for

healthcare attendance to provide individualized as well as comprehensive care regarding each

patient social need. In this way, if I could have understood the social background and healthcare

services the patient had to undergo through, I would have appointed her to a person from her

culture. Hence, it obliges healthcare caregivers to comprehend social contrast in the medical

quality of services, traditions and conviction to amend to the principles of aboriginal healthcare

system and preferences (Jeffereys, 2015). Therefore, as a nurse, it is significant to become liberal

and develop a positive attitude of enthusiasm and have a craving for learning about other social

ways to prevent breaking ethical and moral consideration of patients.

Action plan

From my understanding of indulging in proper culture norms and beliefs in healthcare

care and services, it is important to keep up with a patient-nurse relationship. Hence, I have gain

knowledge and acknowledgment about different culture and ethnicity beliefs on healthcare

services and respective way of tackling their health issues. In the future, I will deal with the

situation through proper references to journals and books on cultural studies related to a

healthcare professional. Also, referring to previous complains of diverse groups about

satisfaction of treatment in the hospital department concerning culture and personal preferences

that were violated will help in future care services (Hemberg & Vilander, 2017). Hence,

understanding the importance of culture is a priority to venture in patient-centered care to put all

focus on the patient preferences and the authorized if the care being given is contrary or it might

create deviance behavior according to their respective societal norms.

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Conclusion

Self-reflection of the past experience with the patient help to understand their situation

better than before and deal with their issues appropriately when faced with a similar situation.

Using the Gibbs model of reflection, I have undergone self-reflection to understand the cultural

practices and personal preferences when it comes to healthcare provision. I have experienced a

devastating situation where I examined Aboriginal women in her private parts without

considering her cultural beliefs on the provision of healthcare and diagnosis. The issue brought

complains from her member family for not respecting her beliefs and cultural norms. In this way,

I understood that I violated the principles of the code of conduct as I evaluated my ethical and

moral consideration when treating the patient. I failed as I assumed a lot, and I did not consider

the importance of patient-centered care. I have violated the code of conduct of nursing, but I

have understood the impotence of respecting personal preferences and cultural beliefs of the

healthcare system. It has come in my mind spending time with the patient and acquiring

information about their culture and discussing the best way to go for the treatment is paramount.

However, I have acknowledged that in future having a private dialogue and consulting with

diverse groups of the patient family will help to understand the best way to offer the best services

which would not offend or violate their belief.

 
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References

Chang, E., & Daly, J. (2012). Transitions in Nursing-E-Book: Preparing for Professional

Practice. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Jeffreys, M. R. (2015). Teaching cultural competence in nursing and health care: Inquiry,

action, and innovation. Springer Publishing Company.

Gardner, K., Sibthorpe, B., Chan, M., Sargent, G., Dowden, M., & McAullay, D. (2018).

Implementation of continuous quality improvement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander primary health care in Australia: a scoping systematic review. BMC health

services research, 18(1), 541.

Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Further

Education Unit, Oxford Brookes University.

Hemberg, J. A. V., & Vilander, S. (2017). Cultural and communicative competence in the caring

relationship with patients from another culture. Scandinavian journal of caring

sciences, 31(4), 822-829.

Jha, V., Mclean, M., Gibbs, T. J., & Sandars, J. (2015). Medical professionalism across cultures:

A challenge for medicine and medical education. Medical teacher, 37(1), 74-80.

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2016). Registered nurse standards for practice.

Truong, M., Gibbs, L., Paradies, Y., & Priest, N. (2017). " Just treat everybody with respect":

Health Service Providers' Perspectives on the Role of Cultural Competence in

Community Health Service Provision. ABNF Journal, 28(2).

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