Evaluation of Professional Development Plan (Reflective paper) Essay

Evaluation of Professional Development Plan (Reflective paper) - Essay Example Established what made the communication process with patients difficult. 6th day I made a self-assessment to evaluate if I knew the different methods of communication and if I applied these to my patient. Established that I knew only few skills and methods in communication 7th day Established the different gaps of communication in my communication patterns Established the gaps I had in patient communication 8th day Reviewed information from books and journals on how other methods of communication can apply to health care scenarios Established how new skills in communication apply to efficient communication in health care 9th day Write down these methods and how each method can be carried out Wrote down how I can enhance my skills in communication 10th day Apply such methods in communicating with the patient Used new communication skills in communicating with patients 11th day Made a self-evaluation on the gaps seen in the communication with the patient while applying such new methods of communication: Established rapport with patients: use their names, make casual conversations, initiate introductions Established my weaknesses while applying new communication skills 12th day Made adjustments and changes in the application of such new methods of communication based on feedback from the patient and other health professionals Implemented changes in communicating with patients based on patient feedback. Reflection In applying the action plan above, I was able to discover that there are different communication skills which are needed to ensure efficient communication. First and foremost, I discovered that in effectively communicating with the patient, a two-way flow of ideas is a very effective means of communicating (McConnell, 1993). In this regard, I cannot be the one who keeps talking or the patient cannot also be the one who is talking. I found that in applying a two-way process of communication, I was able to gain much information from the patient (McConnell, 1993). I also found out that as a nurse, it is best for me to be the one to initiate introduction with the patient. I started off conversations by introducing myself to the patients with a handshake and a smile. This immediately made the patients relax and feel at ease (Young, 2009). Starting off the conversation with small talk also helped ease the communication process (Fernandez, 2010). After shaking hands with the patients, I made a casual remark about the weather. Most of the time, they easily responded to that; they also made negative or positive remarks about the weather. One time, I walked into a patient’s room while the patient was watching a basketball game on TV and we then started talking about the game and our favorite teams.