Introduction

Communication is a fundamental element in nursing practice. This element can

possibly determine patients’ satisfaction and even the outcomes of their treatment
(Lotfi et al., 2019). The situation described in the paper will exemplify the potential
role of communication, which is why it will serve as a Gibbs Reflective Cycle nursing
example. The cycle will help to assess the situation and extract lessons from it.

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The model is a widely-recognized and crucial learning instrument, allowing
individuals to extract lessons from life experiences. The pattern helps one to consider
previous experiences, reevaluate them in the light of new knowledge, and implement
the freshly obtained insight to improve future practice (Markkanen et al., 2020). The
cycle is composed of six stages (description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion,
and action plan), on which the reflection regarding the personal experience will be
based (Markkanen et al., 2020). The paper’s principal objective is to outline a
challenging situation from personal practice using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle. The
problematic situation is an encounter with a patient suffering from an infected diabetic
foot ulcer and in need of amputation. Overall, the paper aims to critically analyze the
situation and transform it into a learning opportunity useful in improving my future
practice as a wound care specialist.

The situation concerns a 40-year-old patient with diabetes and an infected foot ulcer
who was admitted to the hospital where I was working at the moment. The patient had
a long history of diabetes, from which he suffered since he was ten years old. A
multidisciplinary team examined the patient and established that he needed an
amputation. As I approached the patient to get a consent form, I noticed that he looked
upset. Given the described situation, it might be suggested that a communication
dilemma here is of ethical character, in particular – it is the delivery of the bad news.
By applying the model, the provided Gibbs Reflective Cycle example communication
will demonstrate what actions were undertaken to resolve the mentioned dilemma.

Description
The incident that will be analyzed is an outstanding Gibbs Reflective Cycle nursing
example, which happened several years ago when I began working as a wound care
nurse. A 40-year-old diabetic patient with an infected diabetic foot ulcer was admitted
to the hospital. He had a long history of diabetes, suffering from the condition for
three decades. A multidisciplinary team examined and communicated with the patient;
it was established that he needed a below-knee amputation. The group stated their
decision and left, and I had to retrieve the consent form. While retrieving the record, I
perceived that the patient looked exceedingly sorrowful and depressed. Nevertheless, I
did not know whether I needed to intervene in the situation and left.

Feelings

Although I worked for many years in nursing before the incident, I became a certified
wound care nurse relatively recently before it took place. At the moment, I saw the
situation as irreparable, so I was not sure whether I should have tried to console the
patient. I felt anxious and, to an extent, powerless when faced with the man’s grief. I
thought that words or an empathic response would not be able to mitigate his sadness.
Additionally, I was also somewhat startled that the multidisciplinary team did not
handle the conversation more delicately and left rather abruptly. Overall, I did not feel
confident enough to handle the situation and was unsure whether my intervention
would be appropriate.

Evaluation

I frequently returned to the incident, trying to understand what should have been done
instead. Retrospectively, I believe that it helped me to reevaluate the role of
therapeutic communication in my profession. Prior to the incident, I did not perceive
preoccupation with patients’ emotional well-being as my duty as a nurse. I believed
that administering medications and treatment, performing tests, recording medical
history, educating patients, et cetera, was all that was required of me. Nevertheless, I
did not fulfill another vital function in the described situation. To understand that a
holistic approach to care presupposes therapeutic communication, I had to experience
the case (2). As a nurse, showing empathy and consoling patients is a critical function
that is sometimes overlooked. Furthermore, the incident demonstrates a lack of
cooperation between the nursing staff and the team since communication was needed
to ensure that the emotional impact of amputation on the patient was alleviated.

Analysis

Some medical professionals find the process of delivering bad news challenging and
feel psychologically unprepared (Van Keer et al., 2019). A lack of skills in this aspect
can negatively affect patients: they might undergo extra stress, have lower
psychological adjustment, and have worse health outcomes (Biazar et al., 2019;
Matthews et al., 2019). Furthermore, the way the news is handled can impact patients’
understanding of the situation and adherence to treatment (Galehdar et al., 2020).
Given the adverse effects, multiple protocols and approaches to communicating bad
news and dealing with its consequences were developed. This situation is analyzed in
detail in a ‘Gibbs Reflective Cycle example essay pdf’ that focuses on these
communication challenges in healthcare.

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In the patient- and family-centered approach, the process occurs based on the patient’s
needs as well as their cultural and religious beliefs (Hagqvist et al., 2020). Upon
communicating the information, a medical professional is supposed to assess their
understanding and show empathy (Hagqvist et al., 2020). In an emotion-centered
approach, a medical professional is supposed to embrace the sadness of the situation
and build the patient-medical professional interaction on empathy and sympathy
(Hagqvist et al., 2020). Yet, the patient- and family-centered approach seems more
effective since excessive empathy can be counter-productive and impede information
exchange.

Managing patients’ reactions is the final and particularly vital step in communicating
bad news. Nurses are commonly involved in handling emotional responses, which
entails several responsibilities:

 Additional emotional support should be given to those who cannot accept the
information (Galehdar et al., 2020).
 Nurses can find more related information and share it with patients (Rathnayake et al.,
2021).
 Nurses are supposed to improve the situation if bad news has been delivered poorly
(Dehghani et al., 2020).
In the case of amputation, heightened emotional attention should be given to the
patient, as limb loss is a life-altering procedure. Such patients commonly undergo the
five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) and are
prone to developing anxiety, depression, and body image issues (Madsen et al., 2023).
Hence, upon delivering the news regarding amputation, it is vital to provide a patient
with community resources for dealing with emotional and psychological implications.

Action Plan

Currently, I understand more in-depth that delivering and handling the consequences
of bad news is an inescapable reality of the nursing profession. The incident allowed
me to notice the aspects of my professional development that necessitate more
attention and improvement. Hence, I strive to be more empathetic in my clinical
practice and not undervalue the role of patient-nurse communication. I attempt to
provide psychological and emotional support to patients and console them to the best
of my ability and knowledge, especially if a patient has just received traumatic news.
Due to the incident, I comprehended better that a patient’s emotional well-being can
be dependent on my actions. I also stopped presuming that other medical professionals
provide the necessary emotional support. Moreover, I understand that I am not
powerless when faced with a patient’s sorrow.

Consequently, I will not neglect the importance of patient-nurse communication for

patients’ health outcomes and mental well-being. I will offer hope where it is
appropriate and encourage and validate patients’ emotions to help them deal with
traumatic information (Font-Jimenez et al., 2019). In the future, I will use verbal and
non-verbal communication clues to show that I care and, generally, be more
empathetic (Font-Jimenez et al., 2019). I will not prevent my insecurities from
fulfilling my nursing duties, nor will I allow the feeling of hopelessness to affect my
clinical practice. Furthermore, I will rely on evidence-based approaches to handle bad
news effectively and facilitate its delivery to patients.

Additionally, I will be more mindful in my nursing practice. Gibb’s reflective cycle

will assist me in attaining this objective. I will continue to apply it to the situations
occurring at work in order to think systematically as well as analyze and evaluate
them. Furthermore, Gibb’s reflective cycle will enhance my ability to learn from my
experience. The model will help me to refine my communication skills and make
patient-nurse interactions more intuitive and productive (Markkanen et al., 2020).

Reflective Conclusion

The situation allowed me to understand the actual value of therapeutic communication

in nursing. Now, I understand the need to exercise it in my clinical practice, which is a
realization that I further explored in a ‘Gibbs Reflective Cycle example essay pdf.’
Learning to provide emotional support and manage the consequences of bad news is
an essential quality for nurses, influencing health outcomes and satisfaction from a
visit. Additionally, I become more conscious of my own emotions and the way they
can prevent me from acting in a patient’s best interests. Overall, the proper tactics of
delivering bad news and assisting patients in handling them became a higher priority
in my clinical practice.

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Conclusion

To conclude, this reflection featured an episode from my practice in which I analyzed

a communication situation using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle. It showed that I need to
concentrate on my abilities to resolve the communication dilemma of the delivery of
bad news. The above discussion also demonstrated how the implementation of an
appropriate and significant evidence-based model – Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle – may
result in better patient outcomes.

References

Biazar, G., Delpasand, K., Farzi, F., Sedighinejad, A., Mirmansouri, A., &
Atrkarroushan, Z. (2019). Breaking bad news: A valid concern among
clinicians. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry, 14(3), 198–202. Web.

Dehghani, F., Barkhordari-Sharifabad, M., Sedaghati-kasbakhi, M., & Fallahzadeh, H.

(2020). Effect of palliative care training on perceived self-efficacy of the nurses. BMC
Palliative Care, 19, 63. Web.
Font-Jimenez, I., Ortega-Sanz, L., Acebedo-Uridales, M. S., Aguaron-Garcia, M. J., &
de Molina-Fernández, I. (2019). Nurses’ emotions on care relationship: A qualitative
study. Journal of Nursing Management, 28(8), 2247-2256. Web.

Galehdar, N., Kamran, A., Toulabi, T., & Heydari, H. (2020). Exploring nurses’
experiences of psychological distress during care of patients with COVID-19: A
qualitative study. BMC Psychiatry, 20, 489. Web.

Hagqvist, P., Oikarainen, A., Tuomikoski, A.-M., Juntunen, J., & Mikkonen, K.
(2020). Clinical mentors’ experiences of their intercultural communication
competence in mentoring culturally and linguistically diverse nursing students: A
qualitative study. Nurse Education Today, 87, 104348. Web.

Lotfi, M., Zamanzadeh, V., Valizadeh, L., & Khajehgoodari, M. (2019). Assessment
of nurse–patient communication and patient satisfaction from nursing care. Nursing
Open, 6(3), 1189-1196. Web.

Madsen, R., Larsen, P., Carlsen, A. M. F., & Marcussen, J. (2023). Nursing care and
nurses’ understandings of grief and bereavement among patients and families during
cancer illness and death – A scoping review. European Journal of Oncology Nursing,
62, 102260. Web.

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Markkanen, P., Välimäki, M., Anttila, M., & Kuuskorpi, M. (2020). A reflective
cycle: Understanding challenging situations in a school setting. Educational
Research, 62(1), 46-62. Web.

Matthews, T., Baken, D., Ross, K., Ogilvie, E., & Kent, L. (2019). The experiences of
patients and their family members when receiving bad news about cancer: A
qualitative meta-synthesis. Psycho-Oncology, 28(12), 2286-2294. Web.

Rathnayake, S., Dasanayake, D., Maithreepala, S. D., Ekanayake, R., & Basnayake, P.
L. (2021). Nurses’ perspectives of taking care of patients with Coronavirus disease
2019: A phenomenological study. PLoS ONE, 16(9), e0257064
Van Keer, R. L., Deschepper, R., Huyghens, L., & Bilsen, J. (2019). Challenges in
delivering bad news in a multi-ethnic intensive care unit: An ethnographic
study. Patient Education and Counseling, 102(12), 2199-2207. Web.