Higher Education And Medical Practice

The aim of this essay is to reflect on my role as a student in higher education and as a prospecting healthcare practitioner with a one-year plan for a developmental need that is achievable by the end of my first year. I will start with a discussion on learning in Higher Education then on nursing at Higher Education with my future role as a healthcare practitioner. I will examine nursing in the context of current healthcare and the value of life-long learning. In the next paragraph, I will look at my initial reflections on entering higher education. I will confer next on my academic background then identify my learning style and its impact on my learning. I will reflect on the significance of a known area of development that has to do with essential skills in higher education. This essay will culminate in a conclusion with a summary on all key points from my discussion above and a recommendation on what needs to be considering in my findings. It is asserted that higher education impacts the most in the minds of a student, unlike the relatively shallow grasp that is tolerable elsewhere in the educational system. You have to question every thing in Higher education, students ought to think and reflect on their own to be independent (Barnett, 1997).  Learning at University, I am encouraged to read, think independently, question and analyze what I read, and learn. I get to meet new people from various cultures and enjoy new experiences; I also enjoy plenty of support at the university, like social support, Health support, study skills, and resources support. I have the opportunity to experience a great student lifestyle with a huge range of clubs and societies, plus a diverse social life on offer. Studying nursing at the university level is a great way to expand my knowledge in the field. The learning experience received while studying is one that will provide me with the skills I need which will advertently give me required to expose in caring for patients. This is achieved by spending 50 percent of my course studying on campus and the other 50 percent on placement (practice learning)

While on placement professionalism is of utmost importance as I am working directly with the patient and their families. My future role as a health care practitioner would be conducted with such professionalism as I’ve learnt while studying on Campus and during placement, according to the Code: Professional Standards of Practice and Behaviour for Nurses and Midwives, known as the Code (Nursing & Midwifery Council [NMC], 2018) The professional commitment to work within one’s competence is a key underpinning principle of the Code which should be upheld at all times. My future role as a healthcare practitioner will primarily be to advocate for patients’ care regardless of their ethnicity or religious background; to support them during illness and in health. However, there are various other roles which are not limited to the following: administer medications and treatments, educate patients about management of illnesses, and collaborate with the team to plan for patient care, provide advice and support to patients, Monitor patient health, and record sign (Hood & Hood, 2017).

With the accelerated pace in the emergence of new knowledge current healthcare environment has become even more challenging. When a nurse starts practicing the increase in service demand will cause a reduction in time available for learning and development, when this continues over time the professional knowledge and competence may deteriorate (Walston and Khaliq, 2010). In view of this, the value of life-long learning cannot be overemphasized; it requires training and re-training to remain relevant in practice. Life-long learning also benefits healthcare leadership who requires knowledge and competency in their staff to meet patient’s health demands. People learn about their healthcare conditions and type of treatments by themselves and they expect their Healthcare professionals to have advanced knowledge to help them.

My work as a Health Nursing Assistant at a mental health facility has helped me to decide to pursue a degree in Mental Health nursing. I fear my life as a student nurse would be challenging because I would have to meet up with family life, work, and my studies. Although I am excited with my new role as a student nurse because my training as a nurse assistant has helped keep me in view but at times I get worried about being able to gain all the skills needed to become an effective nurse. I am counting on my strengths to accomplish this; like Creativity and initiative, flexibility and adaptability, leadership. My strength in mathematics will be useful in drug calculation and my IT strength. I am very proficient with using Microsoft Office and other computer application. I intend to gain a self-directed and independent learning style which is fundamental during the undergraduate nursing years. Kaufman and Mann (2010) suggest that problem based learning is that student face in medical education are designed to help them grow into independent learners. According to Barclay, Blackhall and Tulsky (2007), communication is a prerequisite to quality care; it is expedient for me to learn communication skills that are responsive to patient traditions, culture, and beliefs. My need to develop the capacity for independent and self-directed learning, developing excellent communication skills, time management skills will enable me be more responsive towards the needs of patients.

I have an Access to a nursing certificate which I obtained here in the United Kingdom. The modules I covered include English, Maths, Health Sciences, Nursing Studies, Professional studies, and social sciences. This course has helped me to create relevant and sound academic knowledge to facilitate my learning at the University. Over time I have been able to identify my learning style; however, learners can be identified by three major learning styles. These are the kinaesthetic, visual, auditory learning styles (Cassidy, 2004). I could identify I learn mainly by a combination of Visual and Auditory learning styles. In my mind, I can easily recall things I have read and I also like to write notes from Lectures that I attend. I observed that my auditory learning is stronger than my Visual learning. This combination of learning styles does have an impact on my learning. I don’t make the most out of the lecture if I don’t get the opportunity to sit in front where I use my auditory style of learning. In a situation like this, I write down vital points that I can grab in class so I can use them in reading with my other notes when I study privately.

An essential skill I would love to develop is in the area of health information technology. Others are developing the capacity for independent and self-directed learning, developing excellent communication skills and time management skills. Every industry today is being revolutionized by information technology and health care is not an exception, that’s why I consider health information technology an essential skill to master while in higher education to be relevant as a future nurse practitioner. According to Fagerstrom et al. (2016), nursing practice is also influenced by the role of ICT. Computer Systems are now being utilized in Healthcare facilities to check medical profiles, manage staffing, patient treatment tracking and many other tasks. Health care setting with more Health information technology systems have many Healthcare professionals adapting to such systems. As prospecting nurse practitioners I need to become proficient at working with health information technology because their use continues to grow in popularity in every aspect of healthcare. In light of this I have developed an action plan to address my developmental need which I hope to achieve by the end of my first year as seen below.

The following are the objectives of my action plan:

1. Improve skills on information and communication technology in patient care
2. Improve skills on independent-minded learning.