The Role of the Student in Higher Education Essay

The Role of the Student in Higher Education - Essay Example The Gibbs reflection model seeks to understand the feelings that were experienced, and also allows for the evaluation of an incident in terms of what was bad or good about it (Wilding 2008). The Gibbs model also includes an analysis of the critical nursing situation and then the suggestion of an action plan that will deal with the issue if it should arise again (Curzon 2003). According to (Hinchiff 2004), reflection is particularly important for student nurses because they work in environments in which they have to perform numerous tasks almost without thinking about them previously. Being compelled to work swiftly among emotionally and physically wounded people can affect the student nurses. Engaging in reflective practices allow for the student nurses to be able to deal with the reality of being exposed to human anxieties and needs on a daily basis (Watson 2008). This is important because nurses will not be able to function well if they are stressed from being forced to deal with p eople when they are most vulnerable. Reflection allows for student nurses to be able to develop self-awareness among other interpersonal skills that make them more effective in their nursing duties (NMC 2011). Reflection also helps student nurses to be able to understand ways in which they can better improve their services to their patients (Stuart 2007). For student nurses, reflection thus changes a situation which previously may have been filled with doubt, anxiety, and conflict into being one which is manageable (Price 2004). Description: In considering the situation that he or she is in, the student nurse is able to consider the ways in which she can approach her patients or even plan on studying patterns. Feelings: The student nurse is able to reflect on positive or negative feelings that he or she may be experiencing in regards to the studying practices that he or she has adopted or even regards to patients assigned. The student nurse can then make decisions based on that asse ssment in order to rectify the situation or at least make it manageable (Johns and Freshwater 2005). Evaluation: once the student nurse understands the feelings that he or she has in regards to definite situations, he or she will be in a better position to make decisions on how to solve or amend the situation so that it is more manageable. Analysis: After making an evaluation and deciding about the best way in which to progress, the student nurse is then able to make the decision about the existing situation(s). Different student nurses use Gibb’s reflective model in different ways to ease their studies as well as responsibilities within medical facilities (Johns and Freshwater 2005). Many student nurses make use of journals in which they make entries detailing the situations they are working with and how they feel and plan to manage them. This also helps the student nurses in their learning experiences. For example, if a student nurse comes across a new medical procedure or fairly rare disease, she can record her own feelings about the first time that she saw it and her gut reactions about what caused it. She will then, after writing about her own first feelings about it, can add what she discovered about it on consulting a textbook.