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Episode of care
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an essay reflection based on episode of care delivered to a patient in a ward based setting using a step by step model.
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Episode of careThis reflection is based on an episode of care I demonstrated on my first placement as a student nurse in
an orthopedic ward assisting a patient in undertaking a bed bath. In line with confidentiality and the
Data protection act 2018 patient’s identity will not be disclosed and I will refer my patient as NK. In line
with following the NMC code of conduct 2015, ‘we have a duty of care towards our patients when
handling confidential information and that we should protect their identity and make them feel safe and
respected’.
Description: The care I provided to the patient had taken place in a ward specialising in knee and hip
replacement. When a patient had been admitted to the ward, a shared care planning process takes
place. This is where our team takes into consideration the patient’s wishes and preferences (e.g.,
cultural, or religious), their capabilities to carrying out their personal care, if any assistance is required to
meet their needs and encourage independence where possible. Personal care is important because it
helps the patient feel refreshed and happier which can boost self-esteem and an opportunity for
promoting health by checking the condition of their skin and preventing pressure areas (Circle health
group,2022). In addition to this, personalised care allows healthcare professionals to observe their
patients and perform an assessment on how well they can coordinate their actions, mentally process
what is being said and express themselves.
After I received the handover from the nurses on the nightshift for my shift, I was given the
responsibility of providing on a bed bath for patient NK. NK was admitted to the ward following total
knee replacement surgery and is on bed rest until assessed. The equipment I collected were Bath
towels, disposable wipes, shower gel, wash bowels on top of each other to prevent it from being
soaked, fresh bed linen and an incontinence pad. I communicated with the patient to find out whether if
they had brought their own toiletries, they mentioned that the admission was planned admissions and
so they had indeed brought their own essentials which they had a preference of using, and so I collected
their toiletries and set them ready to use to ensure she felt accommodated.
I was working alongside an experienced Healthcare assistant. Before proceeding to assist with the bed
bath, we washed our hands using hand gel and put on blue aprons and gloves in order to prevent a
patient getting a hospital acquired infection. I then introduced myself to the patient and asked for their
consent for us to assist, to which they had consented.
When starting, the first step I took was to clean the table using alcohol wipes, before placing the
essential items onto the table, this was again done to ensure the safety of the patient by taking the
precautionary steps to mitigate risks of the patient contracting an infection. I then closed the curtains to
promote privacy and dignity, we raised the bed to prevent back injury, and then remove the hospital
gown and expose areas we start to clean using warm soap and water, whilst encouraging the patient to
clean areas which are convenient but promoted dignity by placing a towel on areas we have not started
to clean; we had the opportunity to check if the linen and pad were covered in bodily fluids, we decided
to roll the patient onto their side and change the linen and pad and replace with a fresh one. When
rolling the patient, we put fresh linen and a pad underneath and disposed the old one. I would wash the
private areas of the patient using fresh disposable wipes and dried with a fresh towel and placed a new
dressing gown on. Whilst completing this task, I also inspected the patients skin to check for pressure
areas. We used a skin body map to determine if skin were intact, we did notice the patient had red