Reflection bank – list of my
experiences and the links to medicine
Note from author: Thanks for buying my notes and all the best for your interview! To be clear this PDF does
not consist of any of my interview questions and this document is not permitted to be shared around or to
be resold. This is not the original copy, but is the purchased copy.
- Olivia
Definitions of the values
Communication “The act of exchanging, expressing or conveying information
to one another” this can be through forms of speech which is
a form of verbal communication, non-verbal communication
includes body language, facial expressions and gestures,
tailoring communication
Empathy “The ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with
the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking
or feeling” this includes acknowledgement of what someone is
going through or encouragement
Intelligence “Main two intelligences used, cognitive intelligence which is
referred to as understanding developed through thinking,
experiences and emotional intelligence which is the ability to
empathise with others, own management of emotions”
Compassion “Feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s
suffering and feel motivated to relieve the suffering”. This is
different to empathy as you want to take action, doctors have
to follow stranger compassion (compassion for people we do
not know), different types of compassion, familial (family
member) Compassion is not just recognising the suffering of
the patient but acting to reduce the suffering
Respect “Treating people in a fair and equal way, with upmost care”
respect in relationships builds the feeling of trust, safety and
wellbeing (similar to integrity e.g. willing to admit to one’s
limitations & accountability)
Resilience The ability to cope with and recover from setbacks,
compromised from the 5C’s community, compassion,
confidence, commitment and centring, “capacity to respond
to stress in a healthy way such that goals are achieved at
minimal psychological and physical cost”
Critical thinking “Is the ability to analyse facts and form a judgement, the
ability to think clearly and rationally and to understand the
logical connection between ideas” e.g., deciding how you use
your time as it requires continuous evaluation on how you
spend time
Leadership “The action of leading a group of people or an organization,
position of guiding a group” good leaders possess self-
awareness and communication. Has 3 attributes: courage, the
ability and desire to innovate and improve; and the ability to
manage risk and uncertainty
Decision making “Process of making choices, identifying a decision, gathering
information and assessing alternative resolution”
collaborative process which a clinician supports a patient to
reach a decision about their treatment
Teamwork “A group of people acting together as a team or in the
interests of a common cause” (e.g., the patient), the process
of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to
achieve a goal
, Patience “Patience means being able to wait calmly in the face of
frustration or adversity” the ability to wait or to continue
doing something despite difficulties
Professionalism “Encompasses the way you carry yourself, your attitude and
the ways you communicate with others” being profession
ensures a good first impression and successful interpersonal
relationships, conducting oneself with responsibility, integrity,
and excellence
Adaptability “A person’s ability to adjust to changes in their environment,
flexibility,” ability to change and remain flexible when
encountering new or different circumstances, dealing with
new policies and new team
Conscientiousness “The quality of working hard and being careful,
demonstrating a strong work ethic”, attention to detail and
showing commitment and purpose
** Capacity – Ability to give consent, relies on the patient being able to understand
information and use this information to make a decision CAPACITY ASSESSMENT
Tools to assess capacity - Mental capacity act, used for people who may lack capacity e.g
dementia, severe learning disability, brain injury and strokes.
2-stage test of capacity 1. Does the person have an impairment of their mind or brain as a
result of illness or external factors? 2. Does the impairment mean the person is unable to
make a specific decision when they need to?
UNABLE TO MAKE A DECISION IF: Cannot understand information relevant, retain
information, use or weigh up that information as part of making the decision
1. You assume the patient has capacity unless otherwise proves not to
2. First give them information and then allow the patient to understand
3. Make sure to provide them with risks or benefits
4. Then ask patient to retain and recite the information
[IF THEY CAN DO ALL THAT PERFECTLY THEY HAVE CAPACITY AND CANPROVIDE AN
INFORMED CONSENT]
6 core values in the NHS constitution
WHY IS THIS PUT IN PLACE – Patients, public and staff have developed these values that inspire passion in the
NHS and underpins everything it does, organisations will develop and build upon these values, provides
common ground for co-operation to achieve shared aspirations at all levels of the NHS
Working together for patients Patients come first in everything
Involve patients, staff, families, carers,
communities and professionals in and out of
NHS
Put the needs of patients and communities
first
Speak up when things go wrong
, Respect and dignity Value every person as an individual (doesn’t
matter if its staff, patient)
Respect their aspirations, commitments in life
Understand their priorities, needs, abilities and
limits
Take what others have to say seriously
Honest and open about point of view and what
we cannot do
Commitment to quality of care Earn trust by insisting on quality and striving to
get basics of quality of care
Encourage and welcome feedback from
patients, families, carers and staff
Use this feedback to improve the care
provided and build upon the success
Compassion Ensure that compassion is central to the care
provided
Respond with humanity and kindness to each
person’s pain, distress, anxiety
Search for things to do to give comfort and
relieve suffering
Find time for patients, their families and carers
Do not wait to be asked because we care
Improving lives Improve health and wellbeing and people’s
experiences of the NHS
Cherish excellence and professionalism
Recognise all have a part to play in making
ourselves, patients and communities healthier
Everyone counts Maximise resources for the benefit of the
whole community
Making sure no one is excluded, discriminated,
left behind
Accept some people need more help and
difficult decisions have to be taken
Wasting resources = wasting opportunities for
others
7 principles that guide the NHS
WHY IS THIS IN PLACE- 7 key principles guide the NHS in all it does, underpinned by the 6 core values which
have been derived from discussions with staff, patients and the public
WHAT DOES IT DO? – Brings together in one place what staff, patients and taxpayers can expect from NHS,
confirms that the NHS belongs to all of us, sets out for the first-time new rights for patients, explains where the
NHS pledges to improve services and working environment, describes everyone’s responsibilities and makes
clear how we can best make use of NHS resources.
WHY IS IT NECESSARY? – Secures the future of the NHS for generations to come, (gov must renew constitution
every 10 years), aims to ensure high quality free NHS services, tells staff and patients what their entitlements
are, sets out a vision which all staff should be trusted and actively listened to
RIGHTS AND PLEDGES? – Access to health care services, quality of care and the environment, nationally
approved treatments and programmes, respect, consent, confidentiality, informed choice
, The NHS provides a comprehensive service, available to It is available to all irrespective of gender, race,
all disability, age, sexual orientation, beliefs,
pregnancy or partnership status, no one will be
discriminated in any form
Designed to improve, prevent, diagnose and
treat both physical and mental health problems
Has a duty to every individual and respecting
their human rights
Has a wider social duty to promote equality
though service it provides
Pay extra attention to sections of society where
improvements in health and life expectancy are
not keeping pace with the rest of the population
Access to NHS services is based on clinic need, not an One’s health should not be jeopardised by
individual’s ability to pay wealth, so the NHS services are free of charge
There are exceptions in certain circumstances
however e.g., not ordinarily resident in the UK,
or specific prescriptions and so on
The NHS aspires to the highest standards of excellence Provides high quality care that is safe, effective
and professionalism and focused on patient experience
Supports the management of education, training
and development
Respect, dignity, compassion and care should be
at the core of how patients and staff are treated
The patient will be at the heart of everything the NHS Aims to support individuals to promote and
does manage their own health
Services should reflect, be co-ordinated, and
tailored to the needs and preferences of patients
Patients with their families and carers will be
involved where appropriate
NHS will encourage feedback from public,
patients and staff and welcome it and use it to
improve the service
The NHS works across organisational boundaries Works in partnership with other organisations in
interests of patients, local communities and
wider population
Integrated system of organisations, services
which are bound together by principles and
values
Committed to working with local authority
services, and wide range of private and
voluntary organisations to deliver improvements
in health and wellbeing
The NHS is committed to providing best value for Committed to providing the most effective, fair
taxpayer’s money and sustainable use of finite resources
Public funds for healthcare will be devoted solely
to the benefit of the people that the NHS serves
The NHS is accountable to the public, communities and National service funded through national
patients that it serves taxation
Government sets framework for the NHS but
most decisions especially about treatment is
taken by local NHS
System of responsibility and accountability for
taking decisions in the NHS will be transparent
and clear to the public, patients and staff
