Nursing Profession
Nurses are an essential part of the patient’s treatment and recovery process. The nurse helps the patient carry out all the appointments prescribed by the doctor to gain independence and health as soon as possible (Vaismoradi et al., 2020). A nurse is a member of a medical care team, assists doctors, and participates in planning and implementing an entire program of actions, whether it is disease prevention, recovery, or support for a dying person.
Nurses can become members of different medical teams, for example, those who care for patients at home, who work in the intensive care unit, in surgery, in oncology, and others (Haegdorens et al., 2019). For my path, I chose to become a nurse in the surgical ward, and it was there that I began to apply the experience gained over the years of training. The duties of surgical ward nurses include an extensive list of responsibilities. These include preparing patients for surgery, caring for them after surgery, communicating with patients and their relatives, and providing emergency care (Griffiths et al., 2020).
In addition, an essential task of a nurse working in surgery is to notice changes in the patient’s condition that require immediate surgery. This list is far from complete, as nurses in the surgical department are essential to surgical interventions and recovery (Hetland Smeland et al., 2018). This critical writing will outline the experience I gained working in the surgical department with a team of specialists. The essay will be constructed per the Gibbs model, which, in addition to the introduction presented, will include a description, thoughts, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan.
Description of Surgical Nursing Experience
One of the most significant experiences of my work in the surgical department was the case when a child was admitted with injuries as a result of an accident. Then, my main task was to monitor vital signs during and after the operation. The child’s condition was unstable, and I was constantly on the alert to inform the doctors about changes in indicators in case of any deviations. Working with children is very responsible because their bodies are often less substantial and more vulnerable than those of adult patients. On the day before the operation, the child’s vital signs began to drop sharply, which I noted and urgently informed the doctor.
The child was saved thanks to a team of specialists’ immediate and prompt actions. The intensive care unit provided all the necessary assistance, and later, the doctors were able to operate, during which I also monitored the indicators and reported the slightest changes. I provided postoperative care and communicated with the parents, telling them about all the details of the operation and the child’s condition. This experience was one of the most significant because, thanks to it, I realized how important and responsible the work of a nurse in surgery is.
Since I constantly monitored vital signs, the team of specialists managed to provide timely assistance and perform the operation, saving the child’s life. During my work in the surgical department, senior nurses gave me important and valuable recommendations. They shared their experience and advised me on how to act in a particular emergency.
Thought
When a nurse starts working in the surgical department, specific thoughts are associated with various circumstances. These include working with seriously ill patients or those in an emergency (Jang et al., 2020). In addition, it is vital to understand that attentiveness and sensitive monitoring of the condition of patients, especially after surgery, is one of the priorities of the work of surgical nurses.
Still, when a child arrives in an emergency, feelings change significantly. I felt strong emotions and excitement, but I focused on my duties and tried to provide the little patient with high-quality care. During the postoperative period, all my thoughts and feelings were directed toward taking care of the child, as well as supporting his parents. After all, one of the duties of a nurse is to take care of not only patients but also their relatives and loved ones.
Evaluation
I noted that my work still needs improvement as I plan to grow and develop my nursing skills. I need to improve my ability to respond quickly to emergencies, as well as not to take everything too personally, but at the same time, remain empathetic. These skills are necessary for nurses working in the surgical department, as people are often in a dangerous situation, and it is imperative to maintain the ability to think critically and clearly respond to any events (Ghaedi et al., 2020). An essential role in my development is played by my colleagues, who have extensive experience in the surgical department, and they are the leaders and manage all the processes of our department. The leaders include senior nurses and surgeons, people whose skills and abilities have already been honed and coordinated (Başoğu, 2020).
Analysis
Present Leadership Styles
Several types of leadership characterize the surgical department at once. This is because modern medicine is characterized by complexity and frequent process change, which leads to the need to use different management styles. A brief definition of leadership is a particular act carried out within a team that can direct people to success (Thusini & Mingay, 2019). There are authoritarian, hierarchical, situational, and transformational styles. Each style should be used depending on the goals and aspirations of the team of doctors and nurses.
Authoritarian
Authoritarian leadership is used when strict control is required, as well as when the level of qualification of personnel other than the surgeon is low, for example, when working with interns (Ramadan & Eid, 2020). This management style is one of the most unsuitable since experienced staff feel that an inexperienced one will be unable to meet all requirements. Therefore, there is a constant turnover of personnel
Hierarchical
Hierarchical leadership involves making essential decisions entrusted to people in certain positions (Peter et al., 2020). The surgeon is one of the parts of the hierarchical leadership, but must be ready to delegate interactions to other specialists. This type of leadership is suitable in case of a mass accident, but requires full training of all team members.
Transformational
Transformational leadership is used when a leader, such as a surgeon or a department head, directs their team to achieve new levels (Suratno et al., 2019). Thus, the surgeon encourages nurses to improve their level of patient care. To do this, learning how to convince, motivate, and inspire subordinates is necessary.
Situational
Situational leadership is essential in an emergency, for example, in a particular situation (Belle et al., 2019). This approach is necessary when the staff is called to work, which changes employees’ work schedules. In general, each approach aims to ensure that both the leader and the team achieve inevitable success in their work and fulfill their goals. This is especially important in the surgical department since it is there that the leader and nurses have significant responsibility for the lives of patients.
Pros and Cons of the Leadership Styles
Authoritarian and Hierarchical
Each of the applied management styles is relevant and is actively used in the work of the surgery ward. Although the authoritarian regime is a bit outdated and can sometimes hinder the work of inexperienced nurses, it is also applied (Belrhiti et al., 2018). This is because the authoritarian leadership style is based on strict control, which is sometimes a necessary criterion for the regular function of the entire department. The hierarchical leadership style is also not new, but thanks to it, each team member is under the control of a higher-ranking colleague, which helps to achieve one common goal more effectively.
Situational
The most comfortable for work is the situational leadership style. It is suitable for the surgical department because the entire team of specialists often has to work in a particular situation, whether in an emergency or not (Miles & Scott, 2019). For some employees, it may not always be convenient to work on their day off, vacation, or overtime, but the primary purpose of medical staff and, in particular, nurses is to take care of people in need who have come to a medical institution and help doctors work with patients. In this regard, sometimes extra time may be needed, which is dictated by situational leadership.
Transformational
The transformational type is also essential because disease data and possible patient care are regularly updated (Aaberg et al., 2019). This means that all nursing staff need to update their knowledge and skills. In such cases, inspiration and motivation from the manager may be necessary.
Skills Important in a Surgical Ward
In a situation where saving the life of a child who had significant damage due to an accident, the immediate work of all personnel was required. The leader-surgeon applied the situational type of leadership since many medical personnel were needed to provide the most effective care for the child and perform complex operations (Adams et al., 2020). When working in this situation, I gained experience working in an emergency in practice and caring for a patient in a severe condition. I noted that for the whole team to work successfully, it is necessary to have many skills. These include communication, teamwork, emotional intelligence, decision-making, and empathy (Sonoda et al., 2017).
Communication and Emotional Intelligence
Having communication skills helped me to communicate effectively with colleagues. Nevertheless, I realized that such a skill as emotional intelligence is essential, especially in an emergency. Some doctors or senior nurses may be harsh, but emotional intelligence will allow me not to react sharply to such behavior of senior medical staff (Raeissi et al., 2019). That is, in this case, it is necessary to understand that nurses and doctors are in a difficult situation in which they need to fight for the life of a child, and it is not worth responding to their sometimes harsh communication. I also realized that I needed to improve on this skill.
Decision-Making
Another essential skill I have identified and need to train is the ability to make decisions. This is especially vital when working in the surgical unit since it is there that emergency patients arrive, and every moment is critically important (Shoqirat et al., 2019).
Empathy
In addition, by working with patients in the operating room and communicating with their relatives, I will improve my empathy skills. Empathy is conscious empathy with the current emotional state of another person without losing the sense of the external origin of this experience (Levett-Jones et al., 2019). Being empathetic is a fundamental characteristic of nurses in any department, including surgical. It is necessary for a nurse to understand what patients and their relatives feel and the ability to empathize with people and convey information correctly (Babaii et al., 2021). I know how to sympathize and empathize with people, but I can strengthen this skill by working with patients and their loved ones.
Teamwork
I realized that I have known how to work in a team since school, we have been taught the importance of this skill, and have had the opportunity to practice it regularly. This skill was one of the most important in my work in the surgical department, since this work is always solved in a team. The role of a nurse is one of the most important since they are not only a means of communication between doctors and relatives of patients but also work almost simultaneously with anesthesiologists, surgeons, and other nurses (Gutiérrez-Puertas et al., 2019).
Teamwork is the work of a group of people focused on solving a specific task. In this case, the main goal is to provide the patient with high-quality pre-and postoperative care, competent operation, assistance in compliance with doctors’ prescriptions, and work with relatives. In the case of caring for children, especially in an emergency, nurses and all staff need teamwork skills so that all manipulations occur at the highest possible level.
Quick and Calm Response
In the surgical department, it is necessary to be able to respond quickly to various situations. Some patients are admitted urgently, and an essential task of a nurse is to prepare a person promptly and efficiently for surgery (Smith et al., 2020). I always try to be ready to perform immediate work, but I need to hone my skills to become more successful. With time and experience, this skill will improve, and I can respond even more quickly to various emergencies.
In addition, an essential skill is maintaining calm in any situation (Bukoh & Siah, 2019). When patients arrive, especially with multiple injuries or who need a complex operation, it is imperative not to panic and try to calm down. This aptitude is necessary to work in the surgical department since fear for the patient’s life can often lead to losing control over oneself and, subsequently, to critical mistakes (Adamson et al., 2018). This skill and the ability to react quickly to situations will increase with time and experience.
Obedience and Collaboration
Whatever style the team leader of any medical institution chooses, the nursing staff must act according to it. This is important to eliminate the possibility of mistakes and misunderstandings among the medical team members. Nevertheless, leaders should motivate their team to succeed competently and clearly allocate responsibilities related to patient care. With the joint efforts of all team members and experienced management, it is possible to achieve this goal. The work aims to ensure patients receive the highest quality care and treatment.
Self-Development
To work successfully and effectively as a nurse in the surgical ward, it is imperative to work toward self-improvement. It is necessary to work on correcting mistakes, acquiring missing skills, and improving existing skills. To develop, it is essential to draw up an action plan that will subsequently help systematize all the necessary actions and help to approach the solution of existing problems and shortcomings competently. The plan will be drawn up in accordance with the SMART approach. Each set goal will be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and tied to a particular period.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the work of a nurse in any department is essential since it is in the hands of nurses that the health and well-being of patients are in the hands of nurses. I work in the surgical department, and my primary responsibilities are taking care of patients during the pre-and postoperative time and supporting people whose relatives were on the operating table. Each situation is individual, but they all help to show what my strengths are, as well as what I need to work on.
Each department has a leader who works according to certain leadership styles, and in the surgical department, the leaders are surgeons (Bullington et al., 2019). I need to work on my skills and knowledge to improve and develop my knowledge. In the action plan, I have defined what I need to do to be a practical nurse.
Action Plan
The self-improvement action plan will consist of two large parts: the development of weaknesses and the improvement of strengths. Drawbacks include making decisions quickly, emotional intelligence, and maintaining calm even in emergencies. The plan to improve existing skills includes teamwork and the development of empathy. I plan to enhance all my weaknesses within three to six months, as this time will help me strengthen my new skills. Strengthening existing skills will take place over a longer period, as the priority for me will be the development of weaknesses. That is, the strengthening of existing skills will continue for one year.
Addressing Weaknesses
I plan to develop decision-making to determine as quickly as possible what the problem is, then think about all the options, calculate the outcomes of these decisions, and then choose the most effective solution out of all possible ones. Undoubtedly, it may take time at first, but gradually, this skill will develop, and I can make a firm decision faster. To develop emotional intelligence, I need to learn how to respond to the causes and not to the actions and emotions of other people. To develop emotional intelligence, training to control my feelings and reactions, listen to the criticism of experienced colleagues, and change is necessary. It is also crucial to learn to forgive and forget, but at the same time adhere to my principles and values.
Improving Strengths
Working on strengthening empathy is one of the parts of developing emotional intelligence. I know that working in the surgical department will impact the development of empathy. This is because I will have to work with people whose loved ones are being treated or who will have surgery. However, I need to listen to people more, get to know their experiences, and show my feelings to develop empathy.
As for developing teamwork skills, they will also be improved through regular work with a group of colleagues. To strengthen the team, joint actions of all its members are necessary. We need to support each other, motivate each other, remember our goals, and not let negative emotions manifest towards each other. Per this plan, I can improve and become more effective as a nurse.
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