Value of Reflective Practice for Skills Development

Value of Reflective Practice for Skills Development Reflective practice has been defined as Involving self, a process that is undertaken in response to a positive or negative event that may be initiate consciously or subconsciously, that requires to provide an answer (Chapman, Dempsey et al. 2009). It has also been defined as Paying critical attention to the practical values and theories which inform every day actions, by examining practice reflectively and reflexively, this leads to developmental insight (Clouston, Westcott 2005). Reflective practice is a process to which a person dissects their internal reactions to certain situations, and how they dealt with the cause and effect. It is only through this reflection that an individual can comprehensively understand and learn from their previous decision making mechanisms. Reflective practice gives the opportunity for a health professional to look back at their clinical skills used in given situations, and assess how these skills could be amended to better their professional practice. It is a method of learning from experiences, using experiences to analyze why problems occurred, and then to find a solution to these problems (Taylor 2010). Reflection has been defined by Dewey (1933) as active persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusion to which it tends cited by (Mann, Gordon et al. 2009). Boud (1978) reinforces Deweys assessment of reflection, however, he aligns himself with an overtly emotional assessment of personal experience. Boud defines reflection as a generic term for those intellectual and affective activities in which individuals engage to explore their experiences in order to lead to a new understanding and appreciation cited by (Mann, Gordon et al. 2009). There is a gap between academia and good professional practice. Although a student may have a very good understanding of theory, this does not necessarily teach them about good professional practice (Baird 2008). Knowledge is something that is to be challenged and reinforced. Gaining knowledge through clinical experience and reflection is key to being a reflective practitioner (Clouston, Westcott 2005). This can be obtained at university level within Radiography through clinical placement, positioning classes and a personal development system (PDS) (Baird 2008). These classes give the student an opportunity to challenge, discuss, but more importantly reflect on the theory which they have learned. It is through problem solving that a student can reach below the purely scientific understanding of processes and procedures, and can delve into the deeper, and one could argue, the more complexities of clinical practice. Through these teaching methods a student can learn that the theory of practice is not always going to work in given situations, and through reflection they can amend their knowledge to give the result of better clinical skills and professional practice (Baird 2008). It would be nieve to assume that every patient, every ailment, should reprieve a standard set method of treatment. The PDS is an online resource which provides a student with a key initial starting block to which they can build a more successful, productive, and ultimately professional methodology to explore key skill and developmental needs (Rowland 2006). A study of students found that reflective exercises proved successful, and that they thought it could be a valuable part of their professional careers within the health service. Students realised that reflective practice can help to deal with any similar issues arising (Cronin, Connolly 2007). Another study found that student nurses gained confidence in decision making through journal writing also stating that they believed more, that writing could be used to learn (Epp 2008). Both studies show that reflective practice is a beneficial tool that can be used to enhance professional practice. However the first study is seemingly over crediting the usefulness of reflective practice on a one size fits all basis. Students must not become fully dependant on the benefits which reflective practice may bring, and must leave room for ingenuity, and adapt these procedures to specific circumstances. The second study reinforces the benefits which reflective practice can bring to a students confide nce in their own professional expertise. The introduction of key performance indicators (KPI) into healthcare departments increased awareness among staff and gave an obligation to staff to fulfil certain tasks (Abujudeh, Kaewlai et al. 2010). Through KPIs in individual can highlight areas of strengths and weaknesses, however more importantly can develop a systematic and detailed plan to improve their continual personal development. There are methods incorporated into KPIS to encourage reflective practice, Continual Professional Development (CPD) and life long learning (LLL) (Chapman, Dempsey et al. 2009). Within radiography these two strategies are used to develop reflective practice. LLL was implemented with the intention for individuals to continually re-educate themselves on advances within their field of work. CPD is a resource which is discussed in detail with, the relevant line manager. If CPD is used properly reflective thinking is encouraged in the practitioner (Chapman, Dempsey et al. 2009). This reinforces the rel ationship which exists between CPD and the development of reflective practice. The society of radiographers has invested in an exclusive CPD tool which gives advice to members on how to reflect and learn. The CPD plan outlines that reflective practice can be carried out in a number of ways. Firstly by writing a reflective journal about personal experiences in the workplace or secondly in an educational environment through health professionals attending courses, to learn better ways of becoming a good reflective practitioner (Kelly 2005). It is only through implementation of all of these methods that a continual and productive mode of reflective practice can be achieved through the CPD plan. Writing a reflective journal helps a health professional keep a record of their practice, remind themselves of good and bad practice, why it happened and how they overcame or will overcome the problem (Clouston, Westcott 2005). A study found when a group of radiation therapists gathered to write journals together that their motivation, confidence, professional knowledge, critical thinking and professional practice all increased ensuring the CPD of staff (Milinkovic, Field et al. 2008). It is vital for reflective practice to be a success, all individuals within an organisation must be wholly committed to the belief that reflective practice is a worthwhile and productive tool. Things which hinder reflective practice occur in workplaces where there is no emphasis put on it by line management.. The pressures placed on professionals in the clinical environment mean that the health professional may feel that time spent on reflective practice may seem wasted (Mann, Gordon et al. 2009). It is a well known fact that as the health professional spends more time in the profession, it is found that less of their time is spent reflecting. It has been said that barriers to reflective practice include lack of time and space, negative preconceptions, organisational culture, fear, the risk of routine and not fully understanding reflection (Clouston, Westcott 2005). A study found that the use of a facilitator within a healthcare team to guide people and help promote reflective practi ce was very beneficial to the team. The time spent on reflection was said to have enhanced critical thinking, professionalism, making decisions and being able to challenge things they were not in full agreement with (Mann, Gordon et al. 2009). The use of a reflective practice facilitator provides a systematic and constant reminder to practitioners of the importance and benefits which this tool can give in work life. The facilitator provides an outlet for relevant and knowledgeable advice in what a practitioner may perceive as being a difficult circumstance. This study suggests that reflective practice has a positive impact on clinical skills and professional practice. Another study found that within the format of a meeting environment consisting of health professionals, reflective practice was influenced by five factors. The first factor which influenced reflective practice was that too much structure in a meeting lowered the ability to reflect. Secondly the level of interest a prof essional has in reflection, the more interested being better reflectors. Meetings in which people have certain roles and consist of tasks do not provide ideal for reflection. A pressurised environment where a professional is obliged to complete tasks, was shown to prevent reflective capabilities also (Heel, Sparrow et al. 2006). It would be nieve and absurd to remove structure from this mode of reflection, as the KPI targets reinforce good reflection methods. . Reflective practice has been proven to be an important tool in developing clinical skills and professional development. All studies had a similar agreement that reflective practice is good but the method of reflecting varied. Reflective practice has to be carried out from student to professional level. Reflection was said to increase confidence, decision making, motivation and professionalism (Clouston, Westcott 2005). There were no studies found that measured the effectiveness of reflective practice, perhaps this is an area where more research is needed. Another area that no research was located on was bad experiences of reflective practice. Further study into these areas could give more insight into how beneficial reflection is.

Book Report On The Outsiders Essay -- Essays Papers

Book Report On The Outsiders Character Analysis: Ponyboy Curtis - Ponyboy is a fourteen-year-old member of a gang called the Greasers. His parents died in a car accident, so he lives alone with his two older brothers, Darry and Soda. He is a good student and athlete, but most people at school consider him a vagrant like his Greaser friends. Sodapop Curtis - Soda is Pony's handsome, charming older brother. He dropped out of school to work at a gas station, and does not share his brothers' interest in studying and sports. Darrel Curtis - The oldest of the Curtis boys, Darry is also the acknowledged leader of the Greasers. Johnny Cade - Johnny is Pony's closest friend and the gang's pet. They are especially protective of him since he is smaller than the rest, his father beats him, and he is afraid to walk the streets alone after being attacked by a group of Socs. Cherry Valance - Cherry is from the richer part of town and associates mainly with the Socs, but she befriends Pony and the other Greasers and gives them information about the Socs. Bob Gardner - Bob is Cherry's boyfriend. Johnny murders Bob to stop him from killing Pony. Dallas Winston - A member of the Greasers, Dally has spent time in prison. He helps Johnny and Pony by telling them to go to Jay Mountain to hide out and by giving them money. Two-Bit Mathews - The Greasers' oldest member. He acts like a mentor or mascot to the Greasers. Steve Randle - Soda's best friend and anoth...

Employee perception on suggestion scheme Essay

Introduction:- Suggestion scheme is a formalized mechanism which encourages employees to contribute constructive ideas for improving the organisation in which they work. The overall aim is to gather, analyse and implement ideas in order to create results that have a positive impact on the business and/or deliver new value to customers. There are two approaches to the suggestion scheme * Traditional approach-which offers cash to their employees for the suggestions they provide. * Participative approach-continuous improvement in employee job profile through higher level of participation. SCREENING OF THE SUGGESTION Every suggestion is evaluated as per the criteria adaptability, creativity, originality and efforts, taken by the suggestor/employee. The amount of award is indicated with proper calculation and understanding of committee. If there is rejection then similar remark is indicated. Generally award is given when the suggestion is implemented. However if the suggestions are accepted and the course of implementation is longer, then interim award is given to the suggestor/employee to keep up his moral. In the same format other information regarding the implementing is indicated. A certificate is given to the suggestor/employee when the suggestion is accepted. This is signed by the chairman of the scheme or some top/ respectable person in the organization. In the good cultured company there is practice of giving a certificate of appreciation to the suggestor/employee even if it gets rejected. Often it carries good value to the suggestor/employee. It is more than money for some of them. Objective:- Primary objective:- * To understand employee suggestion scheme. Secondary objective:- * To analyse effective implementation of suggestions availed by employees. * To interpret initialisation in the part of management in processing the provided suggestions. * To measure employee-superior relationship and support. * To integrate creativity and constructive aptitude and attitude in non-personnel employees. * To set up a management infrastructure to generate ideas, evaluate and capture quality ideas and sustain constant flow of ideas.

Market segmentation approaches Essays

Market segmentation approaches Essays Market segmentation approaches Essay Market segmentation approaches Essay Coca Cola Market Segmentation Approaches The Coca Cola product in question is the Minute Maid Just 10 juice that is consumed by over a billion people throughout the whole world. Geographically, Coca Cola should approaches should be broad-based and undifferentiated. They should perceive the market as comprising of many customers having a fundamental desire that must be satisfied. For instance, it can be assumed that nearly all customers who want to purchase Coke have a thirst need. While this is possibly the largest market that any company would seek, they have no products that would appeal to all consumers globally as people have different tastes, preferences and requirements. Globally, Coke has an approval among the young generation that is made up mostly of teenagers, working class and other youthful individuals. This market segment is the most lucrative for Coca Cola Company as its main features include an access to income or money, increased social activity as well as varied tastes when it comes to soft drinks. Coca Cola should also focus on segments having high incomes such as white-collar professions. Lastly, Coca Cola also targets children as they consume a considerable amount of cola products and they have a hold on their parents who supply the income. In terms of demographics, it follows a similar fashion to that of geographic segmentation where the parent company has subsidiaries all over the world that have a high degree of autonomy (Ryan et al 45). This autonomy should be reinforced to allow subsidiaries to make geographical-specific decisions that will boost growth and revenue margins. The reason for recommending these approaches is to maximize the profits and achieve the goals set by the company. Within the present economy, tailor-made approaches stand a better chance of being successful when compared to conventional and universal approaches that lack applicability in different circumstances (Ryan et al 4). Minute Maid is positioned as a drink for individuals who are generally mobile and active. Minute Maid Just 10 is the perfect drink for healthy, stress-free consumption at any time of the day. This is because it is provides essential minerals such as potassium, calcium as well as vitamin C extracted from real fruit juice and very low in calories. The Sunkist Company applies the undifferentiated marketing strategy by completely ignoring the segment differences and attracting the entire market with one strategy. The company main products are citrus fruits particularly oranges and lemons. The Unilever Company applies differentiated marketing strategy throughout its subsidiaries across the world. Within Sub-Saharan Africa where the purchasing power is low, the company has developed smaller sizes of the same products to enhance purchases. This is slightly different from their product in developed states that are bulkier and sold at relatively higher prices. Concerning the concentrated marketing strategy, the Toyota Company applied it in the development of the hybrid market that began with the Prius model. After the inception, the company increasingly focused on developing hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Camry and Toyota Highlander. The company was able to get more customers by focusing on eco-friendly products (Ryan et al 18). Lastly, customized marketing that involves designing a particular product to meet the exact needs of a customer. Companies that use this type of marketing include website builders such as Wix. The Wix Company allows users to customize their products to their needs and standards before purchasing them. Marketing products this way ensure that in the end, the customer has to buy the product as he/ she finds exactly their preferences. Customized marketing is however reserved for unique or expensive product as it takes a lot of time and resources before a product is selected, customized and finished to the customer’s preferences. This is considered the highest type of target marketing. Work Cited Ryan, Damian, and Calvin Jones. Understanding Digital Marketing: Marketing Strategies for Engaging the Digital Generation. London: Kogan Page, 2009. Print.

Car Safety essays

Car Safety essays Car safety is something which is extremely important because the roads which we drive on are much more dangerous than we think. You might think you are a safe driver, and maybe you are, but how about other drivers? Each and everyday, hundreds of thousands of cars are on our roads making the chances of a car accident very likely. That is why car safety is so crucial. You might think such an important thing as car safety should be mandatory, well it is now, but 50 or so years ago, seat belts, airbags and front/rear crumple zones were not. Seatbelts were first thought of in the 1930s by US physicians and only in the 1950s did countries require newly built cars to have seatbelts fitted and finally in 1969, 3-point seat belts were mandatory in Australia. The reason why we have seat belts are simple. They keep us from hitting the interior of the car, flying head- first into the windscreen or even smashing through the windscreen in the event of car crash or if it comes to an instant stop. You might say wouldnt we stop as the car stops? Well, according to Newtons First Law of Motion, The Law of Inertia, thats not the case. Inertia is an objects tendency to keep on doing what it is doing/moving and at its speed unless an unbalance force acts against it. Newtons 1st Law emphasises that an object will persist in its state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced external force. Well the seatbelt is that unbalanced external force. Force is the product of the mass of an object and its acceleration (f=ma). The person(s) inside the vehicle has a mass and it is also travelling at a certain speed, thus they must also have a force. This is derived from Newtons 2nd Law of Motion. His second law is formulised through f=ma (force equals mass by acceleration), but force can also be formulised through f=mv-mu/t (force equals mass by final velocity mi...

Energizing Red Bull Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Energizing Red Bull - Essay Example This essay discusses that the â€Å"Red Bull – The Anti-Brand Brand† case showcases the strategic and global growth of energy drink, Red Bull. Discovered in Asia by Dietrich Mateschitz as a drink to boost factory productivity in 1982, the drink became a household name by 2003 with sales in more than 100 markets and a market share of 70%. Being a pioneer in energy drinks segment, Red Bull is an innovative product that tactically filled a gap in the market that only had coffee or natural juices as alternative options for energy. Red Bull, a compund mixture of taurine, caffeine and glucuronolactone, claimed to boost metabolism, improve performance, increase concentration and reaction speed, and increased endurance. Red Bull attained operational excellence by having decentralized sales and distribution channels, making sure that the product was accessible and available at all times. The brand created high barriers to entry by making sure there were â€Å"exclusive† p artnerships with strong distributors. The sales teams helped generate an aura of â€Å"exclusivity† by handpicking initial distributors and deliberate limiting of the supply. As expected in any industry, a growing market always attracts competition. In 2004, Red Bull faced intense competition from giant brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi who were developing their â€Å"health drinks† business and from private lables across the market. Currently, the top competition for Red Bull is from Monster, Pepsi and Suntory. It is seen from recent reports that the market share of Red Bull slipped to 40% in 2010. (Privo, 2010). The following write-up describes the marketing & communication strategies that Red Bull shouls adapt in order to rebrand its image and increase its sales to fight competition. Media Strategy Adopted by Red Bull in the case Key Customers & Customer segments The key customers for Red Bull were Generation Y-ers (18-29 year olds) who were the main consumers of à ¢â‚¬Å"extra energy† projects. Previously, these customers looked out for products (sometimes illegal) such as alchohol to provide them the extra thrill in their lives. Within the young adults customer group, Red Bull segmented them further to customize their promotional activities with respect to their needs. These segments are: Club-goers: All party-loving people who love a vibrant nightlife, like to dance and drink. These customers were the major consumers of thrilling vodka-red bull mix. Outdoors enthusiasts (Skiers, Skate-boarders): Outdoors enthusiasts such as skiers, snowboarders wanted Red bull to keep their energy levels high during their expeditions. Extreme Sports & Action games lovers: Lovers of extreme sports and action games such as racecar, bike racing and skydiving etc. also consumed Red Bull with zest. Hardcire Music fans: Music fans that regularly attend music festivals, rock concerts and other music gatherings were also users of energy drinks as Red Bull. Stu dents: Students who needed extra energy during their exams and university classes were another segment of Red Bull consumers. Product Positioning The manufacturers of Red Bull created an innovative niche for itself by positioning the product as a different, cool and rebellious product, which is available at a premium. Dietrich Mateschitz deliberately separated Red Bull from carbonated drinks (soda), juices or coffee. (Joyner, 2011). Key Messages & Brand Positioning The brand positioning and key messagers were derived from out of the product benefits and after-effects: Red Bull vitalizes body and mind. This key message became the nucleus of all promotional activities surrounding Red Bull with brand attributes as innovative, rebelling, self ironic, intelligent, nonconformist, self-confidence, mysterious, witty, charming, polarising and unpredictable. Red Bull’

Public & Private enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public & Private enterprise - Essay Example Some good and services are not suppose to be provided by the private sectors in some countries. The public goods and services are defined by economist as non excludable and non rival while private goods are excludable and rival (Kelly, 2007). In public purchasing, it is important to use ethics in order to improve the morale and loyalty of customers and workers. Ethics in management ensure that leaders behave according to the code of contact hence attracting customers and retaining the previous customers (Kelly, 2007) In the reconstruction of Tappan Zee Bridge it is important to use the Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The construction will be effective since both the private and public sector will provide services and funds. There will be merging of ideas and the construction will be effective (Kelly, 2007). In respect to the wimp video there are five types of government. Monarchy or dictatorship is the first form of government which is ruled by a king with nobles. Oligarchy is another form which is the most common form of government ruled by powerful few. Anarchy is another form which means without government. People decided to have no government due to crimes committed by the government. Government is necessary for the protection and security and anarchy is not a good form of government. Democracy type f government means a form of government the rule of the majority. Republic government means the public thing and the government is limited by the law to safeguard the public (Kelly, 2007). Private-public enterprises are a contract made between a private party and a public sector authority. In the enterprise, a private party provides a service and assumes all risks, substantial financial and technical risks in the business. Example of the private-public enterprise is health organization providing health services, water privatization, centralized units and financing like banking services