From the very first clinical until our last in person clinical, I noticed a ton of improvements in my interactions with patients. When we first started we were paired up with a single patient. We were obviously nervous because it was our first few clinical and we honestly were very unsure as to what to expect. Even with my partner there, I was very nervous and lacked confidence when speaking with the patient. In the beginning of the semester I basically only went in the patients room to complete vitals, head to toe and hourly rounding but failed to make an effort to bond with the patient. I also was very focused on these tasks because I had yet to get in a good routine and was still learning how to work the equipment. I noticed that once I was on my own and had a little more experience I became a lot more confident. I was able to make more of an effort to build a relationship with the patient rather than solely focusing on the tasks. Towards the end of the semester it just felt easier to bond with patients. Each morning I was excited to meet my patient and get to know them better. I think building my communication skills and making stronger relationships with my patients definitely improved my overall quality of patient care. I believe that my communication improved partially because I felt more comfortable but also due to the numerous techniques we have learned in class.
Though I improved a lot this semester, there are still so many things I should be working on. The main growth I would like to see is gaining confidence. I know this is something that will come more with time, but I feel like it’s something I can actively strive for. There were times throughout clinical this semester where I found myself second guessing myself over things that I knew were correct. A lack of confidence in myself made some patient interactions uncomfortable. There is no way to avoid awkward or upsetting situations in the healthcare field, but being confident may help my response to these situations. I also think that gaining more confidence will help further improve my communication skills. Becoming more confident in my nursing skills will allow me to focus on bettering my relationships with patients.