a handbook for supervising allied health professionals - HETI - NSW ...

SECOND EDITION Analysis
What sense can you make out of the situation What does it mean
I think the patient was taken by surprise when I came in. Even though I explained why
I was there, he had just woken up and was disoriented. I should have checked with the
nurse about his presentation and paid attention to these signs as potential triggers to
his aggression. I later found out that the patient was suffering from delirium.
Afterwards I was very upset and tearful. I did not want anyone to know that I was upset
so I did not say anything. I felt however that this experience made me doubt my practice
and the incident affected my self confidence.
Conclusion
What else could you have done What should you perhaps not have done
Because I was in a rush that day I did not have time to plan the session properly or consult
with key team members. Despite warnings that this patient can become agitated, I thought
I could quickly treat him because I previously had good rapport with him. In hindsight, I
think I should have taken the time to organise to see him with a colleague or on another
day, but I was overwhelmed with the amount of work I had to get through and patients I
had to see.
Action plan
If it arose again, what would you do differently How will you adapt your practice in light
of this new understanding
I think that it is not worth “just trying to get though the day”. It’s important to plan intervention
or treatment with patients who are more challenging. I realise now that I contributed toward
the incident by not planning my intervention properly and not calling for assistance sooner.
I also recognise that it was important for me to talk the incident through with my supervisor
and reflect on all aspects of the situation in order to learn from it.
An example of a reflective practice template can be found in Appendix G (page 79).
HETI
THE SUPERGUIDE
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