Patient Encounter Journal Reflection
Three Challenging Patients
The first challenging patient is a new patient who does not want to pay to have labs completed. The patient does not want to return to the MD visit to follow up on the labs. She is new and there is no previous lab to review. She is a strong-willed and principled lady.
The second patient is asking about organic medication and therapeutic interventions. The patient prefers natural methods of treatment. She needs to talk to a practitioner to explore the options available to ensure a change of medication.
The third patient is coming for a well-women visit. She is having high blood pressure and does not want to accept her blood pressure is elevated. The patient indicates that the blood pressure is elevated during the annual visits only. She does not want to take ownership of the high blood pressure.
Learning and Experiences
I learned that it is important to communicate effectively to patients about the need to complete diagnostic tests such as labs. The information can help the patients to adhere to the treatment process such as paying for the labs.
The second lesson is patients need information on organic medication and therapeutic interventions. The information should involve the benefits and side effects of natural or organic medication. Educating patients will provide them with knowledge on the side effects, benefits, and precautions (Livne et al., 2017).
The third patient provides an important lesson about taking precautions with patients who are not acknowledging their health condition. It is important to collaborate with other healthcare workers to provide comprehensive care to patients to avoid adverse outcomes (Livne et al., 2017).
Communicating and Feedback
I will improve my skills by handling diverse patients. The first-hand experience is critical to enhancing the quality of my skills. I will strive to explore various case studies of patients in the healthcare environment. The case studies will provide knowledge on the critical decisions I should make while taking care of diverse patients. I will communicate to my preceptor by writing a report of my progress and experiences in the healthcare environment.
I am doing pretty well in my current experience of taking care of patients with diverse healthcare issues. One of the missing skills is the ability to handle patients with multiple health conditions. I am still learning the ability to prescribe medication and determine therapeutic interventions for diverse medical issues. My fear is prescribing medication that can undermine the safety of a patient. Another area that requires improvement is on communicating with patients who do not understand English. Finding a translator is a challenge and it takes time before a practitioner can understand the healthcare needs of a patient.
I am getting positive feedback from my preceptor. The preceptor indicates I am making positive progress regarding patient assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. The feedback is effective to help me improve my commitment in the practical classes (Rusch et al., 2019). One of the improvements that are necessary according to the preceptor is handling patients from diverse ethnic groups. I need to improve my cultural competence. I will learn more about various cultural practices and how they affect the delivery of care. The lessons will be vital in enhancing my knowledge about cultural competence and the ability to prescribe the treatment without affecting patients’ beliefs and traditions (Orgel, 2017).
Reflections
Livne, Y., Peterfreund, I., & Sheps, J. (2017). Barriers to patient education and their relationship to nurses’ perceptions of patient education climate. Clinical Nursing Studies, 5(4), 65.
Orgel, H. (2017). Improving LGBT Cultural Competence in Nursing Students: An Integrative Review. ABNF Journal, 28(1).
Rusch, L., Manz, J., Hercinger, M., Oertwich, A., & McCafferty, K. (2019). Nurse preceptor perceptions of nursing student progress toward readiness for practice. Nurse Educator, 44(1), 34-37.

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