Professional Development Write: A 500-Word APA Reflection Es

Professional Developmentwrite A 500 Word APA Reflection Essay Of Your

Write a 500-word APA reflection essay of your experience with the Shadow Health virtual assignment(s). Answers to the following questions may be included in your reflective essay: What went well in your assessment? What did not go so well? What will you change for your next assessment?

What findings did you uncover? What questions yielded the most information? Why do you think these were effective? What diagnostic tests would you order based on your findings? What differential diagnoses are you currently considering?

What patient teaching were you able to complete? What additional patient teaching is needed? Would you prescribe any medications at this point? Why or why not? If so, what? How did your assessment demonstrate sound critical thinking and clinical decision making?

Paper For Above instruction

Participating in the Shadow Health virtual assessments provided a valuable platform for honing clinical skills and applying theoretical knowledge in a simulated environment. Reflecting on this experience reveals insights into strengths, areas for improvement, and the evolution of clinical decision-making processes critical for effective nursing practice.

One aspect that went well during my assessment was the ability to establish rapport with the virtual patient through effective communication and active listening. This fostered a trusting environment that facilitated comprehensive data collection. Additionally, my systematic approach to history-taking and physical examination allowed me to gather relevant clinical information efficiently. Such skills are vital, as they lay the foundation for accurate diagnosis and targeted patient education (Hockenberry et al., 2018).

However, challenges arose in managing time effectively, particularly in balancing comprehensive assessment with maintaining patient engagement within the virtual platform. I found myself occasionally omitting pertinent questions or rushing through sections, which could compromise the thoroughness of data collection. Recognizing this, I plan to develop a more structured approach to simulate real-time constraints, ensuring that assessments remain both thorough and efficient (Jones & Pattison, 2019).

In the assessment, I uncovered several significant findings, including elevated blood pressure and reports of persistent fatigue and dizziness. These symptoms prompted questions about lifestyle factors, medication adherence, and potential underlying conditions such as hypertension or cardiovascular issues. Asking targeted questions about medication history and symptom onset proved most effective in narrowing differential diagnoses.

Based on the findings, ordering diagnostic tests such as a complete blood count (CBC), lipid profile, and renal function panel would be appropriate to further evaluate cardiovascular risk factors. Considering the symptoms, differential diagnoses include hypertension, anemia, or endocrine disorders such as hypothyroidism (American Heart Association, 2021). These conditions are plausible given the patient’s reported symptoms and clinical findings.

Patient teaching focused on lifestyle modifications targeting blood pressure control, including dietary changes, physical activity, and medication adherence. Future patient education should encompass smoking cessation and stress management, which are crucial for cardiovascular health (American College of Cardiology, 2020). At this stage, prescribing antihypertensive medications might be warranted if the patient’s blood pressure remains elevated upon subsequent assessments, aligning with clinical guidelines (Whelton et al., 2018).

My assessment demonstrated sound critical thinking by integrating patient history, clinical findings, and evidence-based guidelines to formulate a comprehensive care plan. Decision-making involved considering the urgency of potential diagnoses and the appropriate ordering of diagnostic tests, reflecting advanced clinical reasoning skills essential for effective practice (Benner et al., 2010).

References

• American College of Cardiology. (2020). Lifestyle modifications for cardiovascular health. Journal of Cardiology, 75(4), 567-574.
• American Heart Association. (2021). Hypertension management guidelines. Circulation, 143(3), e254-e283.
• Benner, P., Sutphen, L., Leonard, V., & Day, L. (2010). Educating nurses: A call for radical transformation. Jossey-Bass.
• Hockenberry, M. J., Wilson, D., & Wharff, E. (2018). wong’s nursing care of infants and children (11th ed.). Elsevier.
• Jones, T., & Pattison, S. (2019). Enhancing assessment skills in nursing education: Strategies and challenges. Nurse Education Today, 78, 138-142.
• Whelton, P. K., Carey, R. M., Aronow, W. S., et al. (2018). 2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults. Hypertension, 71(6), e13-e115.