Developing Expansive Learning

1. What?

In the current reflection, I am going to share my experience while working in my practise placement as a student nurse about sexual harassment in the workplace. Kahsay et al. (2020) mentions that sexual harassment is the unwelcome sexual behaviour from other that is offensive, intimating and humiliating in the society and for the people affected by the condition. I choose the topic of sexual harassment at the workplace because it been faced by nurses widely in the UK. This is evident as it is reported that nearly 37% nurses in the UK has reported being sexually harassed at the workplace by colleagues (Geissler, 2021). In another survey, it is reported that 1 in 12 NHS nurses report facing sexual harassment at the workplace from bosses and colleagues (Campbell, 2019). The sexual harassment ranges from groping, unwelcoming touch, hugging or kissing and others along with forced to endure inappropriate jokes, sexual remarks and others (Campbell, 2019). I also had similar experience where one of the registered male nurses at the practise placement mentioned an inappropriate sexual joke with me and tried to touch my waist without my permission. I tried to report it to my supervisor who initially neglected to consider the matter, but later recorded the report when I tried to involve higher authorities. I discussed the fact with few other nurses in the ward and all of them mentioned they have faced such similar sexual advances which they were forced to endure.

2. So What?

My experience as a student nurse in the practice placement was a great learning opportunity for me to understand the way sexual harassment towards the nurses like me are to be controlled and managed with effective intervention. In the process, I was able to improve communication and patience as interpersonal skills along with developed enhanced problem-solving ability to be later used for advantage in professional nursing placement to tackle sexual harassment.

Problem Solving: The problem-solving skill helps in identify any issue, determine cause of the issue and make decision regarding the way to resolve the issue (Adams et al., 2019). The problem-solving skill is the most important improvement I observed in me while working at the placement. I learned that every problem raised has a root cause that leads towards its increased prevalence. In this aspect, I tried to determine the cause of my supervisor neglecting my report of sexual harassment. I identified through few researches that it was the usual practice performed in the workplace which the supervisor often neglects for avoid conflict to be raised at the workplace between staffs. Moreover, no constructive policies were present in the placement that allow protection of nurses reporting sexual harassment. Thus, it indicates that I was able to determine the cause of the problem and shared the facts with my other colleagues to develop strategies through which sexual harassment of nurses by colleagues and other staffs can be limited. The collaborative discussion with the other nurses led me to determine that to initially tackle the problem of sexual harassment of nurses by staffs we as nurses who are harassed or fear to be harassed or consider sexual harassment of nurses are to be prevented are to form a team and directly confront the harasser to make it clarified to them by acting in a polite and strict manner that such actions are unwanted and must be avoided. This is because confronting the harasser would led them to understand nature of actions area acceptable and non-acceptable by the nurses to make them refrain from actions (Kahsay et al., 2020). At the organisation level, I as a nurse tried to document my harassment in writing and asked am higher authority other than nursing manager or supervisor to be set to review them as well as identify sexual harassment of other nurses before reporting through monitoring of the workplace. The head of the organisation was asked through written way to develop a policy for tackling sexual harassment at workplace for the nurses to help the nurse act and work with dignity and enthusiasm. It indicated that I was able to identify the cause, weight alternatives and develop strategies to resolve the problem of sexual harassment of nurses at the workplace.

In executing the action, I was also able to develop the following interpersonal skills.

Communication: The development of communication is important in nursing to allow the nurses to interact with the colleagues to share their views regarding care delivery and decorum to be maintained (Tan et al., 2017). Further, communication in nursing is also essential between nurses to develop collaborative working environment where nurses help each other to work effectively without any problem to deliver quality care and ensure personal well-being apart from patients (Real et al., 2017). Before working at a placement, I was seen to feel fear of communicating my views and ideas with others. However, after the completion of my work at the practice placement, I was able to voice my opinion and develop justified interaction with my peers. It is evident as I was seen to successfully interact with the other nurses in the ward to inform my concern regarding sexual harassment and discussed with them to unify us to personally take initial approach to stop sexual harassment from other staffs.

Patience: As a student nurse, I learned enhanced ability regarding the way to remain patient in conflicting and inappropriate situation. This is evident as in the placement, while I was initially harassed by the staff I maintained patience to report it initially to authorities. When no actions were taken instead of feeling angry, I remain calm to identify the ways I personally can resolve the problem at initial stage. I also maintained patience and remained polite in communicating my views against inappropriate touch made by the staff to which he ensured not to repeat such actions. This indicated that I was able to deal calmly even during my harassment to tackle the condition from worsening which was important. This is because it allowed me to think calmly and plan to implement it without hindrance to achieve the results (Emaliyawati et al., 2020).

3. Now What?

In my overall experience while acting as student nurse in the placement, I was challenged with facing sexual harassment. However, I was able to apply effective thinking and problem-solving method to overcome the issue. Thus, the learned practises are to be implemented by in my work placement while acting as registered nurses to save myself from sexual harassment from other colleagues and staffs. Further, I intend to take training regarding the way to manage sexual harassment from colleagues and staffs so that I develop better knowledge and skill compared to the present to tackle the situation without assistance. I would also act to raise my voice and develop meaningful communication with higher hospital authorities so that they take disciplinary action to develop policies and rules that would prevent nurses from being sexually harassed at the workplace.

I have observed that I lack effective resilience which is evident as I was stressed with the harassment made to me which initially affected my working quality towards the patients. Thus, I needed to act on changing my thinking ability in a positive way so that in future I could be more resilient. The establishment of the skill would help me to work in unhindered way while avoiding the influence of any negative factors towards my ability to deliver care. I also require improving my critical thinking skill so that I can determine way to more effective resolve any problem. It would also boost my problem-solving ability. The critical thinking skill is to be improved through more balanced thinking performing mental exercise, creating greater focus and development more emotional intelligence (Yue et al., 2017).

Action Plan Task:

Specific:

On the basis of the reflection, the two skills to be improved are critical thinking and resilience. These are required to be improved as it helps in resolving conflict and avoid the influence of negative thinking to jeopardise working nature that leads to reduced quality care to the patients. In order to address the skill improvement, I intend to take training regarding the way to maintain resilience and develop critical thinking while acting as nurse. I would interact with the experienced professional nurses and lecturers to identify the resources that can be used in improving the two skills that are essential part of nursing. Moreover, I intend to explore academic resources along with electronic platforms to develop idea from articles and websites regarding the way I can improve the mentioned skill as nurses through self-awareness and ability.

Measurable:

In order to measure the efficiency and extend of my performance, I would develop a time plan that indicates deadline for each objective or goal for the two skills. Based on the deadline, I would refer my performance and use feedback from my peers or supervisors regarding the extent they feel the skills are improved by me. A personal diary for the achievement of each of the skill is to be maintained that is to be reviewed each week to measure my progress in achieving the goal.

Achievable:

The mentioned goal of improving critical thinking and resilience are achievable because the way to accomplish them is already planned.

Time:

The mentioned task is going to require a time of 7- 12 months for completion because I will try to gain the mentioned skill through active participation in training, communicating with professionals and implementing it several times in real working field. Thus, it indicates that the goal I developed is time-consuming and increased effort is required for its successful completion.

References

Adams, E.A., Darj, E., Wijewardene, K. and Infanti, J.J., 2019. Perceptions on the sexual harassment of female nurses in a state hospital in Sri Lanka: a qualitative study. Global health action, 12(1), p.1560587.

Campbell, D., 2019, One in 12 NHS staff sexually harassed at work, study finds, Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/20/one-in-12-nhs-staff-sexually-harassed-at-work-study-finds [Accessed on: 17 July 2021]

Emaliyawati, E., Widiasih, R., Sutini, T., Ermiati, E. and Rahayu, U., 2020. Nurses’ Reflections on Challenges and Barriers of Communication in the Intensive Care Unit: A Phenomenology Study. Jurnal Keperawatan Padjadjaran, 8(1).pp.45-90.

Geissler, H., 202, Scandal of nurses told sexual harassment ‘is all just part of the job’, Available at: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1444934/nhs-staff-nurses-sexual-harassment[Accessed on: 17 July 2021]

Kahsay, W.G., Negarandeh, R., Nayeri, N.D. and Hasanpour, M., 2020. Sexual harassment against female nurses: a systematic review. BMC nursing, 19(1), pp.1-12

Real, K., Bardach, S.H. and Bardach, D.R., 2017. The role of the built environment: How decentralized nurse stations shape communication, patient care processes, and patient outcomes. Health communication, 32(12), pp.1557-1570.

Tan, T.C., Zhou, H. and Kelly, M., 2017. Nurse–physician communication–An integrated review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26(23-24), pp.3974-3989.

Yue, M., Zhang, M., Zhang, C. and Jin, C., 2017. The effectiveness of concept mapping on development of critical thinking in nursing education: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nurse education today, 52, pp.87-94.

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