Personal and professional development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Personal and professional development - Essay Example Adopting Gibbs Model of reflection, commonly used among health professionals as indicated by Taylor (2004), this paper would describe what I learnt during my transition period, my feelings on that then evaluate the program and give a conclusion and the impact on my future professional growth. This reflection respects the principle of confidentiality for the clients and institution as stipulated in the Code cited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, NMC (2010). Description: In a transition program, students reflect on various learning activities in their field of study that they have been engaged in. My second year transition activity was undertaken in a pharmacy. It was a one day activity that involved learning the operations in the pharmacy and the roles of a pharmacist. I observed how the pharmacist received prescriptions and orders for medicine and the due process involved before giving the medicine or dispatching ordered medicines. I also studied the side effects that specific m edications would have when administered to psychiatric patients. Rationale The motivator for choosing this kind of transition program was the desire to develop my knowledge on identification of different available drugs and how such medicines would work in the human body. Among my aims was to understand drug calculation and administration which is a critical skill in avoiding adverse effects due to poor medication. My interaction with the pharmacy team equipped me with the knowledge on the required procedure for dispensing drugs and what measures to take so as to curb medication errors in healthcare institutions, a paramount skill in my future role as a nurse. Thus, this analysis paper evaluates my experience with psychotropic medication, communication and its importance in a healthcare setting, legislation on drugs and pharmacy operations. Feelings: When I started this transition program, I expected to learn so little because the program was only to run for a day. More so, I expect ed that since to the pharmacy team it would be a normal working day, they would have little time to explain to me their operations. But the team was co-operative and helpful which made me view them as colleagues. Despite me being a student, they respected me and I will not forget the pharmacist always wanting me close so that I could learn effectively and as much as possible. Evaluation: Among the people with mental health disorders, the greatest needs include understanding the happenings within their environments; feeling their emotions but also learning to manage them; being able to communicate with those who make decisions for them; and feeling stable in their thinking (Solchany 2011). Medications have been used in treating mental disorders symptoms in conditions of depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, ADHD. These medications used for treating mental health and behavioural problems are referred to as psychot ropic medication as used by the National Institute of Mental Health, NIMH (2008). There are varied types of these medications for particular circumstances and among the ones I encountered include antidepressants such as imipramine and clomipramine selling under the brands Tofranil and Anafranil respectively; anti-obsession medication including fluoxetine and vilazodone trading under the brands Prozac and Vibryd; and psycho-stimulants such as metyhlyphenidate trading under th