Showcase: Reflective Blogs

English Reflection

During my first year as a dental student, I learned a vast amount of anatomy and physiology knowledge. I also had the opportunity to assist student dental hygienists in treating my batchmates. But I had never assisted in the diagnosis and treatment of a clinic patient. In this essay, I will reflect on the experience in which I met a clinic patient for the first time during my first Dental Assisting session, of which I didn’t know much about the expected tasks except for dental charting. During the session, I encountered difficulties in performing the tasks well and taking good care of the patient. I am going to evaluate and analyse the experience, followed by an action plan for the future. 

In the session, I assisted a fourth-year female student for an appointment with a 70-year-old woman. The first task the student was assigned was to elicit details of medical history of relevance to the chief complaint then announced. During the conversation, sometimes she would chat with the old lady casually, such as asking what her hobbies are and what food she likes to eat to keep healthy. At the beginning of the appointment, the patient was a bit nervous, but after the chat, she appeared to be more relaxed. I realized that having a casual conversation with patients is a really good way of relieving their anxiety. I probably should have, as well, tried to comfort the patient when I noticed her nervousness. 

After that, there was the oral examination, during which I had to perform charting so as to document the findings of the examination of teeth and supporting tissues. I thought I had done the revision on the notes of dental charting quite well, but I turned out to be nervous and forgot some of the things that I should have remembered, such the positions of markings. Thus, I administered the task rather clumsily. Sometimes, being unable to make notes promptly, I had to ask the senior student to repeat the probing depths and bleeding on probing. The experience was quite unpleasant given my inability to execute the charting effort accurately without prompting the senior student for repetition of information, thereby causing inefficiency and delaying the procedure as a result.

Following the oral examination and photo-taking of the patient’s dentition, the student brought her to the X-ray room to take several radiographs of her upper teeth for detection of caries and so I followed them. It is very common for patients to feel uncomfortable when the x-ray tab is placed into their mouth, and the discomfort is greater for patients of old age. As expected, the old lady felt uncomfortable when the first tab was being placed into her mouth, with several coughs. Worse still, she even displayed signs of nausea. When I saw that, I started to panic, with little idea as to how to proceed. Looking back, it may have been more adaptive had I made an attempt to assist with the procedures undertaken to stabilise the patient such as offering her paper towels and bringing her to the washroom. This would have allowed me to better address the immediate physical needs of the patient for comfort. They later returned and radiography was resumed. With the completion of the procedure, it marked the end of my first Dental Assisting session.

This experience really fell short of my expectations, as I thought I could perform better and offer good help to the operator, as well as contributing to making the experience positive for the patient. Nonetheless, it turned out that my apprehension and nervousness hindered my ability to document the findings well and react instantly to the patient’s behaviours. I realized that composure and confidence in myself are crucial in leading to a satisfactory performance. I have to be calm so that I can transform the knowledge that I have gained into real practice well and avoid mistakes. These two qualities are also the prerequisites for multitasking, which enables good communication with patients. For instance, I could conduct casual conversations with patients during appointments to relieve them of nervousness. I could also offer more comfort to patients during treatments, which can increase patients’ satisfaction towards the care provided, according to a study.

For me to become a competent practitioner, out of the multitude of qualities required, the quality of paramount importance is prompt reaction. With regard to the nauseous old lady, even if the best course of action is still being considered, my inaction would still hardly be justifiable because of the urgency of offering help to the patient whose physical response to the procedure began to take a turn for the worse. Further delays could have caused heightened discomfort, which was to be avoided at all costs. I should learn to be more aware of patients’ facial expression and body language. More importantly, I have to learn to react to incidents spontaneously, as it is key to a dental professional’s development in a clinical setting. Being more adaptive will allow me to address the needs of patients promptly by doing fine adjustments regarding the procedures. This would avert the possibility of creating any unpleasant experience for them, as well as making the treatments more effective.

Undoubtedly, this session was not a perfect start of my clinical exposure. Nonetheless, with the analysis of the experience and evaluation of my shortcomings, I believe that I have learned the importance of maintaining composure and prompt reaction. From now on, I am going to have more confidence in myself and learn to be more adaptive. With this experience, I believe that I have got myself more prepared for the training that I will undergo for becoming a dentist.

Chinese Reflection

一個讓我反思個人處事和與人溝通方式的機會

去年九月中旬，牙醫學院要求我們一年級生出席由大學學生發展及資源中心舉辦的「心理健康與學習能力評估」工作坊。那次活動讓我對自己的處事態度和與人溝通的方式作出反思。

工作坊的第一個環節是一個關於壓力的講座。一位心理學家先向我們講解甚麼是壓力，然後指出壓力大的表徵，例如頭痛和失眠。

我即時想起其實我自己也是一個對每件事都很緊張的人，尤其是在我考文憑試前的那個月，我面對的壓力一直都很大，經常情緒低落。在睡床上，我的心跳總是很快，好像有個小球在我心裡跳來跳去，令我無法入睡，每天都只有三、四個小時的睡眠。即使我每天不斷跟自己說「不要緊張，放鬆點！」，也始終無法從壓力中走出來。

思緒回到現實，講者接著指出牙科學生也面對很大的壓力，壓力來自於時間管理、學習臨床技巧的困難等。在解說如何處理壓力的環節前，她先播放一條名為「我有一隻黑狗，它的名字叫憂鬱」的影片，短片播放出一名抑鬱症患者的內心獨白，講述他如何走出抑鬱，當中提到「當你越疲倦，黑狗就叫得越響，因此要試著靜下心來」。

這短片觸動了我，讓我明白到原來我一直都過於著眼自己要做的事情上，不去留意身邊的人和事，亦對自己有太多的要求，把壓力強加於自己身上，又沒有尋找其他減壓的方法。

事實上，我應該要明白到，人沒完美，凡事盡力便可，不必對自己要求太多。在講者的分享後，我決定平日多用一些手機減壓程式，玩一些填色遊戲，和做一些調節呼吸的訓練，希望有助自己調節情緒。

在第二個環節，中心職員讓我們跟同一臨床組別的組員圍圈坐，然後讓我們合作完成一些小任務。第一個任務是想出所有能夠把一件蛋糕分成四等份的方法，然後在紙上畫出來，與其他組別分享。我的性格本身較內向，與組員們又是初次見面，因此在討論中表現得十分被動。即使任務較簡單，我也沒有建議任何方法，亦沒有主動協助把方法畫出來，只一味呆坐，看著他們討論。

到了第二個任務，我們要合力用報紙、膠紙等有限工具運送一個塑料樽，但我們的手不能在限定區域之內。同樣，我沒有提出任何意見，只是附和其他組員的建議，並按他們的吩咐去做，因為我總怕自己的提議不好，考慮有欠周全。

在我們都完成任務後，中心職員跟我們做了一個總結，她指出溝通和協作能力對我們牙科學生來說非常重要，因為我們的課程是採用「探究式學習」，在課堂上經常要在教授的協助下與組員討論，總結出學習重點。而在我們面對患者的時候，溝通技巧更是重要。

我想想也是。在課堂學習上，如果我不說出我心中的想法，又怎能知道自己是對是錯呢？若我不說出來，反而會令我無法從中學習。溝通和協作能力對我的專業也很重要。牙醫是牙科團隊的領導者，須與團隊中的其他成員主動溝通和合作，才能順利完成檢查和治療的工序，務求為患者提供最好的服務。在我為患者檢查和提供治療時，我亦須與對方傾談，給予鼓勵，讓他們放鬆心情。

我性格內向，也許是因為從小便不太敢表達自己。因此，我下定決心要改變自己，要更主動積極與別人溝通，勇於說出自己的想法。在未來的幾個月，我打算參加一些協助籌辦工作坊的活動，期望透過在期間與其他參加者的溝通和協作，提升自信心。

English Reflection

In June, I had a dental assisting session which provided me an opportunity to gain experience in real-life dentistry. I had mixed feelings about this brand-new experience. I was excited but at the same time, I felt stressed out as I was not well-prepared. My duty was to assist a senior dental student to treat a real male patient who presented himself with symptoms such as pain and bleeding. This could be due to his habit of smoking since his juvenile years. In this reflective essay, I am going to start with a brief description of my first dental assisting experience and my reactions, followed by an analysis and action plan for me to follow in future sessions, especially planning clinical procedures and the patient-provider relationship.

The senior started with interviewing the medical history of the patient, followed by the full mouth examination, such as measuring gingival pocket depth and checking occlusion. While the senior was performing the dental probing, I needed to finish the charting alongside, occasionally transferring dental instruments. It was the first time I was involved in preparing equipment for the pulp vitality test, and I was far from familiar with the steps for using the pulp vitality tester and refrigerant sprays during electric pulp test and cold test respectively. Fortunately, the senior was kind enough to teach me all the things from scratch and demonstrate the standard procedures. It was surprising for me to know that applying toothpaste topically was essential for the electric pulp test since it could act as a conducting medium for the action potential to pass through. In the end, I was able to assist her throughout the tests and record the readings of electric current from the tester correctly. I could not thank her enough for her patience. The dentist then continued to examine the oral cavity of the patient which soon showed itself to be cause for concern.

I was indeed shocked when I saw the oral cavity of the patient as I had zero experience in observing such a serious condition. Before, I only had chances to see my classmates’ healthy mouths. I could easily see the extensive staining on his tooth surface at first glance. He also had occlusal caries, missing most premolars and molars. Worse still, a tooth with increased mobility in the third quadrant was detected. It was likely that there would be a site of tooth fracture, which lead to the occurrence of mobile tooth. I thought I was looking at a poorly maintained model which was about to collapse. Any remedial effort to begin an intervention such as the removal of caries would have been a risky undertaking if we did not proceed with caution even its potential extension to the pulp.

Soon after that, the senior brought the patient to the X-ray room for imaging. I hardly had any hands-on experience in preparing the X-ray film and operating the X-ray machine, so that was unknown territory for me. Judging from the X-ray images, the senior concluded that the mobile tooth was the result of a site of tooth fracture below the gingival margin. After returning to the bay, the senior went away for a moment to work on other things, which left me and the patient behind. Rather than engaging in a conversation with the patient, I remained idle and did not explain the situation to the patient who probably had grown concerned about what he was about to go through in terms of ongoing treatment. Thus, I ended up daydreaming or staring at the instruments next to me. I wondered if it was better to talk with the patient while waiting, or anything else could be done. Looking back, I could have applied the knowledge learned and made an attempt to explain to the patient his oral condition with a view to relieving his potential anxiety as he began to understand more about the mobile tooth he was unsure how to handle as well as other dental complications. This could have helped to relieve him of his worries

In the session, I was able to follow most information from the senior when doing the charting. Yet, there was room for improvements in other aspects. For one, I am not familiar with some of the instruments and procedures, namely the pulp test. I came to the realization that a thorough understanding of different procedures is necessary for this session. For another, I did not know how to interact with the patient when the dentist was away. I began to appreciate the importance of good interpersonal skills.

In order to perform better, I should develop an action plan as a guideline for me to follow when similar events occur in my future practice. I will consolidate my knowledge and basic understanding of various equipment and instruments that are commonly used during oral diagnosis. For instance, I could try and enhance my understanding of different rotary instruments by reference to recommended textbooks. If I could see the patient one more time, I would try to talk with him, asking about his feelings and thoughts about the procedure. This can help me to have a better understanding of how the patient may think when I am treating them in the future. I would also pay attention to the senior student to gain insight into communication skills.

Chinese Reflection

溫和的陽光打在假日的行人路上，水泥地閃爍著耀眼的白光。臉頰上略帶紅意的我迎著微風，活像去遊樂園的孩童般邁出大步，沒帶半點遲疑地穿過一條又一條的街道，終於在一處停下腳步。我打量著眼前的建築，兩側是由純白的牆身構成，透過半透明的玻璃，能看到身穿淡藍制服的女子在敲打著鍵盤。

「請問您有預約嗎？」女子停下手中的工作並仰起頭，用她那銀鈴般的聲線向我發問。在我交代了預約詳程和出示所需的文件後，女子伸出她那纖細的手，示意我坐在一旁等候。我坐在一處角落的沙發上，雙手環抱著腿上的背包，對房間仔細地打量了一番。這處空間說不上是寬敞，但也足夠讓十餘人舒適地待著，兩個米白色的大沙發安放在兩側，旁邊的小桌子上是一個小盆栽，碧綠的葉子依附在枝幹上，一同在設計簡潔的器皿中延伸出來；我一邊享受著涼快的冷氣，一邊饒有興致地觀賞者牆上的風景畫，彷彿這處是一片隔世桃園。我估摸著即便是害怕緊張的病人，在這待上一會兒，心情也會平靜下來吧。

接待處一旁的門緩緩打開，裡頭的人正在叫喚我的名字，略帶不捨的我終究還是得離開。半躺在手術台，此時我的心臟正砰通砰通地跳動著，這是我成為牙科學生後第一次來看牙醫，這種感覺確實是蠻新奇的。牙醫用各種的工具在我口中飛舞著，同時向助手說出一堆醫學術語，而助手則在身旁飛快地把資訊紀錄下來。看到眼前這幅似曾相識的景象，聽著熟悉的詞彙，難以形容的心情充斥在心頭，大概是某種的滿足感和安全感吧！在外人看來，或許我正在傻傻地笑著。每進行一項工序，牙醫也會對我作熱心的解釋，不能回答的我則嘗試用眼神進行回答。

牙醫純熟地操弄著各樣器材，沒有半點猶豫，不一會邊把口腔檢查和洗牙等工序給完成了。隨著手術台緩緩升起，我頓時愣怔了，看到鏡子中的自己，牙齒的污垢彷彿不曾存在過，潔白的牙齒就是在鬥麗爭妍似的，使我無法移開目光。最後，牙醫以一些注意事項和刷牙要領作結。雖說牙醫全程也配戴著口罩，但透過他那真誠的雙眼，以及溫柔的話語，我好像能感覺到他對這份工作的熱忱，不曾熄滅。在牙醫和其他人員的目送下，我心滿意足地離開。

究竟有甚麼特質，構成一個「優秀」的牙醫？過往的我可能只能給出「良好技巧」、「掌握專業知識」等空泛的回答。一個擅長診斷和治療的牙醫，也許只是最基本的要求。至於是否稱得上是「優秀」，或許在踏進診所的第一步便能有眉目。看來我不足的地方還多得很呢！

English Reflection

When dentists meet new patients, they have to inquire about their medical history and examine thoroughly their oral cavity and the surrounding structures. This routine work does not demand many motor skills but communication techniques. It is vital for not only developing a better treatment plan but also building a good relationship between dentists and patients. This essay will reflect on my first appointment with a senior patient that focuses on the communication strategies between dentists and the elderly.

One day, the patient from one of the few clinical sessions in my first year of study was an elderly in her early 80s. In that session, I was offered the opportunity to experience being a member of the dental team. I was asked to assist the operator, a dental student in his fifth year of study, and the dental surgeon assistant during the provision of dental care for this patient with a chief complaint of molar pain.

The patient spoke with an accent so exotic that I could hardly understand. The use of dialect and old idioms further increased the complication. The significant age gap among us made the difficulty especially noticeable. Disappointingly, I often missed some keywords of her answers. However, this did not appear to be a major obstacle to the communication between her and the senior year student. His application of a variety of communication skills such as the use of body language and rhetoric devices like simile amazed me. I also observed that he made his questions more specific and explicit so that the patient could give more precise answers. ‘How severe is your toothache? Is it itchy or is it as painful as being hit by a hammer? How many days has it been like that?’ Instead of asking ambiguous questions, this way of interview could provide guidance for the patient to respond to. The patient was satisfied with our performance. After the patient left, I asked the senior student for advice on the communication with elderly. He admitted he also felt frustrated and difficult talking with the patient but he had to suppress it as a professional. With much patience, situations like this are not too hard to deal with.

During the clinical session, I thought that I have explained the treatment to the patient in great detail. Since she did not raise any questions, I thought she was clear about my explanation. In retrospect, although she did not further enquire about the plan, she looked confused. In addition, it appeared to me that she was worried. It was probably because the patient could not feel my empathy. If I was given the opportunity again, I would try to raise the patient’s potential concerns before she asked. I would explain the reason for developing the treatment plan in simpler laymen terms. Moreover, I could also inform the patient about the aim and the expected outcome of the treatment. This could demonstrate my empathy to the patient, showing that I have put myself in the patient’s position. As a result, the patient would feel confident in me as this showed that I am thorough and empathetic. Even if she does not raise questions, I could further clarify my expression to ensure she is not in doubt. Another possible way is to include some questions throughout my explanation. Not only to

confirm the patient’s understanding, but this could also enhance our interaction. An adequate interaction could make the patient feel comfortable, relieving her anxiety while building a mutual trust relationship which is favourable for completing her treatment.

This session allowed me to understand the importance of communication strategies in dentist-patient interaction. By authentically observing a real case, I have realized the essence of interpersonal skills and found that the utilization of communication strategies could help us overcome natural barriers like generation gaps and linguistic differences. The use of some rhetorical skills like simile and hyperbole may help the patient to understand a dentist’s instruction more easily. This also made me aware of the importance of asking straightforward questions. In certain scenarios, a close-ended question may return a better answer. If I ask questions clearly, the answers received will be better. An accurate description of their situation is crucial for creating their treatment plan while the lack of interaction could lead to a failure of treatment.

We may sometimes need to pay extra effort when conversing with senior patients. For instance, since they are often less resilient and open-minded, some of our opinions may challenge their belief. Therefore, we ought to provide more elaboration and demonstration when explaining the treatment plan so that they will be convinced. Unless we have thoroughly justified the rationale behind the actions, the patient may not follow our advice. In view of this, it is crucial to be particularly patient talking with the elderly as they may need more time to digest unfamiliar information. In future appointments of senior patients, I would use my listening skills actively. If I were not talking much, I would avoid rushing and interrupting hence allow the patient to express himself freely. This could demonstrate empathy, which is essential for gaining patient trust. Aside from focusing on the communication with elderly, I could work on the teamwork of the dental team shortly. This would allow me to explore methods to harmonize a dental team. With good team spirit, we could effectively help a patient. This aspect of learning would be crucial as dentists have a leading role in the dental team. 

Chinese Reflection

⼀天的課堂終於結束了，歸家途中我瀏覽⼀下社交媒體，發現了⼀個名為「牙姑⼿記」的專⾴。這專⾴是個讓牙科護⼠分享經歷的平台，有的分享他們⾒過的有趣患者、有的吐苦⽔、有的炫耀他們的良⼼牙醫僱主。起初我都把這些事情當作故事來看，作為消磨時間的⼯具，⼀笑置之。後來我才發現這些故事富有反思的意義，能使我了解到其他⼈的想法。更加明⽩牙醫在牙醫團隊的⾓⾊，或許有助我將來擔任團隊領袖。

其中⼀篇⽂章指她們做接待員的⾓⾊常被⼈輕視，她憶述牙醫曾說：「接待員的⼯作何其容易，只是接打電話、安排⽇程、間中收取診⾦⽽已。」牙醫⼀看到她停下⼿來， 便頗有微⾔，更揚⾔她的⼯作無技術可⾔，甚⾄找他的⺟親來取代也可以。這件事在留⾔區引發⼀⽚哄動，⼤半都是在聲討該牙醫，不少網友也表示與事主有相似經歷。

這件事為我帶來的反思有兩點。⾸先，牙醫是否要擺出⼀副⾼⾼在上的姿態呢？接待員確是團隊不可或缺的⼀員。留⾔提及，單單在約期安排上也有不少要訣，⽽這些要訣是要靠經驗積累起來的。我們可能單純認為約期就是先到先得，但是⼀個稱職的接待員要考慮的因素更包括治療所需時間、準備功夫、牙醫的休息時間等等。這例⼦正反映，雖然接待員的⼯作或許不要求專業的臨床知識，細⼼卻是她們勝任⼯作的必要條件。因此牙醫作為團隊領袖，必先以⾝作則尊重這個⼯種，欣賞她們的才幹，才能使團隊和諧處。

第⼆點是體諒。回答查詢、處理投訴都在接待員的職責範圍，因此接待員也可謂診所的公關。公關在任何機構團體中都尤關重要，掌管著維護聲譽的要務。⼤部分病⼈都非常尊重牙醫，卻非每⼈都會尊重接待員，使到她們⾯對的壓⼒更⼤。她們猶如雙⽅溝通的橋樑，夾在牙醫和病⼈之間，有時難以兼顧公司利益和客⼈權益，便使得兩⾯不是⼈。討論區的這件事只是其中⼀個例⼦，每個崗位都會有各⾃的挑戰，因此我認為牙醫團隊的各成員應要互相體諒。⽽作為團隊領袖的牙醫須做好榜樣，才能令到團隊合作順利，能最有效地照顧患者。

在早期的牙醫課程，我們能夠參與牙醫團隊各個崗位的⼯作。我定會珍惜這些實賤機會，認識各崗位的困難和挑戰。⽇後當我組織牙醫團隊時，我才能知⼰知彼，體諒和尊重各成員，使他們都⼼悦誠服地與我合作。例如，我可以彷效⼤公司為女⽣提供⽣理假 期，⼜可透過延長午飯時間紓緩他們的壓⼒，建立⼀個愉悅的⼯作環境，對同事甚或病⼈都可帶來正⾯影響。總的來說，這些事情使我反思到牙醫團隊成員應如何互相配合，尊重對⽅。這次反思能使我準備成為⼀個真正稱職的牙醫。

English Reflection

All medically related jobs, such as doctors, pharmacists and nurses, have major ramifications for the life and death of patients, so any accidents caused by lack of awareness in terms of knowledge deficiency or poor attitude are not acceptable. Despite being in my first year of nursing degree, there is no excuse for me not taking my future occupation seriously. It is my responsibility to learn more, and ensure the appropriate application of relevant medical knowledge and skills to given clinical situations. I had thought I was well-prepared until I obtained a job opportunity with the HKU community vaccination centre which has enabled me to reflect on my clinical competency.

All citizens around the globe have been anxious about the outbreak of Covid-19. Natural SARS-CoV2 infection is certainly not a wise choice due to the high mortality and morbidity, whereas vaccination is a well-developed technology, having been used against different infections like influenza viral infection and HPV-related cervical cancer. Therefore, a lot of organizations are trying to develop vaccines, with the good news of several vaccines getting the approval for emergency usage and vaccination centres having been set up in Hong Kong providing vaccination service for citizens.

HKU Health System has recruited students to work at its vaccination centre in Ap Lei Chau Sports Centre. As a future healthcare professional, I think this job is meaningful, so I submitted my application. As a nursing student, I am not qualified to administer vaccination, but I am expected to share with them information that would assist them in determining whether they should get vaccinated as well as some tips on post-vaccination care.

This work really frustrated me initially. Although it sounds easy, the considerable variation in patient needs is such that caution must be exercised in rendering advice. For example, if a client needs to take anticoagulants such as warfarin for atrial fibrillation, I would teach him or her to press on the injection site for a longer period after vaccination in order to prevent bleeding. On the other hand, if the client is allergic to two or more medications, meaning that the clients are potentially allergic to the ingredients of the vaccine, we must monitor his or her health status after vaccination for 30 minutes rather than 15 minutes to ensure that no severe acute adverse events will occur.

In addition to the previously mentioned challenge, there is a large amount of information that needs to be memorized, but I haven’t learnt most of the things yet. Thus, I am always being nervous when I answer clients’ enquiries, which may also affect their feelings. I remember a client reporting her blood pressure reading prior to attending the centre being around 130/90 and I noticed her body shaking when the matter was being brought up. She was apparently anxious, and so was I. As a student nurse, although I understand that I should seek to maintain my composure in all circumstances, there was a quaver in my voice as I told her that her blood pressure readings were higher than the normal range, so I needed to inform my colleague who is more senior and experienced to provide her professional judgement. My actions probably had scared her, and so she might have misunderstood that her situation was not suitable for vaccination. The senior then asked the client whether those readings were consistent with her normal readings, or whether they were affected by her anxiety triggered by the uncertainty over whether to obtain vaccination. I realized that I should have engaged in a more holistic assessment of the case, rather than focusing on a single piece of information provided by the client. In this situation, if her usual blood pressure is normal or the condition is under control, then she may be allowed to proceed with the vaccination. I know, but I didn’t do it because of tension. From this experience, I became more aware of the importance of good communication and adaptation abilities in real-life scenarios. In general, my clinical experience was accumulated.

I have tried to practise my communication skills to accumulate more experience because I wish to raise people’s confidence amid the panic emotion evoked by the pandemic. Thus, I now always wear a smile despite having the surgical mask on, and avoid speaking like a robot that repeats the same information to all clients in order to prevent the aforementioned incident, which was due to the lack of awareness. If I can, I must give the best personalised suggestions to them based on their situation. I hope these actions can relieve their anxiety, since this emotion may cause negative influence, such as vasovagal syncope, a common medical condition that the patient experiences low blood pressure and may faint after vaccination.

Also, when I encounter some situations or difficulties that I cannot handle, I should ask for seniors’ advice before action. This solution can prevent accidents and would afford a chance for me to learn from seniors who have more extensive experience in the medical field.

Indeed, this is not the best method to solve the problem of knowledge deficiency. More practically, I should study medical knowledge diligently, as well as understand them instead of rote memory which can result in rapid fading of the memory.

Reviewing the past events is very important for figuring out which parts can be improved, and my action plan should always be amended based on the findings. Now, I think my performance in workplace is better than before. I am glad that some clients appreciate my help and are more confident in getting vaccinated after my explanation. These give me the propulsion to work harder.

Chinese Reflection

《靈魂》

大學五件事差不多全做到了，但我卻把一個最重要的元素拋諸腦後，那就是讀書。大學一年級的生活真的很豐富，宿舍更加是一個樂而忘返的地方。然而，上學年的考試對我來說猶如當頭棒喝，使我有了以下的反思。

回憶過去，本想裝作好學不倦，但這畢竟是一篇自我反思的文章，所以我必須坦言自己並非一般學生。以前的我懶惰、頑皮、沒有理想，跟咸魚可謂沒兩樣，只有肉體，沒有靈魂。記得初三那年，我還差點被送到職業訓練局。那是一個讓不會讀書的孩子也可以學習一門手藝，祝福他們能在這個商業世界中求存的地方。至於為何我最後仍留在原校升學，大概是父母和老師也覺得我沒甚麼出息，連我也放棄了自己。

包括我本人，誰也沒想過這樣的我卻有少許運氣，糊裡糊塗地拿到了大學的入場券。從老師手上接過公開試成績單的那刻，我的世界彷彿有了一點不一樣。一道七彩繽紛的彩虹映入了我的眼簾，或許這只是我眼角的淚水折射了光線所形成的幻像，但足夠使我感到快樂。大概這一輩子我也不會忘記當下父母和老師的笑容，這是我人生第二感動的時刻。

至於我人生最感動的一刻，莫過於收到香港大學護理系的錄取通知。不過，這個結果並不是偶然或運氣，而真的是我努力的成果。其實，由於我從未想過能夠升上大學，因此在公開試後我根本不知該如何選科。那時的我沒有理想，最後便按老師的推薦選擇了工程學系。顯然我志不在此，所以在學期間我一直在尋找自己的與趣。

一個廣告改變了我的命運，就是因為它，我加入了香港聖約翰救傷隊，成為義工。在這裏，我學會了很多醫療方面的知識，也有很多機會讓我實踐所學，慢慢地我發現自己對這方面有著濃厚的與趣。另外，我也認識了許多護理系的朋友，用啟蒙老師來形容他們最貼切不過，他們每次分享的經歷都使我著迷，照顧病者真的是一大學問。最後，我毅然決定轉身離開工程系，回到起點重新修練。雖然時間不斷流逝，但有心，從來不怕遲，最怕當人生完結時驀然回首，才發現自己的靈魂缺席了整個人生。

初擁夢想，動力從四方八面湧來；我努力學習，最終得到了第二次選擇的機會；白衣天使，並不是用口，而是用心。一切看似完美，我也準備迎接新的開始，只是我少計算了自己抵抗誘惑的能力。夜夜笙歌的舍堂生活、青春熱血的各類比賽就像黑洞一樣把我的時間都吸光了。當我打開試卷的一刻，我臉瞬間紅了，不是被記了一記耳光，而是沒有溫習的我感到相當羞愧。

從來沒想過公開自己的故事，但重溫一遍卻提醒了再次迷失的我要重回正軌，毋忘初衷。

English Reflection

During the first semester of my first-year nursing degree, I was required to attend laboratory sessions for a total of eight classes to gain expertise and learn some fundamental skills of being a nurse, ranging from medication administration and wound cleaning. These sessions are a part of the course named Clinical Skills in Practice, which provided me with an immersive learning experience in a hospital environment. It was a useful way to improve my abilities in future work. In this reflective writing, I will describe my medication administration experience during the end-of-course examinations, and will evaluate the experience followed by a future plan.

Towards the end of this course, I had to take two examinations as part of the assessment process. One of them was Administration of Medication, referring to a procedure when we allocate medication to the patients, and this is an important clinical skill in nursing. In this examination, students are required to allocate medication to a patient simulator correctly according to a request card and without script. During practice, I followed the scenario script provided by the tutor in order to make myself familiar with the examination requirement, and every step went well. I did not consider medication administration as a difficult task. 

When the day of test finally came, I was required to take care of a 51-year-old patient who had stomach pain and a history of medication allergy. He was resting on the bed. At that moment, I did not have my assessment sheet and criteria, and I felt so panicked as I suddenly forgot everything that I had learnt before. With the assessor staring at me, I tried to calm down, checked the request card and the patient’s history. Every step went well, until I started to calculate the dosage. From the request card, the patient was required to have medication in liquid form. However, I did not practise measuring liquidized medications much during the past few months. The assessor was still observing me, and she could feel how nervous I was. Therefore, she asked me whether I knew how to calculate the dosage and gave me a second chance. My hands kept shaking and sweating. I had never faced this kind of situation. As a future nurse, I am required to make decisions immediately when I encounter something out of my expectations. Especially for emergency situations like stroke, it is important to grasp the golden hours to save a patient’s life. Then, I took a deep breath and tried to measure the correct dosage. Luckily, she did not frown after hearing my answer. At that moment, I felt relieved that I did not make such a serious mistake. The whole procedure finally ended. Although I passed this test, the assessor told me that she could see I lacked practice. She had asked me a few questions: What if I gave the wrong dosage to the patient? Would the consequence be serious? Would the patient die because of my inattention? 

These questions kept appearing on my mind. If it was a real situation, the patient’s situation might become worse due to my mistake of giving medication. I found that becoming a nurse was not easy as I thought. Nurses are constantly facing different and unique problems. There are always some unpredicted scenarios. Apparently, I was too confident and was not aware of the differences between practice and real-life clinical setting. That is the reason why I forgot everything I have learnt during examination. I came to realize that equipping myself with expertise and strong mental strength should always come first in nursing.

From this experience, I found that one of my weaknesses is lacking attention to details which is a crucial quality of being a nurse. Since I overlooked the importance of medication administration during the whole semester, I was nervous and hesitated in decision during examination. When there was no scenario script for me to follow, I simply stopped thinking and became panicky as I was afraid of making a wrong decision. At that moment, I could have applied the correct dosage like what I had done during practice. However, I was not calm enough and kept reminding myself that it was an important test. A lack of confidence caused the presence of fear. (Shallow, 2001). In order to avoid feeling uneasy again, I would practise according to various clinical scenarios. If I were able to take this exam again, I would have practised without following script and treated it as a real situation. Preparing different case scenario can help me get familiar with future routines. For example, I will know the complete procedure of assessing the patients’ needs, giving the correct medication to the patients and what I should do when something out of my expectation happened. Practice is definitely one of the most useful ways to overcome challenges as it helps us to predict possible situations. 

All in all, this experience was so special and meaningful as it really reflects my weaknesses and highlights my nervousness. Being fully prepared mentally is a fundamental skill for me to become a skillful practitioner. Not only did I learn that expertise is important, I also need to make clear and immediate decision during real practice. As a future nurse, every decision I make will have different consequences. Therefore, I must avoid making the same mistake, take it as an example, and think twice before applying clinical skills.

Reference

1. Shallow, H. (2001). Competence and confidence: Working in a climate of fear. British Journal of Midwifery, 9(4), 237-244.

Chinese Reflection

視障體驗反思文

成為一名護士學生後，相比於中學，我擁有了大量的可支配的自由時間。於去年寒假，我參加了一場沈浸式視障體驗。這次的經歷令我反思自己作為未來護士的責任，及讓我明白陪伴的重要性。

起初，一位手執盲杖的女士緩慢地向我走過來，我沒有理會，只是靜靜地站在那裡，忍不住地用手揉著衣服的衣角。額頭泛出微微的汗，手心也是，空氣彷彿變得潮濕起來。終於，是我踏出第一步的時候。我挺直腰板，豎起耳朵仔細傾聽身邊發出的微弱聲響。我嘗試踏出在黑暗中的第一步，此刻感覺我甚至可以聽見自己的心跳。起初，我連抬起腳都顫顫巍巍，還要緊緊抓住手上的把杆。無盡的黑暗圍繞著我，我緩慢探索，伸手再也看不見指尖。漸漸地，在屢次撞到前方的障礙物後，我因自己笨拙的行動感到心竭力疲。即使前方沒有人刻意製造困難，我卻寸步難行，如履薄冰。那一刻，恨不得立刻將頭上的眼罩脫下，找尋一抹燈光。

她彷彿察覺到我的不安，一隻手輕輕搭在我肩上，指示我跟著她的腳步向前繼續走。耳邊傳來地面一下又一下沈重而清脆的敲擊聲，是盲杖與盲障的碰撞，更是我內心與現實的碰撞。作為未來的醫護人員，我定會遇到形形色色的病人，當中不乏殘疾人。我理應切心地關懷他們，但在認真思考後，我選擇成為醫護人員的最大考慮因素居然是為了他人所說的尊重。我又有沒有思考自己的職位及責任呢？在我遇到相同的情況時，我會輕易說放棄嗎？他們依靠觸摸感受世界，依賴指引尋找方向。在日常生活中遇到的障礙多不勝數，有橫放的廣告牌，有亂停泊的車輛，更有突然生出的一棵樹。在他們無措的時候，我作為一名護理人員，我有責任在他們轉錯彎的時候，輕輕握住他們的手，避免他們陷入迷宮，幫助他們找到前進的方向。

整個經歷在黑暗中結束，迴盪在我心中的只有她雙手的餘溫。這是我第一次感受到陪伴的力量，這種力量是上了無數次課堂也體會不到的。我在逐夢徵程頭也不回，卻未曾一次停下腳步，細想自己作為護士的責任，將護士最大的職責——提供關懷，拋諸腦後。在下次看到別人有困難的時候，我會如這位女士對我做的一樣，陪伴他們。由其是在未來職業生涯中，我或會目睹不同的場景。相比於按部就班地派藥、處理文件等，我會更加重視自己可以提供的情緒價值，陪伴他們一起與困難交鋒，以勇氣為舵，直面困難。不僅如此，我會致力投身於參加不同的沈浸式體驗，在正式成為護士之前，盡可能切身了解到病人的處境，並思考溝通和陪伴的技巧。

在這樣一個時代，真情恰恰是最彌足珍貴的東西。