Gibbs Reflective Cycle: Patient with an Asthma Attack

 Gibbs Reflective Cycle: Patient with an Asthma Attack 1
Gibbs Reflective Cycle: Patient with an Asthma Attack
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Gibbs Reflective Cycle: Patient with an Asthma Attack 2
Gibbs Reflective Cycle: Patient with an Asthma Attack
Introduction
In order for a nurse to develop professionally, they have to learn from previous
experiences. Learning occurs when a nurse undertakes reflection on the situations they have gone
through in their work. Reflection helps the nurse to evaluate various feelings, actions,
observations, thoughts, theories, and assumptions. The Gibbs reflective cycle is a significant
framework for reflection. The Gibbs reflective cycle helps the nurse to learn from ongoing
practice and to reflect and learn from the experience in order to provide better care in future cases
(Lia, 2015). The cycle has six phases: description of situation, feelings on the situation,
evaluation, analyzing what is learned, conclusion, and an action plan for the future. The essay will
undertake reflection on an experience with a patient presented to a general practitioner with a case
of asthma.
Description
In this section, the nurse is required to provide a detailed and concise description of the
situation (Lia, 2015). The case in study is a patient who was admitted to the hospital with a case
of respiratory problems. The patient was a male aged 22 and he was brought in by his older sister.
It was the cold season, which had led to the patient’s asthma attacks kicking in. The patient
complained of chest pain and tightness and this was causing the patient to experience shortness of
breath. The patient was wheezing, coughing incessantly and waving frantically. The patient was
also having problems speaking. The sister informed us that the patient had tried to use their
inhaler medication but the asthma attack persisted for almost an hour. A diagnosis revealed that 
Gibbs Reflective Cycle: Patient with an Asthma Attack 3
the patient’s heartbeat had increased rapidly. The patient was given beta agonists through a
nebulizer which helped to lessen the patient’s symptoms enough for him to take some oral
medication (Lemanske, 2014). I provided further care and observation until the patient informed
me that their condition had normalized. I communicated ways in which they could minimize the
effects of the asthma attack in case it recurred.
Feelings
In this part, the nurse is required to provide a reflection on their feelings throughout the
situation (Lia, 2015). When I first encountered the patient, I felt that he was going through a lifethreating experience. I was disappointed that the patient had not been brought to the hospital
sooner. During the initial stages, I was unnerved because I did not feel in complete control of the
situation. I was worried because of the extreme symptoms that the patient was displaying. I was a
little panicked because our early interventions did not seem to help the patient as their symptoms
aggravated. However, after the patient began to show signs of improvement, my confidence grew
I was able to handle the situation with more proficiency.
Evaluation
In this section we evaluate the positives and negatives from the whole experience. The
aspects of the care episode that were positive were the rapid response of the healthcare team in
handling the situation and the way the interventions were able to normalize the patient in a short
period. Another positive is the way I was able to prepare a nebulizer quickly enough to help calm
the symptoms. Another positive is that my confidence in handling the situation increased during
the situation and I was able to apply my knowledge in handling such situations. The negatives 
Gibbs Reflective Cycle: Patient with an Asthma Attack 4
from the situation were my initial anxiety in handling the situation and the long time it took for
the patient to get to the hospital despite their severe condition.
Analysis
In this phase of the cycle, an assessment of the care situation is carried out (Lia, 2015).
The timely intervention of the medical team helped to control the situation and stabilize the
patient. The nebulizer that was used was effective in managing the symptoms of the patient. The
patient’s condition was severe because of their susceptibility to extreme cold weather conditions.
The severity of the attack reduced the effectiveness of their asthma inhaler. I realized that it was
important to provide care in a calm and relaxed environment. I realized that effective
communication was an important aspect in care provision.
Conclusion
In this stage, we consider what could have been done differently during the experience.
The patient should have been brought to the hospital quickly to prevent the symptoms from
escalating. A nebulizer should have been prepared and ready for use to help in situation such as
asthma attacks or any other respiratory problems (Lemanske, 2014).