Reflection In Health And Social Care

The mosaic, complex and sophisticated structure of the Homo Sapiens body is a unique beauty. However, when witnessing my mother degenerating due to leukaemia, it showed that complexity inevitably meant that problems arise. I became aware of the effects such illness can have on the patient suffering and their families who will be suffering twice as much and appreciate how satisfying being a doctor would be in such difficult circumstances.
Having experienced first-hand how varied a doctor’s job can be; not just in prescribing drugs or carrying out surgery but also empathy and compassion being keys to delivering an effective and professional care. This fact was highlighted during a period of shadowing a psychiatrist in a department of the NHS medical practice. Here, I recognised the significance of treating patients in a holistic manner; doctors need to be skilful enough to deal with the health implications of both physical and psychological complaints. I was able to observe doctors communicating in difficult and problematic …show more content…
This made me conscious of their specific healthcare needs and challenges in relation to their care. Healthcare needs are influenced by various other factors including ethnicity, social class and gender. Doctors need to demonstrate the capability of identifying these specific healthcare needs and addressing them appropriately. Many patients were in a poor state of health and usually in terminal phases of their illness. This environment exemplified how healthcare staffs are often faced with stressing situations. My experience of shadowing a GP and the community staff exemplified how modern primary care and secondary care is central to an effective NHS. Moreover, I understand the research aspect of medicine providing an evidence base for modern medicine as well as the need for clinicians to commence lifelong knowledge for the advantage of their