Cara Engstrom

NURS 478

July 6, 2023

Self-Care Reflection #3

Risks for poor communication in a healthcare setting include medication errors, patient

neglect, and even worsening a patient’s health condition. Poor communication can even lead to a

tragic fatality of a patient that could have been prevented. This week I took walks in nature to

promote self-awareness and mindfulness. Walking around my neighborhood and through the

nearby parks allowed me to clear my mind and work on the integrative nursing principle that

environment has healing and restorative properties. By taking walks in the beginning of my day

and at the end of my day, it allowed me to stay present throughout my workday and allow for a

clear mind to communicate with others effectively. It allowed me to be more present when others

were communicating their needs to me and vice versa. It allowed me to listen, without distraction

from busy thoughts in my mind, to others and to give them my undivided attention. When I felt

overwhelmed during the day, I’d also take a quick walk outside and come back more centered

within myself and ready to converse with others. I felt like I heard others more than I usually do.

I paid attention to what they were saying and how they were saying it. I could hear a sense of

urgency or calmness more in what they were communicating and notice their physical demeanor

as well. It allowed me to “see” them more when they were communicating and understand their

needs more.

In the clinical setting, I have used mindfulness in nature by taking my lunches outside, in

my hospital’s meditation garden. It allowed me to recharge from a sometimes-chaotic day inside

the hospital and recenter myself by listening to the birds pass by, see the water drip off the
fountains, and take in the greenery of my surroundings in the garden. By improving my own

mindfulness, I was able to put my best foot forward when caring for my patients and working as

a team with an interdisciplinary healthcare staff. It helps me to see my patients and treat them as

holistic beings and be a better communicator and team player with my colleagues. I have

improved in my hand off reports with my team and therapeutic communication with my patients

and their families by practicing mindfulness.