Health Alteration Assessment
WIT is a film about a university professor of English (Dr. Vivian Bearing - portrayed by Emma Thompson) who develops metastatic ovarian cancer. WIT was originally a play written by Margaret Edson who based the story on her own experience of being in hospital and also that of her brother who was dying of cancer in hospital. The play won a Pulitzer Prize in drama in 1999. It was adapted to a film in 2001.
You may choose from the following options to view the movie in preparation for the reflection:
WIT may available at some DVD/video outlets, it will be available from the library at all 3 copies in the reserved section (it has to be viewed in the library and there is only one copy per campus) and it can also be viewed online at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0PPvYlGqL8
Students are required to select an aspect/scene (not the entire movie) and use Gibbs Reflective Cycle (see next page) to demonstrate their understanding of providing sensitive, individualised nursing care for a person with cancer.
N.B. If you are repeating the subject you will need to select another scene to reflect on. If you try to resubmit your previous reflection safe assign will pick this up and you will fail the assessment.
Please be warned that there are parts of the movie that are sad and there is poor care of this patient throughout her journey with ovarian cancer so the movie is quite confronting (have tissues handy).
Some Suggested Reading to Assist Analysis
Brown & Edwards: Chapter 5 (Palliative Care) & 12 (Cancer)
Kozier & Erb 2012: Chapter 18, 26, 27 & 44 (This is a textbook that was used in year one. If you do not have it, there are copies available in the library).
Nursing and Midwifery Board National Competency Standards for the Registered Nurse Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia
Description: Describe the event in detail - part of a scene only should be described if the scene was large to ensure a detailed description (literature not required here).
Feelings/thoughts: How did you feel about this incident? How do you think this made the patient feel? Why? Use first person in this section when you are explaining your own feelings.
Evaluation: What were the positive or negative features about this incident? What was the outcome for the patient?
Analysis: Using the identified aspects in the evaluation, explore further the impact of the identified care (especially the long term effects throughout the trajectory of the illness).
Conclusion: Discuss how the experience would have been different had alternative care been provided.
Action Plan: What have you learnt from this reflection that will assist you in nursing the patient with cancer in the future? Use first person in this section.
Referencing: The reflection is to be answered using your own words (paraphrasing), not quotations so that you can demonstrate understanding rather than your ability to find a piece of information, however you must be careful to cite sources of all ideas. The exceptions are the NMBA Standards or the Code of Ethics; if you use these, please quote them directly.
Avoid websites unless they are Government Department websites.
If you need assistance with referencing, please seek out some of the free sessions offered through Student Life and Learning. Use the Harvard Referencing Style Guide (2015) available from Student Life and Learning to assist you with the correct referencing technique. For sources of information, you are expected to access recent textbooks and journal articles. 6 - 8 references are recommended.
Presentation: To meet university guidelines e.g. 1.5 spacing, page numbers, student name and number as header or footer. Please provide a cover page that has your name, student number, name of assignment and name of your tutor.
Word Count: 1500 words