Driscoll's Reflection Cycle

The first aspect of Driscoll’s reflection cycle is to describe what the event entailed (Driscoll, 2007). In my time on placement in postnatal care in the home at the Royal Women’s Hospital I had the opportunity to perform my first newborn screening test. Blood sampling of a newborn is one of the MCATs that is required to be signed off. I had observed one of these performed by a midwife on placement on the postnatal ward. I had also practiced the skill in class. I felt confident enough to perform the task myself. At the woman’s home, she was sitting on her couch whilst breastfeeding her baby in the cradle hold position. It is recommended in the blood sampling of a newborn policy at the Royal Women’s Hospital for the newborn to be breastfeeding …show more content…
I collected the equipment I required; gloves, an alcohol swab, the tenderfoot, the signed card, a cotton wool ball and tape. I unwrapped one of the baby’s feet, the one closest to the floor so that gravity would help the blood flow better. Whilst doing this I ensured that the foot was warm to also increase the blood flow. I performed hand hygiene prior to putting on the gloves and then held the foot in my left hand. I wiped the area with an alcohol swab, waited until it was dry and then placed the tenderfoot on the base of the foot where it looked the fleshiest. I checked this with the midwife I was working with and she told me to place the tenderfoot a bit lower. I did so and lanced the foot. I wiped away the first drop of blood and waited to see if a large droplet would form so that I could place it on the screening …show more content…
The importance of performing this procedure correctly is so that you are not causing unnecessary pain to the newborn. The procedure is uncomfortable for the baby, and therefore effort should be made to ensure that blood is only required to be taken from one foot. When blood flow is restricted it is also difficult to fill the circles on the card without dabbing the droplets of blood, leading to smearing which can make the card unusable (Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, 2014). Milking the foot is also not recommended as this can occlude the blood vessels, making it harder for the blood to

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