Write on reflective essay using a reflective model of writing to write on the following event.

Assignment Brief

Working in a care home doing my placement, I didn’t know I had to be recording the fridge temperature daily. On a particular day while in the kitchen I saw a recording sheet of fridge temperature recording by other staff members. I felt really bad that I hadn’t been doing this and having the knowledge of food safety from previous trainings. From henceforth, I started recording the fridge temperature each time i go to work. – 1500 words

Note: for the above work. You must use one of the following reflective writing.

1. Gibbs reflective writing
2. Donald schon reflective writing
3. John reflective writing
4. Driscoll reflective writing
5. Rolfe reflective writing

Sample Answer

Reflective Essay: Fridge Temperature Recording in a Care Home Using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

Introduction

Reflection is an important part of learning, especially in health and social care. It helps people to learn from their experiences and improve their future practice. In this essay, I will reflect on a situation during my placement in a care home where I realised I had not been recording the fridge temperature as I should have. I will use Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (1988) to guide my writing and reflection. This model has six steps: Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, and Action Plan.

Description

During my placement in a care home, I was helping in the kitchen and supporting with food preparation and other related tasks. One day, while I was in the kitchen, I noticed a recording sheet on the wall. It was for recording the fridge temperature daily. I saw that other staff had been filling it in regularly, but I had never done it before.

Until that moment, I did not realise that it was my responsibility to record the temperature of the fridge. Even though I had previously learned about food safety and temperature control in my training, I had not connected it to this part of my work placement. I instantly realised I had made a mistake by not checking and recording the temperature each time I came in.

From that day on, I made it a point to record the fridge temperature every time I came to work. I did not wait to be reminded or asked; I took the responsibility seriously going forward.

Feelings

At first, when I saw the recording sheet, I felt embarrassed and disappointed in myself. I thought I had been doing a good job during my placement, and I was proud of how I was applying what I had learned in class. But in that moment, I felt like I had missed something very important.

I also felt anxious and guilty. I wondered if my failure to record the temperature could have affected food safety in any way. I worried that my supervisor or other staff might have noticed my lack of involvement with this task and thought I was being careless.

At the same time, I felt grateful that I had realised the mistake myself. It was a learning moment, and I wanted to correct it immediately. I also reminded myself that I was still learning, and this experience would help me become more careful and responsible in future tasks.

Evaluation

Looking back, I think the situation had both positive and negative sides. The negative aspect was that I had not been fulfilling my duty by recording the fridge temperature. This could have been risky because food that is not stored at the correct temperature can become unsafe and cause illness, especially in a care home where service users are often vulnerable.

However, the positive part is that I identified the issue myself. No one had to point it out to me. I took responsibility and changed my behaviour immediately. I also learned the importance of checking for tasks that might not always be mentioned out loud but are still essential.

It was also positive that I used this moment to build better habits, and I started looking more closely at other daily routines in the care home. I became more observant and aware of health and safety practices in general.

Analysis

This experience taught me a lot about the importance of paying attention to detail in care work. Even small tasks like recording fridge temperatures are essential in maintaining food hygiene and safety standards. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), food in fridges should be kept at 5°C or below to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

From my previous training, I knew that food safety laws require proper temperature control, especially in settings like care homes. However, I had not applied this knowledge practically until now. This highlights the difference between theoretical learning and practical application.

Gibbs’ model encourages us to reflect deeply on what we could have done better. In this case, I could have asked more questions during my first few shifts. I assumed that the tasks I was told to do were the only ones I needed to worry about. I now realise that part of being a good care worker is being proactive and observant.

The reflective process also helped me recognise the value of teamwork. Other staff were doing their part, and I had not been doing mine. In a care home, every small task contributes to the safety and comfort of the residents. Neglecting even one part of the routine can have wider effects.

Continued...