Becoming a reflective practitioner

Abstract

Reflective practice (RP) can be defined as the process of considering an event or a situation in order to examine the factors that influenced it so that one can determine what could have been done differently, or to identify what learning occurred. RP has many potential benefits to professional practice including developing critically thoughtful approaches to patient care, influencing professional decision-making, developing emotional intelligence, and stimulating personal and professional growth. Specific skills must be developed to successfully undertake RP including self-awareness, description, critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation. These skills can be developed using a model of reflection. Models encourage a structured and guided approach to RP and encourage individuals to achieve a deeper level of understanding of the event. To make effective use of a model of reflection, a written account is preferred. This can easily be achieved through the use of a journal, which is a personal collection of notes, thoughts, observations and experiences. Journals can enhance learning through the action of writing and critically exploring experiences. Group reflection is another method of RP, and allows participants to learn from the perspectives of others, and to receive feedback on their practice. There are barriers to RP including lack of time and power to implement changes, as such there is a need for organisations to recognise the importance of RP and to allocate appropriate resources to help support its action.