Within the health profession Reflection is one of the most widely used strategies to ensure the on-going improvements to the quality of nursing care.
A more detailed description of what Reflection is will be discussed, as well as its merits and limitations. The Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle will also be discussed, along with how it is frequently utilised in practice by British healthcare professionals. Various models of Reflection will also be explored in detail.
In addition to the above, a review of the existing literature will be made to discuss the differing forms of communication, both verbal and non-verbal, dignity, respect and the merits of utilising client-centred care to maintain patient self-worth. Patient capacity and consent will
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In addition to the definition from Bond et al. (1994), provided above, Coward (2011) also states that reflection is the process of exploring our thinking and highlighting our good and bad experiences to develop them in the future. Reflection enables the professional to analyse issues that will help them improve and develop from their past experiences, gaining insight and personal development.
The NMC takes the view that Reflection can be any form on learning that allows professionals to improve their knowledge and skills, both of which are vital in ensuring competence as a nurse (NMC, 2008).
The NMC place great importance upon the use of Reflection, such that it has been made a mandatory process that must be undertaken by all registered nurses and midwives (NMC, 2008). The process is validated annually, allowing the NMC themselves to reflect upon the direction in which the procedure develops. The main themes that have come out of the NMC guidance on reflection are prioritising patients, effective practice and ensuring that safety, professionalism and trust are maintained at the highest
Nurses are able to reflect upon their past experiences of work and build and improve this ensuring their level of competence and skills is in line with NMC guidelines. Improving the quality of care provided to patients is an ongoing process and requires practitioners to contently reflect and improve their practice. (Howatson-Jones, 2013) One way in which reflection can improve the quality of care is through the use of professional supervision, as stated by (Daly, Speedy and Jackson, 2014) a focus for supervision should be enhancing a nurse’s skills and ability to reflect on practice. It should reflect on the standard of care provided and highlight areas for improvement such as further training. This, in turn, leads to a greater self-awareness of practitioners’ own abilities. The process is not about finding faults, but to improve and learn to ensure the quality of care is high and professional for all patients. Being self-aware is a skill important to reflection and the provision of quality of
Definitions of reflection vary depending on the discipline of the author. Having reviewed the literature, Bulman (2008, p.2), a nurse, defines it as “reviewing an experience from practice so that it may be described, analysed, evaluated and used to inform and change future practice”. It is a personal process requiring honesty, openness, self-awareness, courage and a willingness to act on criticism. It acknowledges that feelings and emotions influence actions. Critical reflection involves in depth examination and questioning of personal, social, historical, cultural and political assumptions and perspectives that are embedded in actions. It is an active process enabling one to make sense of events, situations and actions that occur in the workplace (Oelofsen, 2012). It transforms a situation in which there is confusion and doubt to one that is clear and coherent (Dewey, 2010).
Nurses are constantly being encouraged to be reflective practitioners (Sommerville and Keeling, 2004). Reflective practice can be defined as the process of making sense of events, situations and actions that occur in the workplace (Oelofsen, 2012; Boros, 2009) It helps the practitioner in thinking and examining his actions and behaviour thereby, aids in his learning and improvement. Reflective practice is important for nurses. The NMC Code (2002) states that nurses are responsible for providing care to the best of their ability to patients and their families. As nurses, according to Sommerville and Keeling (2004), they need to focus on their knowledge, skills and behaviour to ensure that they are able to meet the demands made on them by this commitment. Identifying strengths enable nurses to learn, develop and grow professionally.
Burns, S. Bulman, C. Palmer, A. (1997) Reflective Practice in Nursing - The growth of the professional practitioner. London: Blackwell Science.
This essay will explore the authors meaning of reflection, how various reflective styles can benefit the practitioners within their settings, and how important reflection is within Early Years Practice. According to Appleby (2010, p.10), reflection is a generic term which describes various behaviours involving feelings, and thinking about thoughts and experiences, in order to examine issues and develop, new understandings and insights. Reflection within practice allows the practitioner to develop a sense of awareness around their daily activities, and helps them to evaluate how they could evolve these activities further, if the given opportunity was to arise again. Similarly, keeping a reflective journal
Reflection is a key part of our personal development plan that is significant from both academic and employment perspectives. It investigates and someway measures our present level of skills and knowledge by looking back to reflect our latest performance and monitoring future improvements (Gallagher K., 2013, p. 23-24).
The intention of this written essay is to demonstrate an understanding of my views on reflection and the issues surrounding reflective practice. It is based on nursing skills that I used during my practice placement, most importantly reflecting on the professional value of privacy and dignity.
The main aim of this reflection is to demonstrate that I provided this care. During my training as a student nurse, I have been involved with many patients with complex needs of a with the support of a mentor, however this was, primarily, the first time since qualified and on completion of my registration that I became responsible and accountable for my practice.
The purpose of this Reflective assignment is to demonstrate how the application of the Registered Nurses standards for practise (2016) can be used in reflective practise. The Registered Nurses standards of Practise (2016) states that RN’s should develop their practise through reflecting on experiences, knowledge, actions, their feelings and beliefs and recognise how these factors shape professional practise(RNSP, 1.2).Reflection allows individuals to look back on their day-to-day situations and how they made us react and feel; what we would change if we had the chance, to create a different outcome; and what we would do next time to enhance the way we conduct ourselves in a professional manner.
Rolfe, Gary; Freshwater, Dawn; Jasper, Melanie (2001). Critical reflection for nursing and the helping professions: a user's guide. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York: Palgrave. pp. 26–35
In order to engage in meaningful communication and develop effective communication skills, nurses must engage in the process of reflecting on how communication skills are utilised in practise. Reflection allows the nurse opportunity to gain a deeper insight into personal strengths and weaknesses and to address any areas of concern in order to improve future practise (Taylor 2001). A further aim will be to reflect on how communication skills have been utilised within nursing practise. Various models of reflection will be examined, and a reflective account of a personal experience which occurred during placement will be provided using a model. This reflective account will involve a description the incident, an analysis of thoughts and feelings and an evaluation of what has occurred. Fin...
The ability to become reflective in practice has become a necessary skill for health professionals. This is to ensure that health professionals are continuing with their daily learning and improving their practice. Reflective practice plays a big part in healthcare today and is becoming increasingly noticed.
Middleton, J. (2004). A Practical To Promote Reflective Practice Within Nursing .Retrieved March 31, 2004 from www.nursingtimes.net.
Continued Professional Development is now an important part of ongoing registration with the NMC and is essential in maintaining professional standards. In order to revalidate, nurses must write 5 reflective accounts within a 3 year period and each reflective account must explain what the nurse has learnt from the CPD activity and explain how it relates to the Code of Conduct and in particular the 4 themes of Prioritising People, Practicing Effectively, Preserving Safety and Promoting Professionalism and Trust.. Nurses also have to discuss the written reflective accounts with another NMC registered nurse coving the 5 reflective accounts Section 9.2 of the NMC code of conduct asks nurses to “gather and reflect on feedback from a variety of sources, using it to improve your practice and performance” (NMC, 2015) This is why the NMC promotes reflective practice as it ensures the nurse is practicing within their competency and in a safe manner while identifying any areas for improvement in their practice Reflective practice also makes the nurses more accountable for their actions.. (NMC, 2015) Reflective writing is an important feature of professional practice. Nurses have to keep a record of their continued professional development. At annual reviews nurses are able to present evidence of their development through a portfolio which should contain reflective accounts of their practice. These reflective accounts will help them identify strengths and weaknesses, highlight their performance, improve their skills and highlight any area that could be
Help improved my clinical skills and professional development, made me proactive and thus have learnt that reflection is an important tool for student nurse to improve on their practice.