Introduction
The productive nursing practice involves acquiring the necessary reflective skills as valuable traits that allow evaluating individual achievements and work gaps. Among the attainments that need to be engaged in the effective reflective activity, Bulman and Schutz mention “self-awareness, description, critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation” as crucial skills. Training each of them helps uncover individual strengths and weaknesses and draw competent conclusions regarding specific interventions and performing immediate nursing duties. As various studies have been conducted, these aspects of reflective practice have been researched more deeply, but the key traits have remained unchanged.
Main body
In addition to the aforementioned common reflective skills that are needed to maintain the effective nursing practice, some uncommon attainments can also be valuable traits. Their use in work may help establish positive interaction with colleagues and increase individual authority in the team. Bulman and Schutz mention “skills of active listening, empathy, assertiveness, supporting and challenging and the planning and management of change” as uncommon attainments stimulating vocational growth. In case nursing employees seek to increase these abilities, this affects their activities positively and contributes to expanding professional competencies.
Conclusion
The evaluation of the findings proposed by Bulman and Schutz provides an opportunity to assess how significant reflective practice is and how important relevant skills can be. The analysis of this topic has allowed delving deeper into the basics of self-reflection as a work activity that is one of the effective ways to identify individual strengths and weaknesses. Some of the additional skills that Goulet, Larue, and Alderson note, for instance, practical training, help strengthen the aforementioned skills and expand professional potential. The use of these abilities in nursing practice makes it possible to increase the validity of interventions.
References
- Bulman C, Schutz, S (eds.). Reflective practice in nursing. 8th ed. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell; 2013.
- Goulet MH, Larue C, Alderson M. Reflective practice: a comparative dimensional analysis of the concept in nursing and education studies. Nursing Forum, 2016; 51(2): 139-150.