Introduction
Nursing is a profession that changes rapidly from a constant stream of accumulated knowledge. Research on this subject is critical for public health and medical institutions, as it both generates new knowledge and improves the use of current techniques. While guidelines provide the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding the majority of known diseases, it remains vital to analyze how this data can be further improved or applied most efficiently. Reflective practice is a necessary tool for both current and future medical personnel to optimize their output with the knowledge they already possess. This essay will discuss the role of reflective practice in nursing, its application, and how students and medical personnel can engage in it meaningfully.
What is Reflective Practice?
This approach is linked to one’s ability to imagine possible outcomes if a situation has gone differently. Esterhuizen (2019) defines reflective practice as a method of self-analysis that allows people to increase their “awareness of how and why things have occurred” the way they did (p. 8). This process is meant to enable a person to provide feedback to themselves by interpreting their experience for a possibility of improvements. Not only does reflection allow people to put their observations into a proper position in their knowledge base, but it also connects theory and practice into a unified framework. However, recollecting an event is a challenging task that does not often lead to transformations, especially if the range of possible choices is not well-understood. Mastery of this process is a sign of professionalism and excellence in one’s field of study.
Engaging in Reflective Practice
To reflect on one’s past acts, it is vital to comprehend that a particular mode of thinking is required. People’s learning abilities are based on their capacity to adapt to new situations, which can be improved by improving one’s understanding of self. As nurses work in a dynamic environment, adaptation is critical in this profession. The primary ability that is required to engage in reflective practice is critical thinking, which requires one to use imagination to extract knowledge relevant to their recollection of a past event (Rowe et al., 2020). Moreover, individuals must realize that their thought experiments should include multiple perspectives on a subject.
However, conclusions can not be made hastily or based on a single encounter. Care provision includes numerous stakeholders whose opinions on the matter must be incorporated into any study. Reflective practice requires nurses to possess the necessary background knowledge that is used in the analyzed context and can be expanded via self-reflection. There must be significant support for the ideas generated by such research, including peer reviews, theoretical checks, and the ethical basis for the application of methods using newly generated data (Bjerkvik & Hilli, 2019). Overall, reviewing one’s experience must be used in critical thinking with a degree of awareness of the possible implications of this data.
Benefits and Barriers to Reflection
The primary benefit of reflective practice is the possibility of realizing flaws in the current guidelines. Both nurses and students can raise their confidence in the applied techniques by comparing them with their theoretical knowledge. Moreover, medical personnel can comprehend what actions need to be avoided to minimize the risk of errors (Esterhuizen, 2019). Each individual possesses a unique combination of information that is further diversified by their views and personal insights. Sharing such data with scientific communities across the globe can speed up numerous research initiatives and increase the well-being of populations. Overall, this analytical approach can significantly boost the quality of provided care if the proper conclusions are made from one’s experience.
However, merely understanding the reasons behind an outcome of an analyzed event is not a final goal. Nurses can then acquire new knowledge that will help them to solve similar issues better. For example, if a worker thinks that they have found a better way to conduct a procedure, they can approach their leader with a proposition to assess the idea. If peers find the developing theory to be reasonable, they can compare the evidence with guidelines and draw a valid conclusion that can support or oppose the initial statement. This process allows nurses to avoid acting upon assumptions from their theoretical knowledge and continuously improve their care provision (Marshall et al., 2021). Reflective practice plays a vital role in expanding guidelines with evidence-based solutions that were not documented before. For students, this act is essential in their learning process, as it complements theoretical material with new knowledge. Reflective practice allows interns to retain information on a larger scale than common studying techniques and boosts their self-confidence (Barbagallo, 2021). It teaches maturity and responsibility, increasing autonomy among healthcare workers.
However, some barriers prevent nurses and students from achieving meaningful outcomes from reflection. First of all, this analytical approach to learning is ambiguous by its nature, making people guess possible intentions and implications of their thought experiments, as they are accustomed to following well-known paths (Gathu, 2022). Therefore, standardized teaching methods impair nurses’ autonomous responses to unique situations and hinder the global accumulation of knowledge through contemplation.
Peer assessment is also a challenging task that requires close cooperation and mutual understanding. Employees may not possess a shared knowledge of the discussed topic, and any deficiencies can lead to conflicts and misdirected efforts (Bjerkvik & Hilli, 2019). Even in organizations with a high level of teamwork, certain ideas can be misinterpreted, implying the need for assessments on a global scale. Moreover, workers must be motivated to reflect upon their actions. This process requires both a diverse skill set and a possibility of personal involvement in the development of new techniques (Gathu, 2022). Nurses and students may fail to perceive the possible benefits of their studies without confidence in themselves and their commitment to others’ well-being.
Conclusion
In conclusion, reflective practice is a core analytical tool for nurses that allows them to improve medical procedures, theories, and their application through in-depth examinations of past events. Medical personnel must develop the optimal path to ensure their patients are provided with the highest quality of care, and reflections can help develop such methods when applied in a proper context. Nurses’ effectiveness can be improved by ensuring that their goal as lifetime learners leads them to process data in a meaningful way. Students may improve their performance through self-reflection as well, as their knowledge is based on theories that require internalization and continuous reassessment. While there are barriers to the implementation of this approach, people can avoid common pitfalls by expanding their understanding of the subject. Therefore, healthcare facilities are urged to educate their staff on the benefits of further education.
References
Barbagallo, M. S. (2021). Nursing students’ perceptions and experiences of reflective practice: A qualitative meta-synthesis.Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 16(1), 24–31. Web.
Bjerkvik, L. K., & Hilli, Y. (2019). Reflective writing in undergraduate clinical nursing education: A literature review.Nurse Education in Practice, 35, 32–41. Web.
Esterhuizen, P. (2019). Reflective practice in nursing (4th ed.). Learning Matters.
Gathu, C. (2022). Facilitators and barriers of reflective learning in postgraduate medical education: A narrative review.Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, 9, 238212052210961. Web.
Marshall, T., Keville, S., Cain, A., & Adler, J. R. (2021). On being open-minded, wholehearted, and responsible: A review and synthesis exploring factors enabling practitioner development in reflective practice.Reflective Practice, 22(6), 860–876. Web.
Rowe, L., Moore, N., & McKie, P. (2020). The reflective practitioner: The challenges of supporting public sector senior leaders as they engage in reflective practice.Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 10(5), 783–798. Web.