Reflective practice in nursing: A concept analysis

Abstract

This paper aims to clarify the concept of reflective practice in nursing by using Rodgers' evolutionary method of concept analysis.Data sources: Literature and references on the concept of reflective practice were obtained from two databases: Scopus and Nursing and Allied health database. Peerreviewed articles published in English language between 2011-2021 that included the terms 'reflection' and/or 'reflective practice' in the title were selected. Seminal pieces of work were also considered in this analysis. A total of 23 works were included. Most of the selected works addressed the concept of reflective practice in nursing education or nursing practice. Data synthesis:The data analysis integrated the stages identified in Rodgers' method of concept analysis to analyze the concept of reflective practice. Analysis of selected works provided an understanding of common surrogates, antecedents, attributes, and consequences of the concept of reflective practice. Conclusions:Reflective practice is a cognitive skill that demands conscious effort to look at a situation with an awareness of own beliefs, values, and practice enabling nurses to learn from experiences, incorporate that learning in improving patient care outcomes.It also leads to knowledge development in nursing. Considering the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper identifies the need for nurses to go beyond reflection-on-action and also include reflection-in-action and reflection-for-action as part of their practice.Implications for nursing practice: This analysis identifies the need for future nursing researchers to develop reflective models or strategies that promote reflection among nurses and nursing students before, during, and after the clinical experiences. K E Y W O R D S nursing, reflective practice, Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis method In the last decade, reflective practice has become widespread in the knowledge advancement of various professions, including medicine, nursing, education, social work, and business (Ng, 2012). The Greek philosopher Aristotle first stated the importance of reflection, believing it has a role in developing practical insight and understanding one's imagination (Contreras et al., 2020). In the early 20th century, the philosopher John Dewey associated life experiences and education (Schwind & Manankil-Rankin, 2020). He viewed experience as an essential part of learning, which he identified as the connection made between thoughts and actions through reflection (Contreras et al., 2020). Donald Schön, influenced by Dewey, was interested in understanding the use of reflection among professionals, and is considered the father of reflective practice (Contreras et al., 2020). Schön's work differentiated between two forms of reflective practice-reflection-inaction and reflection-on-action-but did not include what has become the third form: reflection-for-action (Thompson & Pascal, 2012).Reflection has been assumed to enhance learning, and thus its use in nursing education and practice has been supp...

Measures to improve patient needs assessments and reduce practice variation in Dutch home care organizations

“…As far as we know, there is no literature that investigated the effects of reflective practices in this field, such as intervision or peer review, on these specific outcomes. It is known that reflective practice translates experience into knowledge (Schön, 1983), which is assumed to improve the quality of patient care (Patel & Metersky, 2022). Looking at all benefits mentioned, a regular reflection with peers on the patient needs assessment may indeed have the potential to create more uniform care according to patients’ demand.…”

“…As far as we know, there is no literature that investigated the effects of reflective practices in this field, such as intervision or peer review, on these specific outcomes. It is known that reflective practice translates experience into knowledge (Schön, 1983), which is assumed to improve the quality of patient care (Patel & Metersky, 2022).…”

Master of nursing specialist experiences of an internship through the use of written reflections: A qualitative research study

“…The study also found that it can use scientific knowledge, personal knowledge, and experiential knowledge to solve complicated problems in practice [ 3 ]. Moreover, studies have shown that reflective practice, as a cognitive skill that nurses learn from experience, can improve the knowledge and skills of nursing students, novice nurses, and experienced nurses in clinical practice, improve the professional practice of nurses and positively improve the health outcomes of patients [ 1 , 4 ]. It has also been reported that reflective practice can enhance a clinician’s competence through a critical review of clinical practice [ 5 ].…”

“…In direct contact with patients in clinical practice, MNS may encounter unexpected clinical situations leading to stress [ 9 ], and most of these clinical experiences have not been effectively addressed. Therefore, reflective practice is necessary for MNS for patient safety [ 4 ] nurses' own physical and mental health, and coping with future challenges [ 4 ]. Reflective practice improves nurses' understanding of their practice by giving meaning to their experiences [ 4 , 10 ], thereby enhancing their personal and nursing professional development [ 2 ], and narrowing the gap between theory and clinical practice in nursing humanistic care dimension [ 10 ].…”

“…Therefore, reflective practice is necessary for MNS for patient safety [ 4 ] nurses' own physical and mental health, and coping with future challenges [ 4 ]. Reflective practice improves nurses' understanding of their practice by giving meaning to their experiences [ 4 , 10 ], thereby enhancing their personal and nursing professional development [ 2 ], and narrowing the gap between theory and clinical practice in nursing humanistic care dimension [ 10 ]. The reflective journal is the most commonly used tool in reflective practice [ 9 ], and it is seen as a learning tool in postgraduate medical education [ 11 ].…”