Reflective And Critical Thinking In Nursing

For students on the path to becoming well-educated nurses, the concepts of reflective and critical thinking have been stressed to be of vital importance to not only the profession but also the process of learning. In this assignment I will apply the concept of reflective thinking by reflecting on my personal motivations for choosing the career of nursing, the reasons that lead me to believe I have the potential to be a successful nurse. Another important aspect of this essay is to introduce the concept of reflective practice and elaborate on the importance of nurses applying this in the field.

When reflecting on the reasons for choosing career in nursing, my main motivation is my passion and interest in the fields of anatomy, physiology and

For example, I am particularly interested in the fields of oncology and palliative care where a nurse is a pillar of support, both physically and emotionally, when a person feels weak, is not in optimal health or depends on comfort care in the final stages of their life.

To introduce the concepts of reflection and reflective practice it is crucial to clarify exactly what reflection infers. ‘Reflection is a process of going back over something after it has already occurred’ (Daly, Speedy and Jackson, 2014, p.120). Having analysed this definition, I have come to the understanding that reflection comes down to critically analysing a past action or experience with the purpose of self-improvement and an increase in competence.

As the concept is such a heavily discussed topic many researchers have formed their own definitions, and while most of these interpretations are all very similar, different theorists stress different aspects. This has resulted in a variety of frameworks for reflection, developed to provide structure to the order of reflecting on experiences and

Step by step, this recognised framework aids us in asking ourselves the right and critical questions with self-development in mind. Questions such as: What has happened and how do I feel about what happened? How did I experience this? Good or bad? What can I do to turn this around? Or what did I do to make this a positive experience? Implementing reflective practice in the workplace benefits nurses by allowing them to continuously fine-tune and improve on their skills, thus reducing the risk of errors for all parties involved, and consequently ensures patients receive a better standard of care. To illustrate with a quote: “The outcomes of reflection are so profound, and so personally enlightening, that you are unable to let them go, or to return to former unquestioning ways.” (Emden,