Reflective Essay Using Driscoll's Reflective Framework

Reflective practice is constantly changing as it adds in the learning gained from experiences. Reflective practice links events together and compares what is already known and make a decisions on the basis of this comparison. Reflective practice helps nurses to become expert practitioners due to the fact it operates from a deep understanding of the total events. Reflective practice could also be beneficial for patients and service users as it gives better standards of patient safety and is focused on individual and also evidence based care derived from their needs.

Reflective practice is one of the components of continuing professional development and is required by all regulatory bodies in the field of healthcare to be able to retain registration (Atwal, 2009). Reflection makes health professionals be able to share knowledge with others and gain practice and help practitioners make sense of challenging and complicated situations (Toole, 2016). Reflective practice is an active dynamic action based and ethical set of skills placed in real time and dealing with really complex matters (Moon, 2004). This helps to recognise the importance of human activity in which people think about the strength and weaknesses to make them develop. Reflection can be informal or formal.

Within different disciplines, what is understood by reflective practice varies considerably (Fook et al, 2006). Despite this, some agreement has been achieved. In general, reflective practice is understood as the process of learning through and from experience towards gaining new insights of self and/or practice (Boud et al 1985;

Writing is a practice that most of us were taught when we were young. We were taught the basics of grammar, how to form a sentence, conjunction words, how to write paragraphs and more. Although we have learned this skill while growing up and have used the skill every year after entering kindergarten, this does not mean our writing process will ensure the best work. The authors that I chose each encourage their audience to excel in the art of writing in their own way to help with the writing process.

Gustaffson and Fagerberg point out that reflective practice has relevance for clinical practice as by understanding the contents of nurses’ reflections, it is also possible to understand the advantages of reflective practice and how and when such measures should be used by the nurses for further professional development.

Reflection at its most basic principle "provides us with an opportunity to review our decisions and decision-making processes" however, in practice, reflection is a far broader and contextual concept, it is about understanding a person’s life and the actions they have taken throughout their lives. (Nussbaum 1997).Reflective practice first emerged from the work of a man called Donald Schon, having found that there appeared to be a gap between theory and putting it into practice (Fook 2006a: 441). He went on to state that reflective practice is a way of improving professional practice, through critically evaluating how we respond to practice situations and being self-aware (Mezirow 1991). Whereas reflection is applicable in all aspects of living (Fook 2006a).

Reflection is an essential attribute for the development of autonomous, critical and advanced practitioners. It is the ability to examine one’s actions and experiences in order to enhance individual clinical knowledge and nursing practice. Reflection is a professional motivator to “move on and do better with one’s practice”, with the common goal of learning from one’s experiences and examining oneself (Caldwell & Grobbel, 2013). According to Chong (2009), “reflective practice should be a continuous cycle in which experience and reflection on experiences are inter-related”.

When I start my career as a nurse, I will have multiple patients to care for each day. I need to be able to make clinical decisions on what I think is best for my patient. There will also be times that I will need help from another nurse, and reflective practice is a perfect opportunity to get a better perspective or advice on how to proceed. Reflective practice will not only help us improve as nurses, but also gives the patient a better experience as a whole. The care of each individual solely depends on the way we handle and act on criticism from other nurses through

I totally agree with what the author is saying in the text. It takes time to get a good product out even though we think some people are deep and wonderful they still have the same struggles that we have when it comes to writing. I like this text because it is realistic it is giving an account of first drafts from common day people and shows how it is even for professional writers have problems with. This point is important because as people we sometimes feel we are not as good or capable of doing something not realizing that the people we look up to have the same problems we do. Another point that I agree with the author on is that you have to start somewhere. Many times as writers we don’t know where to start when it comes to writing. That being said we will just sit and think for ten twenty minutes when we could've just been information on the paper and then editing it later. In addition I liked that the author used examples from his professional experience when it came to writing food reviews. By him using details like how he went to the restaurant and sat down with friends and took notes of what was said. This was good to me because it helps me connect with him and the things that he does to write his reviews.

I will structure this essay using Gibbs Model of Reflection (Gibbs 1988). Reflective learning helps practitioners analyse their experiences and how they think and feel about them before

The term “reflection” directly refers to one’s own ability for serious thought or consideration regarding events, which have occurred in the past. Professional bodies and organisations utilise reflective practice within continuous professional development as an effective tool to evoke critical thoughts regarding their own actions. This analysis of one’s own

Reflective practice engages practitioners in a continuous cycle of self-observation and self-evaluation in order to understand their own actions and the reactions they prompt in themselves and in learners (Brookfield, 1995; Thiel, 1999). Reflective practice is considered as an evolving concept which views learning as “an active process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice.” (Reid, B 1993 cited in Garfat, T. 2005).

Before I came to college, I felt my writing had to follow a certain pattern and be fixated around one way of thinking. What I was fortunate to learn was quite the opposite. Writing does not have to follow any certain pattern, but can rather be structured through many different possibilities. I was also told in high school that my papers either had to agree or disagree with the given topic, even if I believed otherwise. This formulated a very one-track way of thinking when it came to my papers. Now I know that I can let my mind explore new and exciting ideas. I can agree, disagree, compliment, criticize, and question the author however my heart desires, as long as I have the evidence to back myself up. Many authors in the book, Writing About Writing, explain their processes as well as the processes of others when it comes to writing. As a writer, I can draw on my own processes and relate them to the authors, as well as use their ideas and apply them to myself. Through reading, I have learned new methods of invention, planning and revising, and incubation when it comes to writing. All ways I can use to create more meaningful and creative work.

Somerville, D. and Keeling, J. (2004) A Practical Approach to promote reflective practice within nursing. Nursing Times; 100: 12, 42-45

Reflective practice is a self-analysis tool, by which practitioners can develop a greater level of self-awareness about the nature and impact of their performance, an awareness that creates opportunities for professional growth and development (Kottkamp & Osterman, 1993). Reflective practice allows professionals to assess their performance, make sense of what happened and learn from mistakes and experiences in order to develop, improve and adapt. (Cropley, et al., 2012).