Nursing reflection is an important aspect of the nursing profession that allows nurses to critically evaluate their practice and identify areas for growth and improvement. One widely used model for nursing reflection is the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988. The Gibbs Reflective Cycle consists of six stages: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan. By following these steps, nurses can reflect on their experiences in a structured and systematic way, leading to deeper insights and a greater understanding of their practice.
One example of nursing reflection using the Gibbs Reflective Cycle might involve a nurse who is caring for a patient with a complex medical condition. The nurse might begin by describing the situation, including details about the patient, the nursing interventions that were implemented, and any challenges that were encountered. The nurse might then consider their feelings about the situation, such as feelings of frustration or accomplishment.
Next, the nurse would evaluate the situation, considering what went well and what could have been done differently. This might include analyzing the nursing interventions that were implemented and how they affected the patient's care. The nurse might also consider any external factors that may have influenced the situation, such as resource constraints or conflicting priorities.
Based on this analysis, the nurse would then draw a conclusion about the situation and identify any areas for improvement. For example, the nurse might conclude that they could have been more proactive in advocating for the patient's needs or that they could have sought additional support from their colleagues.
Finally, the nurse would develop an action plan to address these areas for improvement in the future. This might include seeking additional education or training, seeking out additional support from colleagues, or advocating for the patient more effectively.
By using the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, nurses can reflect on their practice in a structured and systematic way, leading to deeper insights and a greater understanding of their practice. This, in turn, can help nurses to continually improve their practice and provide the best possible care to their patients.
Nursing Reflection
Ritchey T, 1996 On Scientific Method — Based on a Study by Bernhard Riemann. Virani A, Werunga J, Ewashen C, Green T. London: Royal College of Nursing. Firstly, the appointment was quite short and I am worried that this may have made the patient feel rushed and uncomfortable. I walked beside Mrs Smith and attempted to diffuse the situation by trying to persuade her to come back to her room and offering her drinks, both of which she refused. It can be either a situation-based or stand-alone experience. Group cohesiveness, social norms, and bystander intervention, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44 3 , pp.
Reflecting on Individual Professional Practice with Gibbs
Now I feel , by doing this presentation helped me to achieve an important skill in my profession, as teaching has an active part in nursing. This situation was extremely challenging for me, especially as it was my first encounter of an individual with dementia. I have shown the need to reflect on future situations in order to enhance my skills as a healthcare professional and enable improved practice. As an accountable practitioner, I must have the knowledge and skills for safe and effective practice when working without direct supervision, recognize, and work within the limits of my competence. They have to reflect on what is important to them and what makes them happy. Nevertheless, you must treat each stage equally and ensure an optimum word count is maintained across your reflection. The aim was to learn from each other to enable us to become better professionals and to help with our individual learning.
Using Gibbs: Example of reflective writing in a healthcare assignment
I attempt to provide psychological and emotional support to patients and console them to the best of my ability and knowledge, especially if a patient has just received traumatic news. Feelings Although I worked for many years in nursing before the incident, I became a certified wound care nurse relatively recently before it succeeded. I will continue to use reflection as a method of analysing and learning from experiences, both positive and negative. Since his condition was very critical, I checked the fluid balance, level of fluid, weight etc. In retrospect, I also believe that I should have given the patient a longer consultation time in order for us to have explored the psychological impact of his acne in more detail. He had a long history of diabetes, suffering from the condition for three decades.
