Reflective practice has been described as a way of self-examination in which an individual looks back on what happened in their practice as a mean of professional growth (Williams, Gerardi, Gill, & Soucy, 2009). Incorporating reflective journaling in nursing education is useful in developing thinking skills, self-understanding and coping with critical incidents in practice (Williams & et al., 2009). Self-reflection is a means by which students may develop self-awareness (Williams & et al., 2009). This study was conducted on graduate nursing students enrolled in a mental health concepts course (Williams & et al., 2009). All students were told to maintain a reflective journal through a 15-week semester (Williams & et al., 2009). A theme that
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These include the STEDFAST mnemonic which lists various steps we go through during a nurse-client interaction and potential hindrances to a successful interaction (Scheick, 2011). Next, studies have been done on reflective journaling exercises which includes writing down your feelings, thoughts, and actions during a nurse-client interaction and looking back on them a later time (Parveen, 2015). Literature also identifies other practical ways that can be utilized to become self-aware which include feedback from a genuine person, talking to a mentor or a friend, reflection on one’s own actions, learning about body language, and practicing mindfulness and meditation (Gessler and Ferron, 2012). The most common strategies used in nursing is reflection which includes reflecting on our positive experiences and learning from our weaknesses (Gessler and Ferron, 2012). Another strategy used is keeping a portfolio of our own achievements and skills which aids professional development and identifies areas of further work (Gessler and Ferron, 2012). Another study used psychodrama techniques through which nurses could identify problems in therapeutic relationships and improve from feedback acquired (Oflaz et al, 2011). Psychodrama techniques also allowed the nurses to see role models and incorporate what they learned from them into their communication with their clients (Oflaz et al, 2011). Therefore, self-awareness does have it’s practical applications and should be introduced into nursing
These include the STEDFAST mnemonic which lists various steps we go through during a nurse-client interaction and potential hindrances to a successful interaction (Scheick, 2011). Next, studies have been done on reflective journaling exercises which includes writing down your feelings, thoughts, and actions during a nurse-client interaction and looking back on them a later time (Parveen, 2015). Literature also identifies other practical ways that can be utilized to become self-aware which include feedback from a genuine person, talking to a mentor or a friend, reflection on one’s own actions, learning about body language, and practicing mindfulness and meditation (Gessler and Ferron, 2012). The most common strategies used in nursing is reflection which includes reflecting on our positive experiences and learning from our weaknesses (Gessler and Ferron, 2012). Another strategy used is keeping a portfolio of our own achievements and skills which aids professional development and identifies areas of further work (Gessler and Ferron, 2012). Another study used psychodrama techniques through which nurses could identify problems in therapeutic relationships and improve from feedback acquired (Oflaz et al, 2011). Psychodrama techniques also allowed the nurses to see role models and incorporate what they learned from them into their communication with their clients (Oflaz et al, 2011). Therefore, self-awareness does have it’s practical applications and should be introduced into nursing