9804401883410A GUIDE TO reflection and WrITING REFLECTIVE JOURNALS941000A GUIDE TO reflection and WrITING REFLECTIVE JOURNALScenter23002457459410012

9804401883410A GUIDE TO reflection and WrITING REFLECTIVE JOURNALS941000A GUIDE TO reflection and WrITING REFLECTIVE JOURNALScenter23002457459410012100center818008745855941009200

This guide will help you understand what reflection is and how to reflect. It will also provide guidance on the reflective account and reflective journal/log book assessments

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview of reflection2

What is a reflective journal?3

What is reflection?4

Why reflect?5

What to reflect on6

How to reflect...7

Providing feedback8

Assessment11

Finding your voice12

When reflecting consider: 12

Tips on reflection13

Confidentiality13

References15

Reflective Journal16-21

OVERVIEW OF REFLECTION-The three themes

SELF

Defining self and developing awareness

Developing self-awareness. What do we mean by the 'self'? Learning how we can develop self-awareness using reflection as a tool and how that can help us to become better nurses with a sustainable career.

OTHERS

Relating to self and others

Developing awareness of how we relate to others. Relating to others is central to what we do in nursing; it is through the establishment of atherapeutic relationship or helping relationshipthat we are able to deliver care. Skilled helpers need to know how to have healthy helping relationships.

CONTEXT

Developing awareness of the nursing context

Developing awareness of context - in this case, that ofnursingand its professional and organisational contexts and the many ways in which they impact on us.

What is a reflective journal?

A reflective journal/log or diary is where you record your thoughts, observations and feelings about yourself and important situations or events that happen to you as a student nurse. For the purposes of this module, your reflective journal is for keeping a record of positive, negative or interesting events, thoughts or feelings that occur during weekly group work sessions. In the module you will be exploring three key themes, (Self-Awareness, Other-Awareness and Context-Awareness) through a series of learning activities including taking part in reflective group practice so that you can reflect and learn as you go along each week. This reflective journal is part of your assessment component (Course work 2: 40% development of a journal or log of your reflective practice). A template for a reflective log/journal has been provided to record your weekly reflection sessions (one reflection per week as part of your reflective log).

*We will talk about the other part of your assessment (Course work 1: 60% 1500 word written reflection or 15 minute audio and/ or video recordings on Self Awareness, Other Awareness and Context Awareness) later on in the guide.

The reflective journal helps you to learn from your experiences in order to learn about your self and become self-aware. A reflective journal is a tool for understanding ourselves, identifying our strengths and weaknesses and so developing ourselves as people and as professionals. Being self-aware helps us to relate to other people by enhancing our ability to interact and work with others. This is an essential part of nursing. Ultimately, understanding ourselves and how we relate to others through reflection helps us to deal with the challenges of nursing and become more effective nurses.

Caring, the basis of good nursing depends on you knowing more about who you are. Why? Because we cannot help other people until we are a bit clearer about ourselves

Burnard (1992; p1)

The journal is a personal account of your own observations and personal responses to the weekly group work. What were the themes and what happened in the group and how do you think and feel about it?(These will follow the weekly module themes and activities on Canvas). Analysing this will help to connect your experiences to your knowledge. Journals are mostly written but can also contain pictures and drawings or other media such as video, podcasts and photography.

5080280034Reflective Activity

Consider how keeping a reflective journal can be helpful? See Bulman and Shutz (2013., page 58)

Can you identify any issues that will impact on you keeping a journal?

00Reflective Activity

Consider how keeping a reflective journal can be helpful? See Bulman and Shutz (2013., page 58)

Can you identify any issues that will impact on you keeping a journal?

The reflective journal should be written as soon as possible after each group so that you can accurately record it whilst it is still fresh in your mind. This will help you later when editing and adding analysis (for submission). The journal requires you to describe your learning experience and to analyse the topic covered and articulate your feelings about the subject matter and importantly, to link this to evidence.

What is reflective practice?

Reflection is a systematic process of reviewing and analysing experiences which allows you to develop a deeper understanding of the situation and make links from one experience to the next. So, when a similar situation is encountered you will have already thought through how things could be better and can immediately apply your knowledge.

-6159570485Reflective Activity

Have a look at Critical reflection the reusable learning object from Nottingham University

click on the link http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/nmp/sonet/rlos/placs/critical_reflection/index.htmlal reflection RLO or click the link below

https://canvas.wlv.ac.uk/courses/21632/pages/critical-reflection-rlo?module_item_id=40771100Reflective Activity

Have a look at Critical reflection the reusable learning object from Nottingham University

click on the link http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/nmp/sonet/rlos/placs/critical_reflection/index.htmlal reflection RLO or click the link below

https://canvas.wlv.ac.uk/courses/21632/pages/critical-reflection-rlo?module_item_id=407711

Reflective writing involves

Understanding the self and becoming self-aware

Describing the experience/context

Considering your actions

Considering the action of others

Describing what went well and what did not

Identifying what you learnt

Saying what you would do differently next time.

Maybe reflective practices offer us a way of trying to make sense of uncertainty in our workplaces and the courage to work competently and ethically at the edge of order and chaos

Ghaye, (2000, p7)

Why reflect?

Reflection aims to make you more aware of your own professional knowledge and actions by challenging assumptions of everyday practice and critically evaluating practitioners own responses to practice situations (Finlay, 2008). Reflection helps you to

understand your experience and consolidate practice

improve your performance and understanding

think what you would do differently next time

deal/cope with new situations

consider other peoples views and understand different viewpoints

Ultimately, the outcome of reflection is to improve so that the quality of patient care can be enhanced.

29870402540The benefits of reflection are that it helps you to develop

self-awareness

understanding other peoples perspectives

Understanding of context of the clinical environment

00The benefits of reflection are that it helps you to develop

self-awareness

understanding other peoples perspectives

Understanding of context of the clinical environment

The benefits of reflection help to develop you as a nurse. Without it, you will stagnate.

It is not sufficient simply to have experience in order to learn. Without reflecting upon this experience, it may quickly be forgotten, or its learning potential lost. It is from the feelings and thoughts emerging from this reflection that generalizations or concepts can be generated. And it is generalizations that allow new situations to be tackled effectively

Gibbs (1988)

What to Reflect on?

Reflection helps you to develop an understanding of yourself, of others and of the context you are in. The focus for the reflective journal/log book (Course work 2 of the assessment) will be the weekly reflective practice group work sessions that you participate in and the issues this raises for you. For example, you could focus on the discussion of topic themes as they come up in the group or other issues such as how you experience the group or react to situations in the group. There may be disagreement within the group and you might focus on how this was resolved; it may be about listening to others' points of view and understanding their perspective; learning from your own and others reactions to issues; the weekly sessions will give you the opportunity to learn something about yourself and others from actually participating in a group of your peers

Course work 1: (1500 word reflective account) The reflection relates to each of the three module themes, Self, Other and Context (we expect approximately 500 words on each of these themes), we are asking you to focus on your experience of the student nurse journey so far and to select something that you can capture concisely and then reflect on in relation to yourself and how you relate to others within the context of nursing. This might include thinking about yourself as a novice nurse and what you are bringing to the role of student nurse; about the healthcare settings you may have been in, or the health/ill-health, both mental and physical, of people you may know or have worked with; about the relationships of the people in the systems you may have worked in or people you have contact with in your communities and lives. We would like you think about these sorts of things in relation to your experience so far and what your expectations, hopes and fears about becoming a nurse and the professional context of nursing may be. Thinking about these things may have caused you to feel doubt, conflict, upset or confused. This is normal, and reflection will help you to cope, to process your feelings and move on. You should also reflect on things that you have read and link this theory into your account. You could also pick one of the issues discussed in your reflective journal/ log to consider in more detail

At its heart, reflective practice, therefore, starts with curiosity about a puzzling situation and ideally should conclude with a sense of clarity and understanding.

Oelofsen (2012)

It is worth noting that clarity and understanding dont occur immediately. It takes time to make connections and develop a deeper understanding.

35560122301Reflective Activity

Make a list of things that you have done as part of your University course over the last week.

Does anything stick in your mind?

Reflect/think about what went well and badly, what did you bring to the situation?

00Reflective Activity

Make a list of things that you have done as part of your University course over the last week.

Does anything stick in your mind?

Reflect/think about what went well and badly, what did you bring to the situation?

How do I reflect?

It helps to use a structure in writing your reflection, there are many different models and frameworks and these will be discussed in session 2 and throughout the module. It is best to use a model that you like and feel comfortable with. It is useful to keep a notebook and make brief notes as you may wish to choose from these for your reflective accounts (Course work 1:1500 word reflective account ). You can use the reflective journal or log template (Course work 2: reflective journal) to take notes immediately after the group work session. This can then be edited to form the reflective journal that you will submit as part of your assessment. (N.B For your formative assessment you will need to select a model of reflection to use in your final reflective accounts)

Do not worry if it is hard to start or clumsily written, just write something down. Make a start and it will become easier. To help you reflect, discuss your experiences with others such as peers. This helps you to gain a different and wider view of the event. Reflective practice occurring in context (clinical practice or the learning environment) is the most common method for developing reflection as other professionals are involved. Seeking feedback from others helps you to analyse the assumptions that you have made and helps you to articulate your thoughts.

-80645110490Reflective Activity: Think about whom you can draw on for support .Pair up with someone and have a conversation about your topic for reflection. What do you think will be the differences between reflecting on your own and with a group?

00Reflective Activity: Think about whom you can draw on for support .Pair up with someone and have a conversation about your topic for reflection. What do you think will be the differences between reflecting on your own and with a group?

Novice reflectors tend to focus on what they perceive as bad practice or criticise the practice. This is not the purpose of reflective accounts. Instead, consider the focus to be on good practice as learning how to do things well is just as important.

Providing feedback

When working in your reflective groups, you may be asked to provide feedback which is vital for professional growth and development. When providing feedback be respectful, thoughtful and truthful about your reactions to other peoples work. Feedback also provides greater self-awareness.

-7810569850Reflective Activity

Consider how you would like to receive feedback from others?

00Reflective Activity

Consider how you would like to receive feedback from others?

When to reflect

Weekly after reflective group work

You will be working in a small group with a facilitator. You will stay in the same group each week and the discussion will follow the themes identified for the module on Self Awareness, Other Awareness and Context Awareness.

In your weekly reflective groups, you will be forming a peer network and sharing common experiences and challenges amongst peers so that your future nursing practice can be developed.

Following your weekly group work session makes notes on the template provided for reflective log/journal (This can be found in Canvas at the end of this guide book and also on Canvas). You are required to complete a reflection each week (six in total). This forms part of Course work 2: 40%, The development of a journal or log of your reflective practice 1,000 words).

What the module team are looking for in the reflective journal is evidence that you have developed and how you have done this.

Below is an example of what to consider when completing the journal/ log book after the first group work session. These are some examples of what you could consider not an exhaustive list:

This weeks themes are: Self-awareness/Other Awareness/Context Awareness

What? What happened: Briefly describe what happened in the group pick up on key themes/feelings, what you noticed. (Be careful not to identify individuals talk generally)

So What? What was significant about what happened? What sorts of issues came up? Pick one of these and discuss how you can relate that to the key themes of the module - Self, Other, Nursing context. How might this relate to you as a student nurse? Link what you discuss to the module theory and evidence on self-awareness, group dynamics or communication and its importance in nursing, for example, or other relevant themes. Draw on sources of evidence here to back up why something was important.

Now What? How can you take this forward? What could you draw on for your own development as a future nurse. Link to evidence module theory or other evidence that you have found include references. How might you enhance your knowledge?

You must include sources of evidence - you'll find plenty of these on the Canvas topic and you can find more of your own.

Some weeks you will have more to say than others and that is okay. The reflective journal is 1000 words and if you break it down it is roughly 166 words per week which has its own constraints; so it is not an onerous task.

After a period of reflection, researching and reading around the subject matter, you should be able to achieve a deeper level of reflective writing. Before you submit your log book you should edit your log book developing some parts and reducing others. You must use evidence and literature to support your work.

Daily

Keep a daily notebook (small enough to go in the pocket of your tunic) to record events or experiences soon after they have occurred. This can then form material for your reflective accounts (1500 word written reflection or 15 minute audio and/ or video recordings (Course work 1 60%) which you can expand upon with the help of a model of reflection and literature. The focus of these reflections is Self Awareness, Other Awareness and Context Awareness.

Formative Assessment Week 4

1. For this you will identify themes for your reflective accounts and introduce the reflective model you will be using for your final reflective account.

2. Submit an example of 1 weeks reflective log book/journal

(You will receive feedback on this but it will not be graded).

SUMMATIVE (Final) ASSESSMENT 14/4/21

There are two components to the assessment

The first component is:

Course work 1 Either a 1500 word written reflection on Self Awareness, Other Awareness and Context Awareness OR

A 15 minute (3 x 5 minute per theme) audio and/or video recordings of your reflections on Self-awareness, Other awareness and Context-awareness(Learning outcomes1, 2)60%weighting

Example Video Clip

For a good example of video recording please have a look at Emmas video clips which are located within Canvas, Modules, Week 2, Critical reflection RLO under self-assessment tools or https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/nmp/sonet/rlos/placs/critical_reflection/self-assessment/film_assessment.htmlExample of a Written reflection

Read a paramedics thoughts on using reflection which is contained within canvas, modules, week 2, Critical reflection RLO under benefits. https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/nmp/sonet/rlos/placs/critical_reflection/benefits/index.htmlThe second component is

Course work 2. The Development of a journal or logbook of your reflective practice. 1000 words. (Learning outcomes3.)40%weighting

The module will be assessed against the following learning outcomes:

LO1: Discuss the importance of being self-aware as a health professional (Course work 1)

LO2:Identify approaches to reflective practice (Course work 1)

LO3:Demonstrate skills of continuous self-reflection in promoting personal and professional growth ( Course work 2)

Finding your voice

Reflective writing focuses on you becoming aware of your thoughts, feelings and actions and your development. The reader wants to hear your voice and what you think. Finding your voice helps you to articulate issues in your practice. This is very different from other assignments where you are asked to synthesise concepts from bodies of peer-reviewed evidence. In this assignment, the reader wants to hear your voice what you have learnt and how you have developed so, choose words and phrases that you would use, you will then establish a voice

When reflecting consider ..

What prior knowledge do I have was this the first time something happened?

How did I act during the event?

Are there other interpretations of this event?

What are the implications for what happened?

If I pretend that this happened to someone else and observe the reactions does it change my perspective?

What other information do I need in order to understand the implications?

What have I learnt about myself that I did not know before?

What links can I make between my experience and other events such as things I have read or lecture material?

Can I link my discussion to any evidence and back up my statements with reference to the evidence?

How can I use the knowledge gained from this experience in the future?

What is the best way forward?

Tips on reflective writing

Use I when writing your reflection.

Use phrases like: I learned, I discovered, I felt, etc

Ask yourself the following questions: What? When? Who? Why? Where? How? What if? So what? What next?

Link your thoughts to theoretical concepts and evidence.

Use references in your writing

CONFIDENTIALITY

In order for the group to develop TRUST, members need to know that any conversations or discussion occurring within the module or group work is kept private and confidential. People need to know that what they say will be kept within the group so, anything discussed within the lectures or group work that someone has had the courage to share should be respected and must not be shared with anyone else. The NMC (2018 p 6) Code of Conduct states you have a duty of confidentiality. Breaking confidentiality is subject to fitness to practice rules.

Confidentiality in the Reflective journal/log book

When writing your reflective journal/log book please make sure that your entries do not include any personal information that may identify another individual such as a fellow group member or patient/service user or lecturer. Information must be recorded in a way that other people cannot be identified from that information and remains anonymous. Refer to general themes and topics of discussion and your own thoughts and feelings rather than other individuals.

Confidentiality in the Reflective Accounts

To help you generate material for your reflective accounts, you are encouraged to keep a reflective diary which is confidential to you and you do not need to share this with anyone. This diary is to help you identify the reflective piece you will do for your assessment. However, when you keep your diary/notes please ensure that your notes do not include

The name of any individual

The date of the incident or event referred to if this can identify the individual

The ward or place the event occurred

Any descriptions where the individual can be identified from the circumstances

References

Bulman, C and Schutz, S (2013) Reflective practice in nursing 5th ed. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell

Burnard, P. (1992) Know Yourself! Self-Awareness Activities for Nurses. Scutari, London.

Ghaye, T. (2000) Into the reflective mode: bridging the stagnant moat. Reflective Practice, 1(1) 5-9.

Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods (London, UK: Further Education Unit.

Kolb. D. (1984) Experiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice-Hall

Kolb. D. A. and Fry, R. (1975) 'Toward an applied theory of experiential learning; in C. Cooper (ed.) Theories of Group Process, London: John Wiley

Moon, J.A. (2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice New York: Routledge

Oelofsen N (2012) Developing Reflective Practice: A Guide for Health and Social Care Students and Practitioners. Banbury: Lantern Publishing.

Pettigrew, T. F. (1998). Intergroup contact theory. Annual Review of Psychology, 49, 65-85.

Schn, DA 1987, Educating the reflective practitioner, Jossey-Bass. San Francisco.

Tashiro J, Shimpuku Y, Naruse K et al (2013) Concept analysis of reflection in nursing professional development.Japan Journal of Nursing Science10(2):170-179

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2010). Developing management skills (8th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education

REFLECTIVE JOURNAL

Student Number Date submitted Module code

4NH028 Module title The Reflective Practitioner

Group

Small Group Word count

Facilitator Percentage awarded Marker LO3:Demonstrate skills of continuous self-reflection in promoting personal and professional growth (Element B)

This weeks themes are: Self-awareness

What?

So What?

Now What?

*Include references and a reference page at the end

This weeks themes are: Self-awareness

What?

So What?

Now What?

This weeks themes are: other-awareness

What?

So What?

Now What?

This weeks themes are: other-awareness

What?

So What?

Now What?

*Remember to include evidence with references.

This weeks themes are: context-awareness

What?

So What?

Now What?

This weeks themes are: context-awareness

What?

So What?

Now What?

*Include References and Reference page