Nurse educators' perspectives on student development of reflection for psychiatric mental health nursing practice

Psychiatric nursing, in various parts of the world, including regions of Canada, is recognized as a distinct nursing profession. In psychiatric mental health nursing practice, reflection is considered a foundational skill given the relational nature of nurses' therapeutic work. Communicating the significance of reflection for practice to students and teaching this intangible skill is challenging for educators. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore with psychiatric mental health nurse educators their views on how they develop reflective practitioners. Participants' perspectives and experiences in teaching reflective practice were captured in four themes: building the use of self as an agent of change, building skills of reflection/building the habit of reflection, building a bridge between theory and practice, and building a continuing reflective practice - from student to practitioner. Recommendations include a systematic incorporation of reflection into a curriculum and creating supportive learning environments that facilitate the development of reflective practitioners.