Evaluating a Shared Reflective Practice to Develop Nursing Student Clinical Judgment

Self-reflection is a valuable method that nurse educators can use to develop clinical judgment skills among prelicensure nursing students. Little research exists on improving clinical judgment in second-degree nursing students in the clinical setting.

To determine the implications of increasing clinical judgment skills in prelicensure nursing students using a shared structured reflection teaching innovation within a required baccalaureate clinical course.

This educational innovation used qualitative descriptive methods to evaluate its effectiveness in the clinical setting among students in the final semester of an accelerated prelicensure nursing program.

Students reported increased accountability for their learning, a sense of intentionality with their nursing practice, and a deeper sense of community with their peers.

Shared reflective practices in the clinical setting show promise for increasing clinical judgment and supporting a competency-based curriculum.