Reflection for Employability in First Opinion Veterinary Practice

Students and practising vets are required to reflect as part of professional development. This qualitative study explored what prompts reflection and how reflection developed employability skills. Employability incorporates technical competencies and career satisfaction, an important issue relating to career longevity and retention in the profession. This study could inform teaching and assessment on reflection and employability attainment in undergraduate and postgraduate curricula. Semi-structured interview data were analysed via thematic analysis. The epistemological approach was constructivism within a pragmatist philosophy. Data were interpreted through the lens of employability theory. Seven themes were developed. Three themes related to how reflection is operationalised, including utilisation of a variety of formats of reflection, how reflection changed as a skill, and confusion over reflection. Themes that pertained to employability attainment included reflecting for life-long learning and personal development, reflecting with others, the impact of critical reflection for critical incidents, and skill development for sustainable careers. A range of reflection was reported with the main type being quick skills reflection. Reflection changes over time and was essential for life-long learning. Reflection with others was fundamental to vets and used to develop confidence, rationalise experiences, and improve team and practice culture. Critical incidents were most likely to precipitate critical reflection. Reflection was used positively to oppose perfectionism, develop confidence, cope with difficult cases, and develop resilience, all attributes that promote employability attainment. Barriers to constructive reflection included writing, confusion, ruminating, and negative connotations in the workplace. Vets struggled with obligatory reflection as required by continued professional development (CPD) or further qualifications. Reflection was triggered by curiosity for learning and surprise at novel or difficult situations. To conclude, reflection is used frequently and develops competencies that enhance employability. Future recommendations include exploring other methods of reflection such as spoken, giving vets flexibility around reflective format, and providing more information when needed.