Caring for self: becoming a self-reflective nurse

Grounded in teaching experiences with nursing students, Dewey's educational philosophy, principles of adult learning, and phenomenologic perspectives, the article presents a model of self-reflection discovered in the educational/learning process of caring for self. Self-reflection as a process is operationalized as a bending back of attention and a focus on self to uncover silence and meanings or essences of personal and professional experience. Critical outcomes of this process are increased awareness, increased depth and breadth of understanding, and expanded consciousness. The thesis that self-reflection is a critical process in caring for others is presented. The background for the work and the nursing course where students develop a clinical experience of caring for self are discussed. The article includes graphic representations of the reflective process and proposes that, through caring for self, transformation in caring experiences is possible.