Reflecting on clinical practice: hectoring talk or reality?

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Clinical Practice
• Professional Development

Background:

• Reflection is a key tool for practitioners to analyze clinical practice.
• Bridging the theory-practice gap is a persistent challenge in nursing education and practice.
• Generating theory from practice is essential for advancing nursing knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the background and relevance of reflection in nursing.
• To explore how reflection can reduce the theory-practice gap.
• To examine the role of reflection in generating nursing theory from clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on reflection in nursing.
• Analysis of clinical practice exemplars.
• Application of Carper's 'Patterns of Knowing' framework.

Main Results:

• Reflection provides a framework for understanding nursing knowledge embedded in practice.
• Carper's 'Patterns of Knowing' can be used to identify and articulate tacit nursing knowledge.
• Critical discussion of the reflection process based on author's experience.

Conclusions:

• Reflection is crucial for developing nursing knowledge and practice.
• Integrating reflection into practice can enhance theoretical understanding and application.
• The 'Patterns of Knowing' framework offers a valuable lens for analyzing reflective practice in nursing.