Reflective inquiry in nursing practice or 'revealing images'

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Reflective Practice
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Nurses operate in demanding environments with limited resources and increasing patient needs.
• Reflection is crucial for professional development and insight into complex practice.
• Journaling offers a unique avenue for nurses to explore their experiences and understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of reflective journaling as a tool for nurses' professional insight.
• To illustrate how journaling can illuminate distorted understandings in nursing practice.
• To demonstrate the transformative and educational aspects of reflective journaling.

Main Methods:

• The paper uses a play reading format to depict a conversation among different aspects of a nurse's self.
• This alternative pedagogical approach illustrates reflexive journaling.
• It showcases methodologies for understanding the development of nursing knowledge.

Main Results:

• Reflective journaling facilitates an interplay between the nurse's written self and their perceived self.
• Journals can situate nurses within their practice while revealing distorted perceptions.
• The educative value of journaling depends on its use as a transformative tool.

Conclusions:

• Reflective journaling is a powerful method for healing, enlightenment, and professional growth in nursing.
• The play reading format effectively demonstrates the reflexive nature of journaling and knowledge reconstruction.
• Nurses can reconstruct their understanding through guided reflection on practice stories.