Are you a student nurse, or aspiring to become one? You've likely heard the term 'reflective practice' and know it's a cornerstone of modern nursing. But what does it actually look like day-to-day? How can you move beyond theory to write reflections that genuinely improve your skills and meet university or NMC standards?
This guide demystifies the process. We will explore seven detailed nursing reflective practice examples using established models like Gibbs, Johns, and Schön. By breaking down real-world scenarios, from medication errors to complex patient communication, this article offers more than just templates. You'll gain practical tactics for analysing your experiences, identifying learning points, and creating an action plan for future practice. We provide the detail needed to turn every clinical moment—challenging or successful—into a powerful learning opportunity.
Whether you're on placement, studying for an Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing), or a qualified professional refining your skills, these examples will equip you to reflect with confidence. Mastering this skill isn't just about passing assessments; it's about shaping yourself into a more compassionate, competent, and self-aware practitioner. Let’s get started.
1. Gibbs' Reflective Cycle: Critical Incident in Patient Care
Gibbs' Reflective Cycle is a popular framework for structured reflection, first developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988. It's especially useful for students because it breaks down the reflective process into six clear, manageable stages. This model helps you move from simply describing an event to deeply analysing it and planning for future improvements.
The six stages guide your thinking in a circular pattern:
- Description: What happened? (An objective account).
- Feelings: What were you thinking and feeling?
- Evaluation: What was good and bad about the experience?
- Analysis: What sense can you make of the situation?
- Conclusion: What else could you have done?
- Action Plan: If it happened again, what would you do differently?
This method is excellent for turning a challenging or even a routine clinical incident into a powerful learning opportunity. It’s one of the most frequently used nursing reflective practice examples in university and Access to Higher Education course assignments.
Why It's a Top Choice
Gibbs' model encourages you to acknowledge the emotional side of clinical practice. Rather than seeing feelings as unprofessional, it treats them as important data for understanding your actions. For anyone studying on an Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing), mastering this model provides a solid foundation for the reflective skills required throughout your career.
Key Insight: Gibbs' model isn't just for reviewing mistakes. It's equally effective for analysing situations that went well. By understanding why a positive interaction succeeded, you can replicate those effective behaviours.
Practical Tips for Using Gibbs' Cycle
- Be Honest About Feelings: Don't shy away from admitting you felt anxious, overwhelmed, or even proud. This emotional honesty is key to a meaningful reflection.
- Focus on 'Analysis': This is where true learning happens. Go beyond describing the event and ask why it happened. Link your experience to theory, policies, or research from your course.
- Create a Concrete Action Plan: Your plan should contain specific, measurable steps. Instead of "I will communicate better," write "I will practise active listening by summarising the patient's concerns back to them." This makes your learning actionable.
2. Reflective Journal Entry: Weekly Practice Log
A reflective journal is a less structured, ongoing log where you record observations, thoughts, and learning experiences. Unlike formal models, journaling allows for a more personal and flexible exploration of your practice. It is particularly effective for capturing the small, everyday moments that shape your professional growth over time.
The idea was popularised by theorists like Donald Schön, who emphasised the importance of continuous reflection. Instead of focusing on a single incident, a journal helps you see patterns and track your progress. It builds a rich narrative of your development, which is invaluable for both personal insight and professional documentation. This continuous approach makes it one of the most sustainable nursing reflective practice examples for busy students.
Why It's a Top Choice
Reflective journaling promotes authenticity. It gives you a private space to be honest about your anxieties, celebrate small wins, and connect your practical experiences to theoretical knowledge without the pressure of a rigid framework. For distance learners, such as those studying an Access to Higher Education Diploma, this method fits perfectly around work and life commitments.
Key Insight: The power of a journal lies in its consistency. Reviewing entries from previous weeks can reveal significant growth in confidence and skill that you might not notice day-to-day.
Practical Tips for Using a Reflective Journal
- Set a Routine: Dedicate a specific time each week for writing. Consistency turns reflection into a habit rather than a chore.
- Use Simple Prompts: To avoid staring at a blank page, use guiding questions. What was my biggest challenge this week? What went well and why? What did I learn about myself?
- Balance the Good and the Bad: Document successes as well as difficulties. Analysing what went right is just as important as examining what went wrong.
- Keep it Secure: Whether you use a physical notebook or a password-protected document, ensure your reflections remain private. This helps you be completely honest.
3. Brookfield's Lenses: Power Dynamics and Assumptions
Unlike models that focus purely on the event, Stephen Brookfield's framework encourages a deeper, more critical examination of the systems and personal beliefs that shape our actions. This approach is designed to uncover power dynamics, hidden assumptions, and social contexts that influence practice. It is especially useful when working with vulnerable populations, where unexamined biases can have significant consequences.
Brookfield’s model uses four "lenses" to view a critical incident:
- Our Own Perspective (Autobiographical): How did our own experiences and values shape our actions?
- Our Patients' Eyes: How did the other person experience the event?
- Our Colleagues' Experiences: What insights can we gain from peer feedback?
- Theoretical Literature: How do research, policies, and theory explain what happened?
For instance, a student nurse might reflect on why they automatically spoke loudly to an elderly patient, only to realise they had made an unfounded assumption about age-related hearing loss. This model prompts the nurse to question the origin of that stereotype and its impact on the patient's dignity. As one of the more advanced nursing reflective practice examples, it builds social awareness.
Why It's a Top Choice
This model moves reflection from a personal development tool to an instrument for promoting social justice. It challenges you to see beyond the individual incident and consider the broader institutional and societal structures at play. For anyone studying on a course like the Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing), Brookfield's lenses provide a powerful way to understand how systemic issues like ageism or racism can manifest in daily practice.
Key Insight: Brookfield's model is about questioning what you take for granted. It pushes you to ask: "Whose interests are being served here?" and "What am I assuming to be true about this person?" This critical stance is vital for fair and equitable care.
Practical Tips for Using Brookfield's Lenses
- Ask 'Whose Voice is Missing?': Actively consider the perspectives of everyone involved, especially the patient. How might they describe the situation differently?
- Examine Your Social Position: Reflect on how your own identity, privilege, and position of authority influence your perceptions and interactions with others.
- Seek Diverse Feedback: Purposefully seek out opinions from peers with different backgrounds to get a rounded view.
- Connect to the Bigger Picture: Link your personal reflection to wider issues. How do institutional policies or cultural norms contribute to the situation?
4. Schön's Reflection-in-Action and Reflection-on-Action
Donald Schön's framework introduces a powerful distinction that moves reflection from a simple review to a dynamic, real-time professional skill. It separates reflection into two key types: 'reflection-in-action' (thinking on your feet) and 'reflection-on-action' (analysing what happened afterwards). This approach makes the intuitive expertise of experienced practitioners visible and learnable.
The two types of reflection are:
- Reflection-in-action: This is the immediate, in-the-moment thinking that guides your decisions. It’s about noticing subtle cues, questioning your assumptions, and adjusting your approach on the fly. For example, recognising a patient's breathing pattern has changed slightly and immediately reassessing their condition.
- Reflection-on-action: This is the more familiar process of looking back on an event after it has concluded. Here, you dissect the situation, including your in-action thoughts, to understand what happened and how it informs future practice.
By documenting both, you create a rich case study that bridges the gap between theory and the realities of clinical practice. This method is one of the most insightful nursing reflective practice examples for developing true expertise.
Why It's a Top Choice
Schön’s model values the "artistry" of professional practice, acknowledging that not all clinical decisions come from a textbook. It helps you recognise and develop your professional intuition. For those studying an Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing), using this model prepares you for the complex, fast-paced decision-making required in healthcare.
Key Insight: The real power of Schön's model is connecting your real-time thinking with your post-event analysis. It helps you understand why you made certain intuitive leaps, allowing you to turn instinct into a reliable, evidence-informed skill.
Practical Tips for Using Schön's Model
- Capture 'In-Action' Thoughts Quickly: Your memory of in-the-moment decisions is fragile. Make brief notes as soon as possible after a significant event. Ask yourself: "What did I notice just then?"
- Separate Description from Analysis: In your write-up, clearly distinguish between 'in-action' thoughts (what you were thinking at the time) and 'on-action' analysis (what you think about it now with hindsight).
- Connect to Theory: During your 'on-action' reflection, link your intuitive decisions to clinical guidelines or research. This strengthens your rationale and provides an evidence base for your gut feelings.
5. Johns' Model of Structured Reflection: The Cue Questions Approach
Developed by Professor Christopher Johns, this model uses a series of cue questions to guide you through an in-depth reflection. It's designed to promote a holistic understanding of a situation by looking at it through different lenses. Unlike more linear models, Johns’ approach is about exploring the interconnectedness of your actions, knowledge, ethics, and personal values.
The model is structured around key areas with guiding questions, such as:
- Description: What are the key details of the situation?
- Reflection: What was I trying to achieve and what were the consequences?
- Influencing factors: What internal and external factors influenced my decision-making?
- Alternatives: Could I have dealt with it better? What other choices did I have?
- Learning: How do I now feel about this experience? How can I use this learning in the future?
This method is particularly powerful for untangling ethically complex or emotionally charged events. It provides a scaffold to help you look 'within' (your feelings) and 'without' (the context and evidence), making it a cornerstone of many nursing reflective practice examples.
Why It's a Top Choice
Johns' model champions person-centred care by forcing you to consider the experience from multiple angles, including the patient’s. Its focus on aesthetics (the art of nursing), personal knowledge, ethics, and empirics (the science) helps you develop into a well-rounded practitioner. For students on an Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing), it’s an excellent tool for developing the critical thinking needed to handle the nuances of clinical practice.
Key Insight: The strength of Johns' model lies in its flexibility. You don't need to answer every single cue question. Instead, select the ones most relevant to your experience for a focused and meaningful reflection.
Practical Tips for Using Johns' Model
- Select Relevant Cues: Review the cue questions and choose those that resonate most with the incident. Trying to answer everything can be overwhelming.
- Use it for Supervision: This model is ideal for use in clinical supervision or with a mentor. A facilitator can pose the questions, helping you explore avenues you might not have considered on your own.
- Track Your Growth: Keep your reflections and revisit them over time. You may notice patterns in your responses that highlight your professional and personal development.
Your Next Step: From Reflection to a Career in Nursing
These nursing reflective practice examples show that this skill is central to building confidence and competence. It equips you to handle the unexpected, advocate for your patients effectively, and work collaboratively within a healthcare team. Mastering this process shows a maturity and self-awareness that universities and employers value highly. It signals that you are not just seeking a job, but are committed to becoming a lifelong learner and an exceptional practitioner.
If the process of reflection has sparked your interest in a nursing career, it’s time to consider your next steps. The journey from aspiring student to qualified nurse is built on a strong educational foundation—one that prepares you for the academic, practical, and emotional demands of the role.
An Access to Higher Education Diploma is the most direct route for those who don’t have traditional A-levels to gain entry to a university nursing degree. It’s designed specifically to prepare you for the rigours of higher education and the realities of a healthcare career.
Ready to turn your interest into action? With over 20 years of experience, Stonebridge Associated Colleges offers a 100% online Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing) that provides the UCAS points you need for university. Our flexible, subscription-based model allows you to study at your own pace with affordable monthly payments and the freedom to pause or cancel anytime. You get personalised support from qualified tutors while tailoring your learning around your life commitments. Start building your future in nursing today.
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