It is important for nurses to reflect on experiences and new knowledge gained in order to promote profes

It is important for nurses to reflect on experiences and new knowledge gained in order to promote professional growth.

Course Competencies:

Analyze the increased complexity of care among older adults.

• Compare care models for nursing practice specific to the older adult.
• Design plans for care specific to the older adult.
• Identify local, state, and national resources which facilitate safe and effective transitions of care for older adults.
• Incorporate professional values, attitudes, and expectations regarding ageism when caring for the older adult.
• Outline the importance of advocating for older adults in management of their care.

Transferable Skill:

• Information Literacy: Discovering information reflectively, understanding how information is produced and valued, and using information to create new knowledge and participate ethically in communities of learning.

Instructions:

Reflect on your development as a nursing professional and address the following in a 1-2 page paper:

1. Describe how you achieved each of the course competencies.
2. Provide at least one example of new knowledge gained related to each competency and explain how this new knowledge will impact your nursing practice.

What is reflective writing?

Reflective writing is the physical act of writing your thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and interactions related to a specific event or situation. Reflective writing can help you learn from events in order to improve your knowledge and skill set as a nurse as it can build critical thinking and reasoning.  

What are the benefits of reflective writing?

Reflective writing has many identified benefits:

• Allows you to engage in deeper, longer-lasting learning
• Opens a conversation between you and your instructor
• It helps you learn about concepts instead of just facts
• Self-reflection can help you identify your preconceived thoughts and feelings and allow you to dive deeper into understanding different cultures, values, and behaviors

What are the types of reflective writing?

Reflective writing can generally fit into three categories:

• Highly personal:  In this type of reflective writing, the nurse takes the time to reflect on an experience from practice and does not incorporate any research or academics. It is purely all about you and your feelings regarding a situation.
• Mid-ground:  Mid-ground reflective writing allows the nurse to reflect upon personal experiences within the context of the course itself such as readings, research, and lecture materials
• Highly academic:  Highly academic reflective writing is when you reflect upon the readings, research, and lecture materials without any reference to personal experiences

How do I write reflectively?

Once you identify the type of reflective writing you are asked to complete, you can start the writing process. While there are multiple frameworks for reflective writing, here is a generic framework to help get you started:

• Description:  Choose an event and describe what happened chronologically. What happened? Who was involved? Where did it take place? Why were you there? What part did you play? What part did others play?
• Assessment/analysis:  This is the time to review the actions and steps taken during the event. What went well? What did not? What were certain actions taken? Were appropriate interventions done?   
• Evaluation/Implications:  Describe how this event impacted you. What was the outcome of the event? What did you learn from the event? What would you do differently next time?