Reflection and reflective practice in health professions education: a systematic review

Abstract

The importance of reflection and reflective practice are frequently noted in the literature; indeed, reflective capacity is regarded by many as an essential characteristic for professional competence. Educators assert that the emergence of reflective practice is part of a change that acknowledges the need for students to act and to think professionally as an integral part of learning throughout their courses of study, integrating theory and practice from the outset. Activities to promote reflection are now being incorporated into undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing medical education, and across a variety of health professions. The evidence to support and inform these curricular interventions and innovations remains largely theoretical. Further, the literature is dispersed across several fields, and it is unclear which approaches may have efficacy or impact. We, therefore, designed a literature review to evaluate the existing evidence about reflection and reflective practice and their utility in health professional education. Our aim was to understand the key variables influencing this educational process, identify gaps in the evidence, and to explore any implications for educational practice and research.

Taking part in Nordic collaboration; nursing students' experiences and perceptions from a learning perspective: A qualitative study

“…Reflection accelerates learning and is the foundation for professional growth (Benner, 2001). If the educators make preparations for, and supervise the students in their reflections, the reflections give a stronger learning outcome (Duke and Appleton, 2000;Epp, 2008;Mann et al, 2009). …”

Reflection-Based Learning for Professional Ethical Formation

“…Reflective learning, wherein a person steps back and examines the approaches to a topic or experience, has been widely adopted by medical schools [2,13], with reflective learning exercises being integrated into existing courses or special programs [13]. The Association of American Medical Colleges recommends reflective learning among its standard learning methods [17].…”

“…We suggest that clinicians learn ethics through reflective practice and reflective learning. Reflective learning incorporates the lessons of experience into practice and integrates these lessons into one's body of knowledge, providing context and meaning [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Reflection promotes mindfulness and self-awareness, both of which form the basis of effective patient interactions, especially with patients whom one finds difficult or challenging.…”

Evaluation of workplace based assessment tools in dental foundation training

“…The ability to self-assess depends upon the ability to reflect effectively on one's own practise, while the ability to reflect effectively requires accurate self-assessment. 19 This is built into all the WPAs with a unique grading system of the trainee's insight and the majority of trainers thought this essential.…”