CHCPRP003 Reflect on and improve own professional practice

Study Guide

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The process of reflecting on your clinical practice will have a positive effect on how you are as a
nurse within yourself, how you relate to your colleagues or family and friends and how you
deliver your nursing care to your patients/clients/consumers. Embedded and intertwined with
reflection is our ability to think critically. Critical thinking is to examine assumptions, beliefs,
propositions, and the meaning and uses of words, statements and arguments.

By reflecting, thinking critically, and analysing you will be selecting the best informed choice in
almost anything you do in life, not just your professional life as a nurse. It is a case of ensuring
you have all the facts, you are not being misled and in fact you are achieving best practice in
whatever you do. What is reflective writing?

Good reflective writing usually involves four key elements:

1. reporting and responding to a critical issue or experience;

2. relating this issue or experience to your own knowledge in this field;
3. reasoning about causes and effects of this issue/experience according to relevant
theories or literature and/or similarities or differences with other experiences you've
had; and
4. reconstructing your thinking to plan new ways to approach the issue or engage in
similar experiences in the future

Why do we write reflectively?

Reflecting on an experience involves drawing on current understandings to think deeply and

purposefully about what can be learned from the experience. The purpose of academic or
professional reflection is to transform practice in some way, whether it is the practice of
learning or the practice of the discipline or the profession.

This form of writing is a process where you can learn from your experiences and connect
theory with practice in your professional field or discipline. It can help you become more aware
of assumptions and preconceived ideas, and it can help you to plan future actions.

How to write reflectively

Reflective writing can take many forms, depending on the discipline being studied and the
assignment structure. More formal reflective essays or reports have a clear structure with an
introduction, body and conclusion. Less formal reflective writing, such as blogs, discussion
entries or ongoing journals, may not be organised in such a distinct way. Reflective
constructions in some discipline areas may also involve multimedia elements or performances.

All reflective writing, however, has certain key features you need to include that relate to the
4Rs of reflection:

1. Report (describe) an issue or experience and explain why it is important to your

professional practice. Give your initial response to the experience or issue.

Recount the experience or issue on which you have chosen to reflect. Explain what happened
and in what context. Your initial response to the experience or issue can show where you
stood before you started to analyse the situation.

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2. Relate the issue / experience to your own skills, professional experience or discipline
knowledge.

Describe any similar or related experiences you've had and whether the conditions were the
same or different. Make connections between this and your previous knowledge and
experience of similar situations.

3. Reason about (discuss) the issue / incident to show an understanding of how things
work in this discipline or professional field.

You should highlight significant factors in the experience showing why they are important for a
new understanding. Relate these back to the academic literature including theoretical or
research-based literature as appropriate. Use qualitative and/or quantitative evidence where
appropriate. Discuss different perspectives involved, e.g. ethical, social, legal, organisational,
professional.

4. Reconstruct your understanding or future practice

Outline the changes in your understanding and/or behaviour as a result of the experience and
your reflection upon it. Explain the implications for this in your future professional practice.
What actions will you take and why?

Checklist for reflective writing

Have I:

• Reported (described) the issue or experience upon which I am reflecting?

• Explained the relevance of the issue or experience to my future professional practice?
• Described my own response to the experience?
• Reasoned about the significant factors in the situation (using academic
literature/theory)?
• Outlined how the issue or experience changed my understanding and/or behaviour?
• Explained how this new understanding will help to reconstruct my future professional
practice?
• Followed the required structure for this assignment?
• Checked that my assignment makes sense?
• Checked that my spelling and punctuation are error free?

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The following websites may assist in this unit
http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/write/reflectivewriting.jsp
http://www.studenteportfolio.qut.edu.au/students_and_alumni/resources/The%205%20Rs_Fra
mework.pdf
https://wiki.qut.edu.au/display/draw/Common+resources
https://www.google.com/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=HQvrVJeAJMGN8QeP44HgBg&gws_rd=ssl,cr&fg=1#
q=qut+nursing+reflection+
http://www.anmac.org.au/
http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/
https://www.hwa.gov.au/
http://www.aihw.gov.au/workforce/nursing-and-midwifery/
https://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/health_workers/cultdiver_guide.asp
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/work-review-australian-
government-health-workforce-programs-toc~appendices~appendix-iv-history-commonwealth-
involvement-nursing-midwifery-workforce
http://joannabriggslibrary.org/index.php/jbisrir/article/view/1533/1806
http://www.health.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/764321/Final-guide_April-2013.pdf
http://www.health.vic.gov.au/accreditation/national-standards.htm

Reflection is an important aspect of learning, especially for nursing. This assessment requires
you to submit reflective journaling examples related to your Clinical Placements. Ensure that
you make reference to the following in this assessment:

- Age and gender issues for nursing practice: work characteristics of nurses
- Best practice, philosophy/vision/mission statements: Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs)
are developed using the best available evidence in order to provide clinicians with
evidence-informed recommendations that support clinical practice and guide
practitioner and patient decisions regarding appropriate healthcare in specific clinical
practice settings and circumstances.
- Characteristics of critical thinking and analysis: Critical thinking and analysis is not
limited to problem solving or decision making; professional nurses use critical thinking
to make observations, draw conclusions, create information and ideas, evaluate, and
improve their knowledge base
- Cultural and religious considerations for nursing practice: include the Code of Ethics for
Nurses in your journal
- Demonstrated awareness of the history and development of modern profession of
nursing: for example, expansion of scope of practice, evidence based practice, nurse
education, nursing influences
- Educational and career opportunities for Enrolled/Division 2 nurses: scope of practice,
clinical competence, theory and clinical practice, continuing professional development,
transition to practice, specialisation

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 - Ethical guidelines including confidentiality, duty of care and public liability: include
ANMAC Code of Conduct, ANMC Code of Ethics, ANMC national Enrolled/Division 2
nurse competency standards, state/territory Nurse Regulatory Nurses Act,
state/territory Nursing and Midwifery Regulatory Authority standards of practice, scope
of nursing practice decision making framework
- Patterns of nursing care (including functional, team, client assignment and primary
nursing): which nursing care model is used in the facility?
- Performance appraisal processes and practices: explore the process in the facility. Is
there policies and procedures to be followed?
- Quality improvement programs and accreditation standards: Discuss any Quality
Improvement Programs that have been implemented. Discuss how the service meets
the accreditation standards
- Role of evidence based practice. How does the organisation use research? Is
research valued in the organisation? Does the organisation link research findings to
quality care activities?
- The role and function of professional and industrial bodies relevant to Enrolled/Division
2 nurse practice: for example, ANMAC, AHPRA and the Nursing and Midwifery Board
of Australian
- Understanding of the role of the health care team members: the multidisciplinary team

Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council http://www.anmac.org.au/

Australian Bureau of Statistics http://www.abs.gov.au
Australian Government Department of Health http://www.health.gov.au/
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare http://www.aihw.gov.au
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/
Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation http://anmf.org.au/
Australian College of Nursing http://www.acn.edu.au/about
Nursing Theory: Nursing Theorists http://www.nursing-theory.org/
The influence of Contemporary Trends and Issues on Nursing Education
http://www.elsevieradvantage.com/samplechapters/9780323101097/Sample%20Chapter.pdf
Nursing and Midwifery Board
The National Safety and Quality Health Service: Accreditation and the NSQHS Standards
http://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/accreditation-and-the-nsqhs-standards/
Clinical Excellence Commission http://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/programs

Textbook
Lyn Clarke etal Foundations of Nursing; ANZ Edition; Enrolled Division 2 Nurses.

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