Reflective Practice

Reflection is widely taught as a means for nurses and midwives to understand the impact of their actions and how to improve their professional practice. This practical guide introduces three main types of reflection: technical, practical and emancipatory, showing the reader how they can be used in different aspects of clinical work. It explains how reflection can become part of evidence-based practice and acknowledges the issues faced by practitioners in bureaucratic work settings with time constraints and regulated routines, as well as showing how it can help professionals deal with the complexity of their working lives. The author describes how developing a reflective practice is part of learning how to value oneself as a nurse or midwife, and as a person. Throughout, this book provides real examples of reflective writing from nurses and midwives, and shows how these professionals have been able to improve their skills as a result of being alert to their practice.