Abstract
Reflective practice is a learning strategy supporting preregistration nursing and midwifery students in meeting everyday clinical practice challenges. This paper reports on a development and innovation evaluation using a qualitative approach exploring students’ experiences of guided group reflection organised during fourth year undergraduate internship. Data were collected through student feedback and interviews using a descriptive approach. Three categories emerged from the findings; beginnings for reflective learning, engaging in reflective learning and being a reflective practitioner. Students reported that guided group reflection provided positive opportunities for enhancing confidence. Students demonstrated understanding of reflection and valued reflective time within the closed group structure, which fostered personal and professional development. Findings support the benefits of the established collaborative guided group reflection structures. Guided group reflection is described as a valuable learning strategy on the journey of becoming a nurse in an ever-demanding health care practice world.
Highlights
Reflection is promoted as a learning strategy fostering professional maturity through critical analysis of experience as essential for development (Persson et al, 2018)
This paper reports on a development and innovation evaluation using a qualitative approach exploring students’ experiences of guided group reflection organised during fourth year undergraduate internship
Guided group reflection is described as a valuable learning strategy on the journey of becoming a nurse in an ever-demanding health care practice world
Summary
Reflection is promoted as a learning strategy fostering professional maturity through critical analysis of experience as essential for development (Persson et al, 2018). Registration bodies in Ireland promote reflection as a key component within preregistration programmes (NMBI, 2016). In Ireland, a four-year preregistration BSc Nursing (General), (Mental Health),. (Intellectual Disability), and BSc Midwifery programme prepares students towards gaining competencies to apply for professional registration. Protected time for reflection is an entitlement for fourth year students during a 36-week clinical practice internship (Government of Ireland, 2000). Students have joint status as students and as employees Meeting these programme accreditation requirements led to the establishment of collaborative structures and processes to protect time for student reflection (Graham and O’Brien 2020)
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