Abstract
AbstractEncouragement for nurses to utilize reflective approaches has come from a wide range of professional and educational bodies. The benefits of reflection are usually stated in terms of increases in the nurse's critical abilities and a greater awareness of the complexity of nursing practice. Within mental health nursing, additional benefits are cited in terms of improvements in interpersonal effectiveness. This small‐scale study attempted to evaluate practice‐based critical incidents brought to reflective groups by mental health nursing students The findings indicated that the ability of students to bring incidents to groups was influenced by the dynamics of the group and the group member's relationship with their facilitator. The critical incidents themselves were characterized by accounts of difficulties in relationships between students and clients. In particular, students described their concerns in making the transition from a social to a therapeutic relationship with clients. The reflective groups were used by students to give and receive support and in helping them to develop an understanding of what a professional role involved. The conclusion of the study highlights both personal and professional advantages in using reflective groups during practice placements for mental health nursing students. The critical incident approach proved helpful in focusing students on personal experiences of practice, but limitations in utilizing the reflective cycle when exploring critical incidents are highlighted. Training and ongoing support for group facilitators is essential if the learning potential of critical incidents is to be fully exploited.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.