“Nursing and speech and language students’ perspectives of reflection as a clinical learning strategy in undergraduate healthcare education: A qualitative study”

Abstract

AimThe aim of this study was to explore nursing and speech and language students’ perspectives of reflection as a clinical learning strategy during years three and four of their undergraduate education programmes. BackgroundReflection is recognised as a core student learning activity which is widely used in undergraduate healthcare education for clinical practice. Studies indicate that structured models and frameworks do help novice students to develop the process of reflection-on-practice particularly in years one and two. However, there is limited research on healthcare students’ perspectives of reflection as a clinical learning strategy in the latter years of their undergraduate healthcare education (years 3 and 4). DesignA qualitative descriptive design was used. MethodsUsing a self-reporting method whereby students respond to a series of questions posed by the researchers, data were collected from nursing (n = 20) and speech and language students (n = 26) in one university in Ireland and analysed using thematic analysis. ResultsThe findings from both nursing and speech and language students were similar. Three themes identified included: description of reflection, undertaking reflection and contribution to clinical learning. Most students expressed beneficial effects of reflection for personal and professional clinical learning. Some students reported negativities to the written reflections, expressing a preference for more diverse and less structured strategies and more face-to-face reflective discussions with clinical educators. ConclusionsWhilst the benefits of reflection for clinical practice are well versed in this study, the authors suggest that academic and clinical educators employ more diverse and innovative reflective tools for healthcare students who are at a more competent level of their undergraduate education programme. Further interprofessional research in relation to different clinical reflective strategies for healthcare students in years three and four of their undergraduate education programmes is warranted.