Reflection Of Experience Research Articles

Death and Dying Over 30 Years in the ICU: Personal Reflection.

To describe individual perspective over ~30 years in a PICU in Cape Town, South Africa. Personal experience and reflection, complemented by published local data. Not applicable/illustrative publications of local other data. Not applicable/or other (as appropriate). Narrative, experiential reflection.

Logistics of Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Therapies in PICU.

To describe practical considerations and approaches to best practices for end-of-life care for critically ill children and families in the PICU. Literature review, personal experience, and expert opinion. A sampling of the foundational and current evidence related to the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies in the context of childhood critical illness and injury was accessed. Moderated by the authors and supported by lived experience. Narrative review and experiential reflection. Consequences of childhood death in the PICU extend beyond the events of dying and death. In the context of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies, achieving a quality death is impactful both in the immediate and in the longer term for family and for the team. An individualized approach to withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies that is informed by empiric and practical knowledge will ensure best care of the child and support the emotional well-being of child, family, and the team. Adherence to the principles of holistic and compassionate end-of-life care and an ongoing commitment to provide the best possible experience for withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies can achieve optimal end-of-life care in the most challenging of circumstances.

Care for Dying Children and Their Families in the PICU: Promoting Clinician Education, Support, and Resilience.

To describe the consequences of workplace stressors on healthcare clinicians in PICU, and strategies for personal well-being, and professional effectiveness in providing high-quality end-of-life care. Literature review, clinical experience, and expert opinion. A sampling of foundational and current evidence was accessed. Narrative review and experiential reflection. The well-being of healthcare clinicians in the PICU influences the day-to-day quality and effectiveness of patient care, team functioning, and the retention of skilled individuals in the PICU workforce. End-of-life care, including decision making, can be complicated. Both are major stressors for PICU staff that can lead to adverse personal and professional consequences. Overresponsiveness to routine stressors may be seen in those with moral distress, and underresponsiveness may be seen in those with compassion fatigue or burnout. Ideally, all healthcare professionals in PICU can rise to the day-to-day workplace challenges-responding in an adaptive, effective manner. Strategies to proactively increase resilience and well-being include self-awareness, self-care, situational awareness, and education to increase confidence and skills for providing end-of-life care. Reactive strategies include case conferences, prebriefings in ongoing preidentified situations, debriefings, and other postevent meetings. Nurturing a culture of practice that acknowledges the emotional impacts of pediatric critical care work and celebrates the shared experiences of families and clinicians to build resilient, effective, and professionally fulfilled healthcare professionals thus enabling the provision of high-quality end-of-life care for children and their families.

Conversion vs. Initiation

Abstract This article presents four lenses for exploring Christian conversion and applies those lenses to three key Catholic initiation practices. The four lenses are Scripture, peak experiences, autonomy and surrender, and metanoia and epistrophe, while the three initiation practices are confirmation, the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), and infant baptism. The author argues that there is a wide gap between doctrine and experience in these practices, particularly in reference to the Holy Spirit, and that this gap can be bridged by examining the initial Christian experience, a term introduced by Heribert Mühlen. Moreover, the author builds on the thought of Gordon Smith by making a sharp distinction between conversion and initiation. As a whole, this article advocates for an increased awareness of the Holy Spirit in Catholicism and for new experiential reflection upon the Catholic initiation process.

Passionate about presence – a reflection on the experience of being a person-centered therapist who teaches mainstream mindfulness

ABSTRACTThis is a personal and experiential reflection on the connection between mainstream (secular) mindfulness and the person-centered approach (PCA). Both are best understood rather as ways of being, pointing to our natural capacity to live open to the flow of our moment-to-moment experience and to relate to self and other with compassion. In the same way that as a person-centered therapist I offer a space for another characterized by the core conditions, so mindfulness practice invites me to open to the life that’s here – and supports me in staying present, even and especially when it hurts. Reflecting on meditation practise, my experience as a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) teacher and as a mindfulness-based counsellor I explore the heartful-ness of the PCA and mindfulness. I refer to aspects of the more recently developed Mindful Self-Compassion programme, described as the cultivation of “loving connected presence” which I suggest mirrors the core conditions. Both approaches have been reduced and misrepresented as simply techniques. By contrast I invite you as you read to get curious about your own experience and include suggestions for short meditations throughout.

Using a class blog for student experiential learning reflection in business courses

ABSTRACTReflective observation is an important component of experiential learning that allows students to draw meaning from their experiences and incorporate that meaning into new learning conceptualizations. However, the present study indicates that business educators rarely incorporate reflection after concrete experiences into curricula. This research explores the use of a class blog as a medium for students to engage in social reflective observation. The authors include a case study of two marketing classes that used class blogs for reflective observation after semester-long group projects. Results from a survey of student attitudes toward the blog assignment indicate positive affective responses and perceived effectiveness of the blog task as a tool for reflection.

Qualitative Analysis of Student Perceptions of Bachelor of Science-to-Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Programs

To address the shortage of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)-prepared nursing faculty, universities in the United States offer direct-entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)-to-PhD nursing programs. Little research has been conducted to explore students' perceptions of these programs and to formally evaluate the successes and opportunities for growth of this academic track. Focusing on the perceptions and experiential reflection of BSN-to-PhD education, a survey with open-ended questions was distributed among voluntary participants who are current BSN-to-PhD students or recent graduates (within 5 years) from various universities in the United States. Textual data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach with thematic analysis. This article elaborates on opportunities, challenges, and suggestions related to this educational route, as recognized by 21 participants from seven universities. The study findings may facilitate discussion among nurse educators to revise programs to be congruent with the needs of current students while paving the way for future scholars.

‘Landscapes of remembrance’ and sites of conscience: exploring ways of learning beyond militarising ‘maps’ of the future

War memorials and related exhibition spaces are commonplace in Australian cities and towns. As critically reflected upon in this paper, there is much ‘hidden’ or alternative history that tends to get ignored when it comes to official memorials and conventional places of remembrance. The particular focus of our paper is the exploration of the peace-building and educational potential of site visits to a number of memorial places that differ, in significant ways, from national war memorials, war museums and battlefield tourism. As illustrated by the various case studies in this paper, there may be alternative, dissenting sites of memory/remembering that question selective remembering and militarising historical myths. Each of these ‘sites of conscience’ may offer, as discussed in this paper, significant opportunities for experiential learning and critical reflection on peace-related issues. The authors offer some reflections on these sites, the histories of the sites, and possible peace education implications. Our paper invites follow-up research and reflection on whether there are many other such ‘sites of conscience’ that peace educators may draw upon whether in Australia, Japan or internationally. Key issues include how such site visits and learning trails may excite curiosity cross-culturally among students about nonviolent, life-affirming alternatives to militarised ‘maps’ about the future.

Investigating the impact of alliance-focused training on interpersonal process and therapists' capacity for experiential reflection

Objective: In this article we present preliminary findings from a research program designed to investigate the value of alliance-focused training (AFT), a supervision approach designed to enhance therapists' ability to work constructively with negative therapeutic process. Method: In the context of a multiple baseline design, all therapists began treating their patients using cognitive therapy and then joined AFT supervision groups at either session 8 or 16 of a 30 session protocol. Study I investigated the impact of AFT on patient and therapist interpersonal process as assessed through the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB). Study 2 investigated the impact of AFT on therapists' tendency to reflect on their relationships with their patients in an experientially grounded fashion, as assessed via the Experiencing Scale (EXP). Since one of the goals of AFT is to train therapists to use their own emerging feelings as important clues regarding what may be taking place in the therapeutic relationship, we hypothesized that they would show increased levels of EXP after undergoing AFT. Results and Conclusion: The results of both studies 1 and 2 were for the most part consistent with hypotheses. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Surviving Women’s Learning Experiences From the Tsunami in Aceh

This study investigated surviving women’s learning experiences from the 2004 tsunami in Aceh. Women were the majority of casualties and the most vulnerable after the tsunami. Almost a decade later, we used a conceptual framework of experiential learning, critical reflection, and transformative learning to understand the surviving women’s ways of learning after the disaster. This paper highlights a qualitative study from a larger mixed methods study. Of the larger study’s 450 survey respondents, we interviewed 103 participants using a semi-structured interview protocol for 1 to 1.5 hr. From those participants, this paper highlights 13 women who articulated significant learning during their experience. The findings indicate the women learnt through reflection, talking, and feelings. Furthermore, their learning and reflection on life’s experiences enabled them to strike a balance and lead a better life. This study highlights that learning experiences in a critical life event can eventually result in a person’s changed behavior, attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, or skills.

Lived experiences of adult community nurses delivering palliative care to children and young people in rural areas

The anticipated death of a child or young person is a relatively rare occurrence in the Western world. Many families receive support from children's health-care services until the late stages of palliation, with adult community nurses being involved in just an occasional end-of-life care episode in the home during their entire career. This creates challenges in nurses' experiential reflection, development of knowledge and skills, and building of nurse-family relationships. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 adult community nurses from a rural part of Scotland to explore their experiences of providing palliative care to children. The material was analysed using a qualitative phenomenological thematic approach. Four key themes emerged: emotional preparedness, navigating the professional 'road', becoming part of the family, and it's everybody's business. Significant issues were highlighted in relation to nurses' coping, with implications for practice. Recommendations are made for further research into rural contextual dilemmas.

Learning lessons from a traditional midwifery workforce in Western Kenya

Objective to learn lessons from a traditional midwifery workforce in Western Kenya. Design with the assistance of an interpreter, qualitative data was collected during in-depth individual and group interviews with traditional midwives. English components of the interviews were transcribed verbatim and the data thematically analysed. Setting a rural, economically disadvantaged area of Western Kenya. Participants 84 participants who practise as traditional midwives. Findings it was common for these traditional midwives to believe they had received a spiritual gift which enabled them to learn the skills required from another midwife, often but not always their mother. The participants commenced their midwifery practice by learning through an apprenticeship or mentoring model but they anticipated their learning to be lifelong. Lifelong learning occurred through experiential reflection and reciprocal learning from each other. Learning in colleges, hospitals and through seminars facilitated by non-government organisations was also desired and esteemed by the participants but considered a secondary, though more authoritative source of learning. Key conclusions the primary learning strategies used by the participants enabled them to have confidence in physiological birth; birthing women; and their own skills as traditional midwives. Implications for practice learning from women and continued professional reflection are ways of learning for midwives that may increase their confidence in women, birthing and their midwifery skills. These attributes are essential for midwives, regardless of their workforce context.

Women’s subjective experiences of food and eating on the island of the ‘Mediterranean diet’

The purpose of this research was to explore and develop an understanding of Cretan women’s subjective experiences regarding food and eating behaviors. On average, 43 community group participants provided reflective written feedback after eleven consecutive meetings. The participants ranged in age from 20 to 85 years. The group engaged in experiential activities and critical reflection with the aim of construction and generation of meanings regarding women’s subjective experiences of food, eating, nutrition and body image. The women expressed worry and confusion concerning what the ‘right’ foods are, and balancing ‘tradition’ with new and conflicting ‘lifestyles’. Younger women were more concerned with diet and body image, middle age participants with preparing ‘appropriate’ foods for their families, and older participants with the changing practices in traditional cuisine. This study offers a conceptual understanding of how a sample of women living within a culture considered privileged to possess ‘a medically sanctioned’ diet, subjectively experience food and eating.

The Pain of Susan Sontag

Susan Sontag was a public intellectual who, in a non-academic way, changed contemporary views on the image and the possibilities of the image. In the last part of her life, she combined her longstanding aesthetic concerns with a deep interest in pain and suffering—particularly during civil conflict. She went to Sarajevo, and stayed some weeks, at the height of the Serbian siege and, there, refined a stringent view of what the image can do, and an equally stringent view of what intellectuals—in an honest morality born out of experiential reflection and knowledge—can do. In this sense, the possibility and authenticity of the intellectual image mirror those of the visual image. This article traces Sontag's genealogy of thought, comments on its impact and limits, but commends its challenge to the conduct of today's discipline of international relations (IR).

“Anthropological rabbits” and “positivistic ducks”: An experiential reflection on Pieter Craffert’s “shamanic Jesus”

This article aims at conversing with aspects of the contribution Pieter Craffert (New Testament scholar from the University of South Africa) has made in his book on the historical Jesus, The life of a Galilean shaman: Jesus of Nazareth in anthropological-historical perspective (2008). In the book traits of the “shamanic complex” are heuristically used to explain the layering of traditions as reconfigurations of each other within the same cultural area and to argue for continuity from the cultural constitution of a social personage to the communication and enscripturation of that social personage within the same cultural system. Jesus’ healings and his encountering of spirits are understood in terms of the notion of alternate states of consciousness as polyphased consciousness. The book’s point of departure is the conviction that an anthropological- sensitive reading scenario represents an epistemological alternative to that of scholars who emphasize the historical-critical analysis of strata in the development of the Jesus tradition. The article consists of an appraisal and a critique. It argues for a different judgment rather than posing a thesis of a paradigm shift. The approach of some scholars who consider the investigation into the stratification of overlays in the Jesus tradition as central to historical Jesus studies is evaluated as complementary to a cultural-sensitive reading scenario.

Pornographic Pedagogies?: The Risks of Teaching ‘Dirrty’ Popular Cultures

Pornographic Pedagogies?: The Risks of Teaching ‘Dirrty’ Popular Cultures

Witches ways of knowing: integrative learning in joining a marginalized group

Although the literature on adult learning is extensive, most of the content is based on research with adults who enrolled in mainstream groups and organizations. Why adults would engage in learning to become a member of a marginalized group and the learning process they undergo to achieve that goal is a question that has been largely ignored in previous research. The authors of this study wanted to know how the decision to join a stigmatized, less visible and less accessible group would be different from or similar to the motivation for participation in mainstream groups. Further, they were interested to determine the nature of the learning process and how it extends what they already knew about the learning process. Wicca was chosen as the context for the study because Wiccans are not easily accessible and provide instances of harassment from employers, friends and family, both indications of a marginalized group. Data were gathered by personal interviews and analysed by the constant comparison method. Adults who embark on the learning experience to become a Wiccan are motivated by an intense internal curiosity that may begin in childhood, that is prompted by recognizing they are different from other people and/or that they cannot find satisfactory answers to questions about the meaning of life. The deeply internal motivation is enduring for years, even decades for some. The components of the learning process include the initial motivation, an exploratory period of self-directed study and a focused component where learners participate in formal classes, experiential learning activities, reflection and mentoring. The complementary nature of these three components reflects an integrated learning process.

The Influence of Challenge Course Participation on Moral and Ethical Reasoning

This study investigated the impact of a 15-week outdoor experiential program on the moral reasoning of college students. One hundred and ninety-six university students volunteered to participate in this study, which utilized Rest's (1979) Defining Issues Test (DIT). The DIT investigates how individuals arrive at making decisions, and formulates a “P” (Principled moral reasoning) score for each subject. The groups were found to be homogeneous in moral reasoning at the pretest (outdoor experiential x = 36.07; control x = 33.08; F = 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference on the posttest scores of the outdoor experiential program participants (x = 40.98) in relation to the control group (x = 34.14) (F = 3.84). The results of this study demonstrated that the outdoor experiential program participants were significantly different from the control group at posttest. It is postulated that even though improved moral reasoning was not a stated objective, the outdoor experiential students, through front-loading, reflection, critical thinking, problem solving, and adherence to the full value contract, did enhance their level of moral reasoning. Through the combined modeling of behavior and discussion, changes in behavior can occur. The nature of outdoor experiential programs seems well suited to positively influence moral and ethical reasoning.

Developing a Model of Practice: Designing a framework for the professional development of school leaders and managers

This paper describes the origins and evolution of a framework for leadership and management development in Scottish schools. In arriving at the current model the authors have been working with competence frameworks for 4 years. The design of the latest framework is underpinned by a model for professional action which should support experiential learning and critical reflection. The paper argues for the synthesis of a number of approaches to management development on the basis of a holistic model of practice.

Teaching spiritual care to nurses: an alternative approach.

This paper presents an approach to teaching spiritual care that is underpinned by a traditional philosophy of care as agape. In this approach spiritual care is considered a fundamental character of care, not a self-conscious addition. The caring function of the nurse is qualitatively differentiated from that of the religious minister, whose role is considered to be currently underestimated. From this perspective, teaching spiritual care to nurses is not so much achieved through theoretical or experiential analysis and reflection, but by following an established moral pattern; it is not taught so much as caught. It is argued that this traditional approach to spiritual care provides an alternative to current educational ideologies in nursing, and reflects patients' and nurses' own attitudes to - and expectations of - the spiritual dimension of care.