Overview

Reflection is a critical and necessary part of nursing and midwifery practice. It is essential to continuous learning and improvement of practice that benefits those we cure for. It enables students and registered professionals to make sense of a situation and understand how It has affected them, contributing to personal as well as professional development. It helps them to identify areas for learning and development, including from things that have gone well, to include in their professional development objectives. It also supports sharing and learning from other professionals.

Reflection related to practice is an essential part of learning, whether as a student or as a registered professional, and is an essential element of revalidation. It aims to foster development or self-awareness and understanding and support continuous improvement. It is integrated through pre-registration and post-registration curricula and is fundamental to the practice of all registered professionals.

All involved in the education, support, supervision and assessment of pre-registration student nurses, student midwives, student nursing associates and post–registration students have a key role in supporting students’ continuous professional development, as well reflecting on their own practice.

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