Get UK Reflective Discussion Form

What is reflective practice? Recognising the emotional cost of nursing is core to reflective practice. Nurses' response to their work may involve difficult thoughts and feelings as a result of working with vulnerable individuals in a highly stressful environment.

You should explain what you learnt, how you changed or improved your practice as a result, and how these real-life experiences link to the four key themes of the Code (prioritise people, practise effectively, preserve safety, promote professionalism and trust).

Reflection, in a professional sense, should be purposeful, focused and questioning. Many nurses believe that they reflect regularly; however, for this to be purposeful they are required to ask what happened or what might happen, what they are doing or did, and how that relates to their objectives.

It's structured around four themes – prioritise people, practise effectively, preserve safety and promote professionalism and trust. Each section contains a series of statements that taken together signify what good nursing and midwifery practice looks like.

Reflective discussions encourage students to think and talk about what they have observed, heard or read. The teacher or student initiates the discussion by asking a question that requires students to reflect upon and interpret films, experiences, read or recorded stories, or illustrations.

Reflection is a process which helps you gain insight into your professional practise by thinking analytically about any element of it. Reflection is a process which helps you gain insight into your professional practise by thinking analytically about any element of it.

You reflect and act on any feedback you receive to improve your practice. This applies to the records that are relevant to your scope of practice. It includes but is not limited to patient records. You make sure that patient and public safety is not affected.

Any reflective account needs to explain what you learnt from the CPD activity, feedback or experience; how you changed or improved your work as a result, and how this is relevant to the Code.