Reflective journals and writing

It is important that you reflect on your placement experience as part of your learning to improve understanding and future practice. Therefore, it is anything but tedious and superficial.

Taking the time

Making time for this important activity is an essential skill which you will need to develop. However, the initiative is not yours alone. Clinical / academic supervisors and responsible officers / appraisers should support time and space for individual and group reflection. That means there are / should be provisions and encouragement to reflect on your placement. However, it is important that you make it a priority and how you do that will be personalised, so do look out for opportunities.

Many ways to do it

There is more than one way to reflect. You could be doing so on your own, together with a colleague or as part of your group clinical supervision. You could be using a variety of reflective tools or reflective frameworks, whether provided by the University or placement. It is important to remember that they are helpful tools only and are not meant to be followed blindly. You are to develop your own way to reflect on and learn from your experience but involving others adds insight and deepens your reflection.

Keep a logbook / work journal

In order to make the most of your reflection, develop a habit of keeping notes while on placement of any potential or noteworthy events / incidents. Use them to show the complexity and value / benefit of your learning and practice. A notebook and pen in your pocket or using your phone can help you make quick notes that you develop into a full reflection at a later point. Don’t just include brief statements on what transpired but also begin to identify the lessons learned and to which themes / criteria in your professional guidelines they relate.

And don’t forget two important things!

1. Remember to maintain confidentiality – avoid mentioning names or other details by which patients, colleagues or departments could be identified. Anonymise to prevent identification.

1. Remember to keep it factual – while reflecting on your personal experience, avoid opinions, ambiguous language or misrepresentation. Discriminate what is relevant or important, or what is true or false.

Find out more on the next page: Further support