1.4 Reflective practice in health -the benefits of reflective practice transcript

Skills and knowledge

It increases professional skills development.

Students and practitioners who critically reflect on their work gain insights into their own strengths and weaknesses and can use this awareness to improve their practice. This could include developing specific technical skills related to their field, organisational and management skills, the ability to put patients at ease, and understanding of how to contribute to a professional and supportive environment.

Staff well-being

It helps practitioners build resilience and identify when they need support.

Reflective practice is important in healthcare roles not only because it helps build skills and improve interactions with patients, but also for your well-being as a practitioner. As well as being an impactful and highly rewarding career, working in the healthcare industry can be physically and emotionally challenging. Intentionally engaging in reflection and having more awareness of your own health, feelings, and behaviours can help identify signs of work-related burnout, trauma, and demotivation. This awareness contributes to building resilience and can motivate practitioners to seek support and put processes in place to address these challenges.

Patient care

It’s in the best interest of the patients.

Reflective practice leads to improved patient care and outcomes. Following a difficult interaction with a patient, a practitioner who does not reflect on the conditions that led to the situation is likely to encounter similar issues in the future. However, a practitioner who considers the situation, its cause, its consequences, and the possible ways it could have been handled differently, will be better prepared to interact with patients going forward.

In healthcare roles, mistakes are occasionally made which can significantly impact patients’ physical health and treatment. This could include things like errors administering medication, failure to accurately document patients’ conditions, misdiagnosing conditions that require treatment, or a lack of understanding of the equipment required for a procedure. Reflective practice also reduces the risk of errors being repeated, as mistakes and what caused them are identified early and issues are resolved.

Reflective practice also helps practitioners see new perspectives, look beyond personal biases, and build empathy and cultural understanding. This can make patient and client experiences much more comfortable and professional.

Workplace culture

It contributes to a better workplace environment for all staff.

The culture of a workplace can be enhanced by reflective practice, which is why being able to critically reflect is considered an important employability skill in the healthcare industry. This is because it’s important for healthcare professionals to take ownership of their actions and professional development to reach higher levels of competency. Employers know that if you are a health professional who can reflect and take action to develop your technical skills and monitor your well-being, you can also reflect on things like efficient work processes and communication issues between staff, ensuring best practices are upheld. This contributes to a functional, respectful, and communicative environment where staff are more likely to remain in their roles, help each other, and seek support when necessary.