Essay on Gibbs reflective cycle

Gibbs Reflective Cycle – Planned Admission of a Bariatric Patient 1
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Gibbs reflective cycle – planned admission of a bariatric patient
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Gibbs Reflective Cycle – Planned Admission of a Bariatric Patient 2
Gibbs Reflective Cycle – Planned Admission of a Bariatric Patient
1. Introduction:
I write this essay with a conspicuous intent of exploring the reflective cycle so inherent
in a paramedic situation. I wish to explore my comprehension of the art and the
scientific technique of reflective writing. This essay is based on an event that I consider
of ample significance in my field of clinical practice as a registered paramedic. I am
employed by a popular provincial ambulance service NHS foundation trust in the United
Kingdom. I shall follow the Gibbs model of reflective writing in the following essay. This
is an important tool used by a vast number of professionals of the health care system.
This is, however, not limited to health care professionals alone as it has been used
extensively by academic and education professionals, leaders etc. Paramedic
professionals can take advantage of this technique to reflect on important events during
their practice and use this new-found sensibility for personal development. Reflective
practice has witnessed a rapid flourish in the recent times and more so in extremely
variant fields. However, among various disciplines the concept of reflective practice
differs significantly [2, 3]. The differences in opinion about the concept of reflective
practice have been found within the same field as well [2, 3]. A certain degree of
consensus has been achieved in the definition of reflective practice in the recent times
[3]. Reflective practice is essentially the examination of common assumptions in routine
practice [2, 3]. The practice of reflective writing urges the involved practitioner or
professional to evaluate his/her daily practice, experience during the said event, their
opinions about the positive and negative nuances of the event along with a critical
analysis of his/her response to that situation [2, 3]. Reflective writing is aimed at

Gibbs Reflective Cycle – Planned Admission of a Bariatric Patient 3
enhancing the self-awareness of the professional and enabling them to relive the crucial
memories from a routine practice event. This, in turn, extracts a critical analysis on their
part about the nuances of the situation, their experience, and how they would improve
the practice protocol in the future [2, 3]. It is thus, a continuous personal development
routine [2, 3]. The debate, however, originates in the conflict of the practitioner focusing
on his/her personal viewpoints rather than the broad social, medico legal, or legal
aspects [4]. Therefore the contention of the essay plays a vital role in determining its
validity as a document [3, 4]. An appropriate reflection has to be made at the right place,
on an appropriate event and must focus on the consequences of the reflection [2, 4]. It
has to consider how much of the reflective suggestions are actually worthy of
incorporation and how many of them belong under the probability of adaption into the
everyday practice in question [4, 5]. ‘Reflective analysis’ as a term holds various
meanings under different contexts [3, 4]. The interpretations may vary from a
monologue of introspective reflections to a dialogue of critical interest with others [5].
Reflective practice has been identified as a ‘specialized’ way of thinking [6]. Dewey
(1993) propagated that reflection was an after-effect of doubt. Emotions such as
perplexity have resulted from an experience in their everyday professional practice [6].
Especially in the health care sector, there arise several instances of patient care where
reflection plays an important role [5, 6]. Certain events provoke after-thought and
reflection about the measures taken towards patient care [6]. The professionals in
health care are often prone to dilemmas around ethical behaviour during an event [6]. A
practitioner is, more often than not, exposed to circumstances of introspection about
his/her response to a particular patient in the event in question [5, 6]. In the study by

Gibbs Reflective Cycle – Planned Admission of a Bariatric Patient 4
Dewey in 1993, he suggests that the process of reflective thinking transports one away
from the actions of routine day [6].
Gibbs reflective essays are essentially divided in six definitive programmes of reflection
[5, 6]. It allows the practitioner to reflect on various aspects of human thought [6]. If the
practitioner thinks of any particular event which is of significance to him/her, he or she
reflects on the nuances of the event according to the Gibbs framework [5, 6]. The
framework is laid out in distinct features i.e. the detailed description of the event in the
routine practice that struck the practitioner as significant [6]. This framework further
proceeds into exploring the goings-on of the event and the thoughts and feelings of the
professional in question [5, 6]. He/she also enumerates the practice adapted for patient
care during that event and then reflects upon the good and the bad of the event. He or
she is then expected to recount on the negative aspects and how it affected him/her
emotionally and urged him/her to think about how differently he or she would respond
the next time [5, 6]. Several thought provoking situations that affect the practitioner
emotionally and ethically arise in medical and paramedical professions [5, 6]. I have
chosen to reflect on one such event that I hold significant [6]. I describe in this essay the
precise goings-on during the event and what I perceived as thought-provoking and
intensely disturbing. I recount my thoughts, feelings, and emotions whilst I functioned in
the event [5, 6]. My essay is built on the Gibbs framework of reflection i.e. a description
of the event, my feelings and thoughts, the nuances of the event – positives and
negatives, my analysis of what the event meant to me, my action plan for a similar
situation in the future – how similar or different my approach would be the next time [1,
2].