Reflective Practice in Health and Social Care

This article explores the concept of reflective practice in health and social care, including the benefits to practitioners. It discusses two commonly used models of reflection, the use of personal development plans, and ways to facilitate the use of research and practice. It also highlights potential barriers to implementation.

Reflective Practice

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Identification of two models of reflection that are commonly used in health and social care
practice.........................................................................................................................................1
1.2 Explaining benefits to health and social care practitioners of reflective practice..................2
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................2
2.1 Discussion on the ways personal development plans are used in health and social care
practice.........................................................................................................................................2
2.2 Developing personal development plan.................................................................................3
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................5
3.1 Discussion on the ways to facilitate use of research and practice.........................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Reflective practice refers to ability of reflection about one's actions in order to engage
within process of ongoing learning. In other words, it is said to learning and development by
analysing what happened on specific occasion as well as the ways we think other people perceive
the event, opening our practice for scrutiny by some others (Knott and Scragg, 2016). It is a
procedure which is consciously undertaken for stocking practice through interpreting, analysing
together with questioning the aspects people work. The report is based on reflective practice of
professionals in NHS which is health and social care organisation.
The report includes two models of reflection which are used for practice in health and
social care. It also includes advantages to practitioners of reflective practice. Further, it discusses
on the aspects about use of personal development plan in the field. At last, the report includes
benefits and potential barriers related to implementation of research into practice.
TASK 1
1.1 Identification of two models of reflection that are commonly used in health and social care
practice
Reflection is said to the concept which focuses towards awareness of past experience,
beliefs as well as knowledge of an individual. Health and social care is the field that provides
services to treat illness and other medical conditions. The two reflection models that are
commonly used in health and social care are as identified:
John's model of reflection: The reflection model have emerged from doctoral studies as
technique to reflect. The model was developed for nursing practitioners and it applicable in
health and social care. According to John, the model is a technique that is used in initial phases
of learning the ways to reflect. The model includes two stages, one is looking in and the other is
looking out. In stage of looking in, nurse practitioners finds suitable space to emphasis on
themselves, pays close attention towards thoughts and emotions and write all in piece of paper.
In stage of looking out, nurse practitioners describes the circumstances, consider problems which
seems significant, focus towards aesthetics, personal, ethics and reflectivity. The model helps
nurse practitioners to identify specific area and initiate reflective practice (Johns, 2017). For
example, nurse in NHS or other health and social care identify personal issues that are arising
from experience, recognise own values addition to beliefs, empathises with other professionals in
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experience and looks at ways for improving working with families, staff as well as patients so to
meet needs or requirements of patients.
The REFLECT model: It is a new model which is designed for practitioners in health
and social care. The model is working of Butcher, Wysall addition to Barksby with principle aim
of devising reflective system which is easy to use and remember. The model employs same
stages that of Gibbs' and is devised by trainers for positive behaviour support training package
that determines requirement for a modem that recalls things immediately for reflections. Nurses
or other practitioners in the field uses the model to attain deeper levels of critical thinking. The
seven stages are named as recall, examine, acknowledging feelings, learn from experiences,
explore and create. All are similar to that of Gibbs' seven stages of reflection (Wade and
Halligan, 2017).
1.2 Explaining benefits to health and social care practitioners of reflective practice
The benefits concerned to health and social care practitioners of reflective practice are as
explained:
Increases self awareness: Through reflective practice, practitioners in health and social
care are benefited to recognise their practical skills, competences and ability to treat people
effectively. Reflection in action as well as on action assist practitioners to have knowledge about
themselves and supporting meaning full discussions related to personal and career development.
For example, through reflective practice, a nurse gain awareness about their strengths,
weaknesses and accordingly makes improvements to gain success.
Improving practices and performances: Reflective practices allows practitioners of
health and social care to look towards their own practice so to make improvements in quality of
performance at work (Glanz and Heimann, 2019). This motivates practitioners to make
commitment for the actions which leads to improvements in practices as well as transforming
health care.
TASK 2
2.1 Discussion on the ways personal development plans are used in health and social care
practice
Personal development plan is said to the process for developing an action plan related to
reflections along with emergent self awareness, objective setting, planning and values to personal
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development. It is used by learners for articulating their learnings, achievements as well as
outcomes in more explicit manner (Dickinson and O'Flynn, 2016). PDP is also used by a person
for reflecting towards own learning, performance, achievements addition to plan for personal and
career development.
Ways in which personal development plans are used in practice of health and social care
In health and social care, personal development plans are used through implementation of
approaches of PDP. One of the approach is SOAR approach that assist practitioners in the field
for contextualising ideal and promoting self enquiry, discovering self, building identity,
developing realistic aspirations and integrating needs with objectives. The other way to use
personal development plan in the field is through developing effective personal development
plan and implementing it to achieve objectives. Practitioners create an action plan which guides
them to get organised and recognise needs for learning as well as development so to perform
working of job in better manner and further tracking progresses.
Clinical supervision is defined to the aspect that improves growth as well as enhances
skills of particular profession through building trusting relationships among supervisee to that of
supervisor. It aims to encourage reflection in professional practice, changing or improving
practice, discussing cases deeply, etc. In health and social care, main role of clinical supervision
is to provide safe addition to confidential surrounding or environment for employees to reflect
addition to discuss working with responses to working (Falender and Shafranske, 2017 ). It also
have role of overseeing or administering casework together with professional issues faced by
practitioner of NHS or other health and social care. It also reviews clinical records for the
purpose of evaluating important level of patients care. It also performs role of maintaining
professionalisms of employees and groups in performing actions with people that uses similar
services.
2.2 Developing personal development plan
Personal development plan for practitioner such as Care Worker in health and social care
is as developed:
Establishing purpose: In context to Care Worker, main purpose of personal
development is to gain awareness about existing standing as well as future potential in health and
social care field. The other purpose is to gain measure about what are good as well as interested
in.
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Identification of development needs: The development needs of Care Worker are as
identified:
 To offer quality care as well as support to patients and other employees in health and
social care.
 To improve communication skills so to share real situations of patients to top
professionals (Fischer, 2017).
 To enhance patience level so that critical situations are tackled in calm manner.
Identifying learning opportunities: This involves list of opportunities for gaining skills
as well as knowledge an individual required to acquire, update and improve. In context to Care
Worker of health and social care, learning opportunities are as identified:
 Training delivery methods: The opportunity improves learning delivery wherein Care
Worker spent durations in training activities to improve insights about working and
practices.
 Feedback from peers and superior: Within health and social care companies, Care
Worker learns from feedbacks that are given by peers and superiors about their practices
and performances.
 Challenging assignments: It is learning on job which adds new challenges to existing
job as well as increases complexity of working of Care Worker that contributes in
improving learning at workplace.
Formulating action plan: In this, development objectives are set for skills addition to
gaps that are identified. In case with Care Worker, the development objectives are as follows:
 To achieve communication skills by adopting basic non verbal communication, avoiding
relying on visual aids, engaging in discussions and using PIP approaches in coming three
months (Patterson, 2019).
 To improve problem solving skills through properly emphasising towards issues,
researching about it, looking towards possible solutions, making decision, sharing it with
superiors, taking their views and putting decision into action. It will be achieved in period
of 4 months.
Undertaking development: In this, Care Worker puts the entire plan into action. For
example, Care Worker will take training courses, involve in networking or community and many
more so that the identified objectives are met within defined duration.
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Recording outcomes: All the results of the plan will be recorded by Care Worker in
diary or other document. Keeping records will assist them to emphasis on their achievements
from development activity. In this, dates, development need identified, selected method, dates
when improvements methods are undertaken, outcomes and requirements of further action are
recorded in effective manner.
Evaluating and review: Herein, self development cycle is evaluated and reviewed so
that gaps among set aspects and achieved results are identifies (Howe and Lisi, 2018). In case
with Care Worker, all the results are properly evaluated and reviewed so to develop the
unattained objectives.
TASK 3
3.1 Discussion on the ways to facilitate use of research and practice
Benefits
In health and social care, use of research as well as practice are facilitated through
adhering some policies and guidelines related to systematic appraisal of research evidence as
well as recommendations for practices also. The methods benefits in improving awareness for
policies and growth of evidence about patients and clients. The other method for facilitating use
of research and practice is quantitative and qualitative study. Quantitative study tends identify
relationships between set of variables associated to phenomenon. While qualitative study
explores life experiences for giving meaning which are unique to groups and includes local
applications. The studies benefits practitioners in influencing practices in derived form and
developing deeper understanding about data as well as statistics for therapies and programmes
for long term situations (Walsh and Sattes, 2016). Through support and training also usage of
research and practice are facilitated. In this, an individual is provided full support addition to
training so that investigation about some case and practice to deal with it are achieved. It benefits
in engaging practitioners with working of other people, keeping with changes in the field,
adopting latest technological developments, improving knowledge about job and many skills.
Barriers in implementing research and practice
While implementing research and practice, potential barriers are as identified:
Individual barriers: This type of barrier is associated to features of health professionals
as well as managers such as attitudes, skills and confidence, perceptions or behaviours of people.
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The other factors that contributes widely are training, time, professional role and beliefs. For
example, some health and social care practitioners do not believe in research that creates acts as
blocking factor. It creates barriers in accessing information while executing research and practice
(Ryan, 2016).
Organisational barriers: Hindrances in flow of information, ideas and thought among
employees which results in commercial failure of entity are said to organisation barrier. It
includes culture of company, teamwork approach, collaboration practices, management structure
as well as faults in infrastructure. For example, culture of company that lacks desire for
improving care practices and involves unclear priorities results in blocking path to execute
research and practice.
System barriers: Policies, procedures as well as practices that shows outcomes in which
certain individuals receive unequal access as well as being excludes are said to system barriers.
Health and social care includes wider environment such as national targets, regulatory context,
etc that causes barriers in achieving evidence for study and continuing practices.
CONCLUSION
Reflective practice is concerned with dynamic action based as well as ethical skill set that
are placed on real time to deal with difficult or complex situations. Model of reflection is defined
as structured process which is used for guiding and directing personal addition to situational
analysis together with development. John's model of reflection and The REFLECT model are
some of models of reflection which are used in health and social care practice. Personal
development plan is also known as individual development plan which is used for improving
capacity of people for reviewing, planning addition to taking responsibility to learn and
understand different aspects. Reflective practice benefits in increasing self awareness, improving
practices and performances. individual barriers, organisational barriers and system barriers are
certain barriers which arises when implementing research and practice.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Dickinson, H. and O'Flynn, J., 2016. Evaluating outcomes in health and social care 2e. Policy
Press.
Falender, C. A. and Shafranske, E. P., 2017. Competency‐based clinical supervision: Status,
opportunities, tensions, and the future. Australian Psychologist. 52(2). pp.86-93.
Fischer, S. A., 2017. Developing nurses’ transformational leadership skills. Nursing Standard.
31(51).
Glanz, J. and Heimann, R., 2019. Encouraging reflective practice in educational supervision
through action research and appreciative inquiry. The Wiley handbook of educational
supervision. 353.
Howe, W. A. and Lisi, P. L., 2018. Becoming a multicultural educator: Developing awareness,
gaining skills, and taking action. Sage Publications.
Johns, C. ed., 2017. Becoming a reflective practitioner. John Wiley & Sons.
Knott, C. and Scragg, T. eds., 2016. Reflective practice in social work. Learning Matters.
Patterson, C., 2019. Developing Expertise and Personal Professional Learning—A Global
Perspective. In Enacted Personal Professional Learning (pp. 11-30). Springer,
Singapore.
Ryan, E. J., 2016. Undergraduate nursing students’ attitudes and use of research and evidence‐
based practice–an integrative literature review. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 25(11-12).
pp.1548-1556.
Wade, D. T. and Halligan, P. W., 2017. The biopsychosocial model of illness: a model whose
time has come.
Walsh, J. A. and Sattes, B. D., 2016. Quality questioning: Research-based practice to engage
every learner. Corwin Press.
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