Reflective Writing Essay

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“Reflection involves systematic, critical and creative thinking about action with the intention of understanding its roots and processes and thus being in a position to refine, improve or change future action”, Fish et al (1997:52). Whitehead et al also defines reflection as a systematic procedure that is constructed to provide a basis for changing practice. In this essay, I am going to reflect on my first day on placement at the Great Western Hospital. Schon (1991) explains that reflection is carried out either as reflection in action or reflection on action. I am going to be reflecting on action as I will be looking back after the event. Gibbs reflective cycle is going to be used in this essay to reflect on what I have learnt, how I learnt this and how I am going to use this in my future studies. Gibbs cycle consists of six different stages, which are description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan, Gibbs (1998). I was very unsure of what to expect on my first day at Great Western Hospital. I was really excited and anxious at the same time. Excited about the course and placement, and anxious because I had never worked in a hospital environment before. As I entered the hospital ward where I was to work, I felt flustered on realising there were forty one medical patients. I gathered my confidence and looked brave. Although I was nervous, I tried not to show it. “Both fear and confidence, are natural states which prepares us to respond to a particular situation or event we face”, Whitehead et al (2003:17). I asked one of the student nurses who was also on placement in that ward, how she felt. She explained how confident she was. I then realised that, “what is fearful to one person is not necessarily fearful to another, and the situation that create anxiety are usually dependent upon the amount of
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