The use of guided reflection for clinical learning in post-graduate mental health nursing students: Insights into knowledge transfer

Wai Tong Chien

Research output: Chapter in book / Conference proceedingChapter in an edited book (as author)Academic researchpeer-review

Abstract

This study is designed to explore the usefulness of guided self-reflection in facilitating nursing students' learning in acute psychiatric care settings. During their one-month clinical placement, in a variety of acute in-patient psychiatric care settings, 28 first year mental health nursing students kept journals describing important daily events, reflecting on their attitudes towards the events and indicating what they could learn from them. The clinical practice coordinator (researcher) and two clinical mentors (psychiatric nurse specialists) supervised 5-6 students in groups, guided the development of their self-reflection, examined the content of their reflective journals and provided weekly feedback. All the students using guided reflection were able to apply a wide range of learned theories and the skills of mental health nursing to their self-reflection activities and clinical care. Major themes in the reflective journals coincided with the development of the students' self-reflection skills, including nurse-patient relationships, meaningful self-reflection processes and identification with patients. These issues, together with other areas of learning, were discussed and clarified with the students. The findings suggest that the guided reflective learning method can help clinical teachers and mentors to put knowledge and skills into practice and meet the learning needs of their students at the post-graduate level in various clinical areas of psychiatric care.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationKnowledge Transfer in a Multidisciplinary Health Care Arena
Subtitle of host publicationPositions and Plots
PublisherNova Science Publishers, Inc.
Pages129-144
Number of pages16
ISBN (Print)9781620811603
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2012

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health Professions(all)
  • Medicine(all)

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