nursing reflection assignment

Nursing Reflective Essay: Examples + Useful Writing Tips [2024]

Do you need to write a reflective nursing essay? Whether you are a nursing student or already working, we know that you may be too busy writing papers. We’ve prepared information for you about reflection models and nursing reflective essay examples, writing instructions, and templates for the outline. This article will teach everything you need to make writing your essay easier.

So, how do you write an academic reflective essay?

What Is a Reflective Essay?

15 best reflective essay topics: nursing, nursing reflective essay examples, reflective tools and models, reflective essay writing tips, reflective essay body paragraphs, how to conclude a reflective essay.

In a reflective essay, you express your thoughts based on your knowledge, beliefs, reflections, and experiences. A reflective essay is best described as an exceptional and personal essay: you will have a lot to think about, comprehend, and explain. You have to demonstrate the feelings that you have experienced before. It should be honest. If you have any opposing thoughts and feelings about the topic, you should write them.

The peculiarity of a reflective essay, unlike an analytical one, is in the expression of thoughts based on personal experience.

How long does a reflective essay last? It’s simple. It depends on your topic and how you express your thoughts. But you have to remember that this is a highly brief type of essay, and you can do it with a few pages.

You can check out the 100% free essay samples to see it all.

What Is a Reflection in Nursing Essay?

Nursing involves many aspects of work, and reflection is one of the critical tools for developing professional competence and personal skills. In nursing, reflection is important because it provides all the prerequisites for further personal growth. It is a reflection that will allow you to take a broader look at your strengths and weaknesses and assess your prospects.

Think of your nursing reflective essay as a chance to reflect on your career, skills, and personality, which will lead to further improvement.

• Empathy and support in nursing.
• Communication with patients is one of a nurse’s most important tasks.
• Nursing is the art of caring for the patient during illness.
• The key is not to cause harm but to help afterward.
• Time management in nursing.
• The Patient’s Interests Come First.
• Why did I become a nurse?
• Doctor- patient confidentiality in nursing.
• The importance of enhancing soft skills for the nurse.
• Nursing knowledge should not be limited to narrowly professional information.
• Reflective essay on the internship .
• Nursing culture and ethics .
• Deontology of nursing and its synthesis with my personal experience.
• Nursing clinical reflection essay.
• Nursing issues for the elderly.

To better understand what reflexivity is, let’s look at examples based on these articles:

Scientists from different fields of science invented many models to simplify the process of reflection. Below are reflection models you can use in your essay nursing writing practice.

Gibbs’ Reflective Model

In 1998, Graham Gibbs introduced his reflexive model to the world. Gibbs’ model is a cycle and, therefore, excellent for analyzing repetitive experience.

It covers 6 stages:

• Description. What happened? Don’t judge or try to conclude yet; just describe.
• Feelings. What were your reactions and emotions? Again, don’t begin to analyze them yet.
• Evaluation. What was good or bad about the experience? Make value judgments.
• Analysis. Were different people’s experiences similar or different in importance?
• Conclusions. What conclusions can you draw in a general sense from this experience and your analysis? What conclusions can you draw about your particular, unique personal situation or way of working?
• Personal action plans. What steps are you going to take based on what you have learned? What are you going to do differently in this situation next time?

Dewey’s Reflective Thinking Model

John Dewey believed that reflective thinking is the active, persistent, and careful evaluation of a belief or assumed form of knowledge, the grounds for that knowledge, and the additional conclusions to which knowledge leads.

John Dewey’s Reflective Model was one of the first and has been the foundation for many other models. He identified five steps of reflective thinking:

• Step 1: Identify the problem.
• Step 2: Investigate the issue.
• Step 3: Generate several possible solutions.
• Step 4: Evaluate the options and select the best answer from the combination of solutions.
• Step 5: Test and implement the solution.

Kolb Reflective Model

The Kolb Reflective Model or “Kolb cycle” focuses on transforming information into knowledge. The basic four steps of the Kolb model are as follows:

• Concrete experience. Anyone should already have experience in the field or area they want to learn.
• Observation and reflection . This stage implies analyzing the person’s experience and knowledge .
• Forming abstract concepts . A model describing the information and expertise is built at this stage . Ideas are generated, interrelations are made, and new information is added concerning how everything works and is arranged.
• Testing in new situations . The last stage implies experimentation and testing the model’s applicability and concept . The result of this stage is a direct unique experience. Then the circle closes.

Schön Reflective Model

Donald Schön’s reflexive model was described in the book ‘ The Reflexive Practitioner .’ He explained how professionals solve problems with a kind of improvisation that is perfected through practice.

Schön’s reflective model , like his writings, is based in many ways on the Dewey we already know

• Action reflection involves reflecting on an experience you have already had or an action you have already taken. It involves considering what could have been done differently and the positive aspects of that interaction.
• Reflection in action involves reflecting on your efforts as you make them and considering issues such as best practices throughout the process.

Bouds Reflective Model

David Bouds paired with Schön to explore the limits of reflective practice. This model is based on learning by doing. By analyzing his own experience, the practitioner begins to understand better how to improve certain things.

Bouds suggests that by reflecting, a person may be unconsciously learning. In reassessing the events of his life, he systematizes and classifies emotions, ideas, and results, as well as results, and compares past goals with results.

Past experiences, experiences, and ideas require constant analysis attention to feelings. This leads to new perspectives, commitment to action overall positive changes in behavior.

Driscoll Reflective Model

John Driskoll proposed a simple model of reflection at the beginning of the 21st century. It involves reflection through extended answers to questions we are already familiar with. The scholar linked the three basic questions to the stages of the experiential learning cycle and then added trigger questions that must be answered to complete the process of reflection.

Step 1: What? Sets out to recall what happened as objectively as possible, without criticizing anything that happened

• What exactly happened?
• What exactly did you do?
• Was anyone else involved?
• Was it a good experience? Or a bad experience? Or both? And why?

Step 2: So what? It requires you to slow down and start looking for patterns or meaningful moments. The key here is to bring in concepts that help shed light on what is going on.

• How did you feel at that particular moment?
• How did you react?
• Why did you react that way?
• Did you feel the same way about the situation then as you do now?
• Did you experience conflict with your values?
• Do you think past cases influenced your experiences in this situation?
• Who else was involved in the situation? How did they feel? And how did they react? And why did they react that way?

Step 3: Now what? Encourages beginning to transfer new knowledge into future situations and other contexts.

• What did you learn from reflecting on this situation/experience/incident?
• Could you have prevented the negative consequences?
• And how might you have done so?
• What would you have done differently if a similar situation arose in the future?
• What could you have done to better prepare for it?
• Where did things go wrong last time, and what would you focus on now?

5R Framework

The 5R Framework was developed in 2002 by a group of scientists as a universal system of reflection, later modified.

It focuses on five basic steps, each addressing one aspect of reflection. Thinking through the five stages, an individual will engage all of the major reflection components, allowing you to create a critically meaningful review based on your experience.

• Report. What do you see and hear? Write it all down.
• React. What do you think is happening? What works well and what doesn’t? How do you feel about the situation you are reflecting on? What is it about this situation that makes you feel this way?
• Relate. How do my perceptions of this situation relate to my personal and professional experiences? How do they relate to my knowledge and skills? Through what “lens” do you view this situation? From the perspective of classroom management or collaborative learning? Do you need professional development in terms of content knowledge?
• Reason. Do you relate your point of view to someone else’s and how it affects the situation? Does sound practice support your strategies, or do you use different approaches? How does your point of view affect how you understand the problem? Could another point of view be helpful?
• Reconstruct. What did you learn from this observation, and how will it affect your practice?

CARL framework

The CARL framework of reflection involves going through four stages: context, action, results, and learning. The vastness of this model gives a lot of information, and even at the first stage, you can already get a lot of valuable data. But this is also its main disadvantage because it makes the model more complex.

The framework has four steps:

• Context : Description of the context of the experience.
• Action : Explanation of the action taken.
• Results : Explanation of what your actions led to.
• Learning : Identification of the experience and knowledge gained.

Now that we’ve covered the basic concepts let’s write a reflective nursing essay.

Reflective Essay Outline

How to make a reflective essay? First, write an outline.

Any reflective essay is a statement of thoughts about something, and the outline acts as a sketch in which you write them down. Creating it is the first step to creating high quality and vivid essay.

What would make a good outline structure for a reflection essay? Structure all your knowledge. Write what you want to see in the introduction, body, and conclusion.

Here is the reflective essay outline template:

• Hook: Use a catchy statement to set the tone and introduce the article.
• Mention the main points.
• Thesis statement: Include all the important points and ideas in one statement.
• Topic sentence: Carefully explain the first idea in one sentence.
• Proof of topic or idea: Use authoritative sources to support the idea.
• Idea analysis: Apply logic and rational thought to the idea and information from the source.
• Topic sentence: Carefully explain the second idea in one sentence.
• Topic sentence: Carefully explain the third idea in one sentence.
• Repeat the statement of the thesis.
• Review the main ideas
• Final, concluding sentence

Reflective Essay Thesis

A thesis statement is a condensed version of the paper in which you must briefly explain your position. The point is for your audience to read it and understand your work.

To make a good thesis statement for a reflective essay, you need to formulate your thought on paper. To begin with, think well about the problem, and develop your attitude toward it. That’s why the thesis statement should be created after writing the outline. It is unnecessary to give everything out in advance to the reader because later, you will unfold this thought more broadly.

After successfully developing the thesis statement, you can proceed to the actual writing.

And so, below, you can see examples of the reflective essay introduction and conclusion. Learn what its body of it is.

How to Start a Reflective Essay? Examples

You need to start any paper in the right way. How to write a reflective essay introduction? Check these examples:

• Practice and theory do not always agree. Not all of the medical reference books that I have been able to study are fully applicable in practice. John Kimble’s case is a testament that it is often necessary to rely on them and consider the specific situation. He complained of dizziness, and the doctors advised him to get a blood iron test. The test showed that there was nothing wrong. But as it turned out later, this was an erroneous result because Kimble had eaten redfish rich in iron the day before, which temporarily raised the iron in his blood.
• I had always dreamed of becoming a nurse, but my fear of blood robbed me of all desire to study. But still, my passion and ambition made me pull my will into a fist. I had to change and forget what fear of blood was. I lived my dream, which helped me overcome one of my fears.
• A few years ago, I went through a severe emotional crisis. I had always dreamed of going to the University of California, as it is one of the most prestigious medical universities in the United States. But unfortunately, I failed my entrance exams, so I had to study at the university in my hometown. My failure seemed like a disaster, but now I realize it was a real blessing.

The essay’s body carries arguments, explanations of the topic, and the main body of information.

Each paragraph should begin with short introductory sentences, and the body of the sections should be divided into several parts. This will help you better structure what you have written and help the reader navigate through the text.

It is worth remembering about argumentation. There should be several things that you rely on in your position. Describe each of them in detail in a separate paragraph. Observe the semantic sequence. A mistake, in this case, will be to repeat twice the same argument in different words. It will give the reader the impression that there is nothing to say.

You should also remember about transitions in a reflective essay. Move smoothly from one aspect to another and take your time.

How to end a reflective essay? In conclusion, you should focus on pulling together all of the material, summarizing all of the points made and what you have learned. Try to include a few moments about why and how your attitudes and behaviors changed. Here are some examples:

• Was the practice of volunteer nursing helpful to me? Absolutely! I was grateful for these weeks because I learned a lot. But most of all, I have learned my Soft skills, which will help me get used to my professional activities.
• At that moment, I thought about who would be the priority in that situation, and I still believe it was the patient. If the same problem were to arise again, I think I would do nothing but speak up and justify my decisions. I recognize and know that time management and prioritization are essential skills in nursing, and I hope that my skills will improve with practice.
• I reflected on how personal values can affect professional practice from the incident. Still, it is crucial to consider that the organization has its own set of values to follow, regardless of personal values. Finally, in reflecting on the incident, I was able to discuss the importance of quality assurance monitoring and health care evaluation both in general and during the incident, which allowed me to consider what conclusions were drawn from the incident and how to prevent similar situations occurring again.

So, now you have examples and an idea for writing a reflective nursing essay. Writing your paper will become many times easier and faster.

If this article was helpful, share it with your friends and colleagues!

❓ What Is the Purpose of Writing a Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay aims to express one’s thoughts about a previous experience, including how one changed in the process and what one learned. It is often described in a diary entry; they are intended to demonstrate how the author’s thoughts have changed over time.

❓ What Makes a Good Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay is a combination of both objective and subjective elements. We mix scholarly analysis with personal experiences. This type of paper should explain to readers how our experience influences our behavior and what lessons we learned.

❓ What Are the 3 Basic Parts of Reflection Paper?

An essay should have a clear structure and must contain three parts. It should have a clear introduction reflecting the problem, then the central part with an analysis of the causes, and the conclusion with possible solutions to the problem or how it affected the author.

❓ What Is the Best Reflective Model to Use in Nursing?

One of the best options for nurses is the Gibbs model. The model is accessible and extremely simple. Therefore it can be operated without any problems in any situation.

• Reflection toolkit: The University of Edinburgh
• Essay Conclusions: University of Maryland
• Thesis Statements: UNC Writing Center
• A short guide to reflective writing: University of Birmingham
• Outlining: Harvard College Writing Center
• Reflective Practice in Nursing: ZU
• Critical self-reflection for nurse education: NCBI
• Essay Structure: Harvard College Writing Center
• Essay Structure: UAGC Writing Center
• General tips for academic reflections: The University Of Edinburgh
• Reflective essays – ANU
• Writing An Essay Title – Illinois Valley Community College
• Nursing Essay Help: Medical Essay Writing Service in UK
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How to Write a Nursing Reflective Essay as a BSN Nursing Student

• November 29, 2023

Welcome to NursingWriters.net, your go-to resource for expert information and guidance on writing nursing essays. In this article, we will provide you, as a BSN nursing student , with a comprehensive guide on how to write a compelling nursing reflective essay. Reflective essays are a personal reflection on your experiences in the nursing profession, and we are here to help you navigate this writing challenge.

As a busy nursing student, we understand that you may have limited time to spare. That’s where NursingWriters.net comes in, empowering you to excel in your BSN program by providing expert guidance on different writing and comprehension challenges you may face. Let’s dive into the world of nursing reflective essays and discover how you can effectively express your thoughts and insights.

Key Takeaways:

• Reflective essays allow nursing students to reflect on their experiences and personal growth in the profession.
• A nursing reflective essay is different from a personal statement, focusing on self-reflection rather than academic achievements.
• Key elements to include in a nursing reflective essay are the inciting incident, personal reflections, vivid details, and actions taken.
• The introduction should grab the reader’s attention and provide a clear thesis statement.
• The body paragraphs should delve into the writer’s reflections and emotions with specific examples and anecdotes.

What Is a Reflective Essay in Nursing?

A reflective essay in nursing is a powerful tool that allows nursing students to analyze their experiences, emotions, and actions related to their nursing practice. It provides an opportunity for self-reflection, critical thinking, and personal growth. Reflective writing can help nurses develop a deeper understanding of their own practice, improve patient care, and enhance their professional development.

Reflective essays in nursing differ from personal statements in that they focus on specific experiences and their impact on the writer’s growth and development. These essays require the writer to critically reflect on their actions, emotions, and thoughts, and identify ways to improve their practice. By examining their experiences and applying reflective frameworks, nursing students can gain valuable insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth.

When writing a reflective essay in nursing , it is important to follow a structured approach. This includes describing the incident or experience, analyzing personal thoughts and feelings, exploring the actions taken, and reflecting on the outcomes and implications. By structuring the essay effectively, nursing students can communicate their reflections in a clear and organized manner.

Key Elements to Include in a Nursing Reflective Essay

When writing a nursing reflective essay, it is important to include key elements that will make your essay comprehensive and impactful. These elements will help you convey your thoughts and experiences clearly, allowing the reader to gain a deeper understanding of your reflections on nursing practice.

Inciting Incident or Event

The first key element to include in your nursing reflective essay is the inciting incident or event. This is the moment or experience that triggered your reflection and made a significant impact on your practice. It could be a challenging patient encounter, an ethical dilemma, or a personal realization. By describing this event in detail, you set the stage for your reflective journey.

Personal Reflections

Your nursing reflective essay should also include personal reflections on the experience. This is where you delve into your thoughts, feelings, and emotions related to the inciting incident. Reflect on how the event made you feel, what you learned from it, and how it has influenced your growth as a nursing professional. Be honest and vulnerable in your reflections, as this will allow the reader to connect with your experience on a deeper level.

Vivid Setting and Descriptive Details

To create a vivid and engaging narrative, include specific details that paint a picture of the setting and the people involved. Describe the physical environment, the interactions between healthcare professionals and patients, and any other relevant details that contribute to the overall context of the experience. This will help the reader visualize the situation and understand the complexities of the event.

Actions Taken

Finally, it is important to describe the actions you took in response to the inciting incident. Discuss how you applied your nursing knowledge and skills to address the challenges or opportunities presented by the event. Reflect on the effectiveness of your actions and whether there were any areas for improvement. This demonstrates your ability to critically analyze your own practice and make informed decisions.

By including these key elements in your nursing reflective essay, you can create a comprehensive and impactful piece of writing that showcases your growth and development as a nursing professional.

How to Write the Introduction of a Nursing Reflective Essay

The introduction of a nursing reflective essay plays a crucial role in capturing the reader’s attention and setting the tone for the entire essay. It should provide a concise overview of the main points that will be discussed and create a sense of curiosity and engagement. Here are some tips to help you write an effective introduction for your nursing reflective essay:

• Start with an intriguing opening line: Begin your introduction with a captivating statement or anecdote that relates to the topic of your essay. This will grab the reader’s attention and make them eager to continue reading.
• Provide context and background information: Give a brief overview of the event or experience that you will be reflecting on in your essay. This will help the reader understand the context and significance of your reflections.
• Present a clear thesis statement: Your thesis statement should clearly state the main purpose of your essay and the specific points or themes that you will be exploring. This will give the reader a preview of what to expect in the body of the essay.

By following these tips, you can craft an introduction that captivates the reader and sets the stage for a compelling nursing reflective essay.

“As I walked into the busy hospital ward on my first day of clinical rotation, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. Little did I know that this experience would become a pivotal moment in my nursing journey, shaping my understanding of empathy, communication, and patient-centered care. In this reflective essay, I will delve into the details of this encounter and explore the personal and professional growth that resulted from it.”

With an attention-grabbing opening, providing context, and presenting a clear thesis statement, your introduction will set the stage for a compelling nursing reflective essay that captures the reader’s attention and lays the foundation for your reflections.

Nursing Reflection Essay Tips and Examples

Writing a nursing reflective essay requires careful consideration and thoughtful analysis. Here are some tips to help you craft an impactful and meaningful reflection essay as a BSN nursing student . Additionally, we will provide examples to illustrate how these tips can be applied.

Tips for Writing a Nursing Reflection Essay:

• Start by choosing a specific experience or event that had a significant impact on your nursing practice. This could be a challenging patient encounter, a critical incident, or a personal realization that transformed your perspective.
• Reflect on the experience and consider how it affected your emotions, thoughts, and actions. What did you learn from the experience? How has it shaped your growth as a nursing professional?
• Focus on the key aspects of the experience that were particularly impactful or meaningful to you. Avoid including unnecessary details or deviating from the main message of your reflection.
• Use specific examples, anecdotes, or patient scenarios to support your reflections. This will make your essay more engaging and relatable to the reader.
• Consider the ethical implications of the experience and reflect on how it has influenced your approach to patient care and decision-making.
• End your essay with a reflection on the implications of your learning for future nursing practice. How will you apply the lessons learned to provide better care and improve patient outcomes?

Now, let’s take a look at two examples of nursing reflective essays to further illustrate these tips:

“During my clinical rotation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), I encountered a complex patient case that challenged my critical thinking skills and decision-making abilities. The patient was a middle-aged woman who had undergone a complicated surgery and experienced numerous post-operative complications. This experience taught me the importance of collaboration within the healthcare team and the significance of advocating for the patient’s best interests…”

“One of the most significant experiences during my nursing education was my time spent in the pediatric oncology unit. Witnessing the resilience and bravery of children facing life-threatening illnesses had a profound impact on my perspective as a nurse. It taught me the importance of providing holistic care, not only addressing physical needs but also supporting emotional well-being and promoting a positive environment for healing…”

These examples demonstrate how personal reflections, specific details, and professional insights can be incorporated to create a compelling nursing reflective essay. Remember to structure your essay in a clear and organized manner, ensuring that your reflections flow logically and coherently.

By following these tips and utilizing examples, you can create a compelling nursing reflective essay that showcases your growth and development as a nursing professional.

How to Conclude a Nursing Reflective Essay

The conclusion of a nursing reflective essay serves as the final reflection on the writer’s growth and learning from the experience. It is an essential part of the essay that summarizes the main points discussed and leaves a lasting impression on the reader. The reflective essay conclusion should bring closure to the essay by restating the thesis statement and highlighting the key takeaways from the essay.

To write a strong and impactful conclusion, start by restating the thesis statement in a clear and concise manner. This reminds the reader of the main focus of the essay and reinforces its significance. Next, summarize the key points discussed in the body paragraphs, highlighting the most important insights and reflections. This helps to reinforce the main ideas and ensures that they are not overlooked in the final reflection.

In addition to summarizing the main points, a thought-provoking statement or future outlook can be included to provide a sense of closure and leave the reader with something to ponder. This can be a reflection on how the experience has influenced the writer’s future practice or a call to action for continued personal and professional growth. By ending the essay on a strong and meaningful note, the conclusion enhances the overall impact of the nursing reflective essay.

A well-crafted conclusion is essential for a nursing reflective essay as it reinforces the main ideas, leaves a lasting impression on the reader, and provides a sense of closure. By following these tips, nursing students can create a powerful and impactful conclusion that enhances the overall effectiveness of their reflective essays.

Tips for Writing a Nursing Reflective Essay

Writing a nursing reflective essay can be a challenging task, but with the right approach, it can also be a rewarding experience. Here are some helpful tips and strategies to guide nursing students in their essay writing process:

• Start early: Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm ideas, reflect on your experiences, and write and revise your essay. Starting early will help you avoid last-minute stress and allow for a more thoughtful and polished essay.
• Conduct thorough self-reflection: Before you begin writing, take the time to reflect on your experiences and emotions related to your nursing practice. Consider how these experiences have shaped your growth and development as a nurse, and what lessons you have learned along the way.
• Organize your thoughts and ideas: Create an outline or a rough structure for your essay to ensure a logical flow of ideas. Group similar thoughts and reflections together to create cohesive paragraphs, and use headings or subheadings to further organize your essay.
• Seek feedback: Share your essay with trusted peers or instructors and ask for their feedback. They can offer valuable insights, provide constructive criticism, and help you refine your essay to make it stronger and more impactful.

Additionally, it is important to pay attention to the technical aspects of your essay:

• Grammar and spelling: Proofread your essay carefully to ensure it is free of any grammatical or spelling errors. Use grammar and spell-check tools, and consider asking someone else to review your essay for a fresh perspective.
• Coherent writing style: Use clear and concise language to convey your thoughts and reflections. Avoid excessive jargon or technical terms, and focus on communicating your ideas effectively.
• Formatting guidelines: Follow any formatting guidelines provided by your instructor or institution. Pay attention to font style, size, spacing, and citation style if required.

By following these tips and strategies, nursing students can approach their reflective essay writing with confidence and produce compelling and insightful essays that showcase their growth and development in the nursing profession.

Reflective Tools and Models for Nursing Reflective Essays

Reflective tools and models can provide structure and guidance for nursing students when writing reflective essays. These tools help organize thoughts and experiences, allowing for a more comprehensive and meaningful reflection. By utilizing reflection models , nursing students can enhance their reflective writing skills and deepen their understanding of their own growth and development as healthcare professionals.

Gibbs’ Reflective Model

“Reflective practice is both an art and a science that requires ongoing commitment and practice.” – Gibbs

Gibbs’ Reflective Model is a widely used reflection framework in nursing. It consists of six stages: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan. This model encourages a structured approach to reflection, allowing the writer to systematically explore their thoughts and emotions, analyze the situation, and identify areas for improvement or further development.

Dewey’s Reflective Thinking Model

“We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.” – Dewey

Dewey’s Reflective Thinking Model focuses on the importance of reflection as a tool for learning and growth. It emphasizes the need to actively engage with experiences, thoughts, and emotions, and to critically evaluate them in order to gain deeper insights and understanding. This model encourages nursing students to think analytically and develop a continuous learning mindset.

Kolb Reflective Model

“Knowledge results from the combination of grasping experience and transforming it.” – Kolb

The Kolb Reflective Model is based on the concept of experiential learning. It consists of four stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. This model encourages nursing students to engage in a cyclical process of learning, where they actively participate in experiences, reflect on them, conceptualize their insights, and apply their learning in real-life situations.

Schön Reflective Model

“Reflection-in-action is the heart of the learning process.” – Schön

Schön Reflective Model emphasizes the importance of reflection in the midst of action. It focuses on the ability to think and adapt in real-time, making decisions based on professional knowledge and experiences. This model encourages nursing students to develop a reflective mindset that allows them to learn and grow while actively engaging in their practice.

Benefits of Reflective Writing in Nursing

Reflective writing plays a crucial role in nursing practice, offering numerous benefits for nursing students and professionals alike. By engaging in reflective writing, nurses can enhance their self-awareness, develop their critical thinking skills, and gain a deeper understanding of patient experiences. This section will explore the advantages of reflective writing in nursing and its significance in healthcare.

Enhanced Self-Awareness

Reflective writing fosters self-reflection, allowing nurses to examine their thoughts, emotions, and actions in various clinical situations. Through this process, they gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. This heightened self-awareness enables nurses to provide more effective and compassionate patient care, fostering a patient-centered approach.

Improved Critical Thinking

Reflective writing encourages nurses to think critically about their experiences and the impact of their actions. It requires them to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of their decision-making and problem-solving skills. By reflecting on past experiences, nurses can identify areas where they can enhance their clinical practice and make informed decisions based on evidence and best practices.

Increased Empathy and Understanding

Through reflective writing, nurses develop a deeper empathy and understanding of patient experiences. By reflecting on their interactions with patients, nurses can recognize the emotions, fears, and challenges faced by individuals in their care. This increased empathy enables nurses to provide more holistic and patient-centered care, improving the overall healthcare experience for patients.

Continuous Professional Development

Reflective writing is an essential tool for nurses’ continuous professional development. It allows them to document their growth, learning, and achievements throughout their nursing career. By regularly engaging in reflective writing, nurses can identify areas for further development, set goals for improvement, and ensure they are providing the best possible care to their patients.

Overall, reflective writing in nursing is a powerful tool that empowers nurses to enhance their self-awareness, critical thinking skills, and empathy. By engaging in this practice, nurses can continuously improve their clinical practice, provide high-quality patient care, and contribute to the ongoing development of the nursing profession.

Nursing Reflective Essay Examples

Looking for inspiration for your nursing reflective essay? Here are some examples that showcase different experiences, reflections, and growth in the nursing profession.

These examples demonstrate how nursing reflective essays can provide valuable insights into personal experiences, reflections, and professional growth. They serve as excellent references to help nursing students develop their own reflective writing skills and gain a deeper understanding of the nursing profession.

Writing a Nursing Reflective Essay for Nursing School Application

A nursing reflective essay can be a powerful tool for nursing school applications. It allows applicants to showcase their self-awareness, critical thinking skills, and passion for the nursing profession. When writing a nursing reflective essay for a nursing school application, there are a few key tips to keep in mind.

Reflect on your passion for nursing

Start by reflecting on what drew you to the nursing profession and why you are passionate about it. Consider your personal experiences, such as volunteering or shadowing healthcare professionals, and how they have shaped your desire to become a nurse. Highlight your commitment to providing compassionate and quality patient care.

Share personal experiences in healthcare settings

Provide specific examples of your experiences in healthcare settings, such as clinical rotations or internships. Reflect on the challenges you faced, the lessons you learned, and how those experiences have impacted your growth and development as a future nurse. Discuss any significant interactions with patients, healthcare teams, or mentors that have shaped your understanding of the nursing profession.

Align with the nursing school’s values and mission

Research the nursing school’s values, mission, and educational philosophy. Ensure that your reflective essay aligns with these principles and demonstrates your commitment to the school’s mission. Use the nursing school’s prompts or essay questions as a guide to structure your essay and address the specific criteria they are looking for in applicants.

By following these tips, you can write a compelling nursing reflective essay that effectively conveys your passion for nursing, showcases your experiences, and aligns with the nursing school’s values. Remember to proofread your essay carefully for grammar and spelling errors and seek feedback from mentors or trusted individuals in the nursing profession to ensure your essay is clear, concise, and impactful.

(Table) Tips for Writing a Nursing Reflective Essay for Nursing School Application

Writing a nursing reflective essay can be a transformative experience for BSN nursing students. It allows them to gain valuable insight into their own growth and development as future healthcare professionals. Throughout this comprehensive guide, we have provided expert information and guidance on how to write a compelling nursing reflective essay.

By understanding the purpose of a reflective essay and the key elements to include, nursing students can effectively showcase their personal experiences and reflections. Incorporating reflection models such as Gibbs’ Reflective Model or Kolb Reflective Model can also provide structure and depth to their essays.

At NursingWriters.net, we are dedicated to empowering busy nurses and providing them with the tools they need to excel in their BSN programs. Whether it’s writing a reflective essay or any other writing challenge, we are here to support and guide nursing students towards success.

What is a nursing reflective essay?

A nursing reflective essay is a personal essay where the writer reflects on their own experiences and how those experiences have shaped their growth and development in the nursing profession.

How is a reflective essay in nursing different from a personal statement?

While a reflective essay in nursing focuses on the writer’s personal experiences and reflections, a personal statement is more of a formal document that highlights the writer’s qualifications, achievements, and future goals in the nursing profession.

What are the key elements to include in a nursing reflective essay?

The key elements to include in a nursing reflective essay are the inciting incident or event, personal reflections on the experience, specific details to create a vivid setting, and a description of the actions taken by the writer. It is important to avoid including academic details and excessive focus on emotions.

How should I write the introduction of a nursing reflective essay?

To write an engaging and informative introduction for a nursing reflective essay, you can grab the reader’s attention with an intriguing opening line, provide context and background information, and present a clear thesis statement. Focus on the specific event or experience that will be the main focus of the essay.

How should I structure the body paragraphs of a nursing reflective essay?

The body paragraphs of a nursing reflective essay should have a clear structure. Use the first paragraph to present the thesis statement and provide background information on the event. Use subsequent paragraphs to explore your reflections, emotions, and actions taken. Use specific examples and anecdotes to make the essay more engaging.

How should I conclude a nursing reflective essay?

To write a strong conclusion for a nursing reflective essay, you can summarize the main points discussed in the essay, provide a final reflection on your growth and learning from the experience, restate the thesis statement, and leave the reader with a thought-provoking statement or future outlook.

What are some tips for writing a nursing reflective essay?

Some tips for writing a nursing reflective essay include starting early, conducting thorough self-reflection, organizing your thoughts and ideas, and seeking feedback from peers or instructors. Pay attention to proper grammar and spelling, coherent writing style, and adhere to any formatting guidelines provided.

How can reflective tools and models help with nursing reflective essays?

Reflective tools and models provide structure and guidance for nursing students when writing reflective essays. Models such as Gibbs’ Reflective Model, Dewey’s Reflective Thinking Model, Kolb Reflective Model, and Schön Reflective Model can be used as frameworks for organizing thoughts and experiences in a nursing reflective essay.

What are the benefits of reflective writing in nursing?

Reflective writing in nursing offers benefits such as enhanced self-awareness, improved critical thinking skills, increased empathy and understanding of patient experiences, and continuous professional development. It promotes lifelong learning and helps improve patient care.

Where can I find nursing reflective essay examples?

You can find nursing reflective essay examples that showcase different experiences, reflections, and growth. These examples incorporate personal reflections, specific details, and professional insights into nursing practice. They demonstrate the diversity of topics and experiences that can be explored in nursing reflective essays.

How can I write a nursing reflective essay for nursing school applications?

To write a nursing reflective essay for nursing school applications, reflect on your passion for nursing, personal experiences in healthcare settings, and future goals in the nursing profession. Address specific prompts and align the content with the nursing school’s values and mission.

How can writing a nursing reflective essay benefit BSN nursing students?

Writing a nursing reflective essay allows BSN nursing students to gain insight into their own growth and development as future healthcare professionals. It helps improve critical thinking skills, self-awareness, and understanding of patient experiences. It also promotes continuous professional development.

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Reflective Journaling for Nursing Students: A Guide

Did you know that for every experience you encounter, you could reflect on it and learn? As a nurse, you will navigate complex and challenging clinical experiences filled with varied emotions, interventions, decisions, etc, influencing your actions. A nursing reflective journal offers a way to pause, think, and analyze how these feelings and experiences influence and shape your behavior and practice. It is a personal record; call it a diary, where nurses document their thoughts, experiences, emotions, and encounters related to clinical practice.

Knowing how to write a reflective journal assignment is one of the best ways of understanding the past to predict the future. While these papers are personal, they should have an academic tone, which is why most students struggle to write one. However, fear not!

In this guide, our nursing writers have done the heavy lifting, and in this article, they take you through what a reflective journal entails and its importance and provide step-by-step instructions on how to write a reflective journal.

Reflective Journal Meaning?

Reflective journaling in nursing refers to writing about your feelings, thoughts, fears, opinions, and interactions about a specific event. It is a way to explore the “so what" question rather than "what."

Reflective thinking entails the following elements: 1) description, where you talk about the experience; 2) interpretation, which is how your experience challenged your existing knowledge and opinions; and 3) outcome, which is how the experience contributed to your understanding and professional development.

As a nursing student, your instructor will ask you to write your reflections about an experience during clinical rotations. You will need to be introspective and deeply examine your thoughts, feelings, and opinions about the event before writing them.

Reflective thinking is used in nursing to help students and nurses develop critical thinking skills and the art of reflection to understand better and clarify stubborn concepts.

History of Reflective Practice

Reflective writing has its roots in education. John Dewey , a philosopher and educator, addressed reflection in 1910 as "Active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it, and the further conclusions to which it tends." This is considered the first description of reflective writing.

Over the years, this description has had many interpretations, but the message is still the same.

Dewey believed that every experience is a source of learning. Reflective thinking is activated the moment you sense a problem or any situation. By going deeper and understanding those experiences and trying to solve the problem through available data, you create a connection between beliefs, thoughts, opinions, and real actions.

Another prominent contributor to reflective practices was Donal Schön, an American theorist and educator. In his book, “ The Reflective Practitioner ," Schön describes reflection as an important practice that helps professionals, including nurses, to critically examine all their experiences in a real-world context.

Schön’s ideas were not specifically related to nursing. However, they had a profound effect on nursing education, shaping the way nursing students engage in reflective journaling to enhance their future clinical skills.

Why is Reflecting Important in Nursing?

The following are the reasons why reflection in nursing is important:

Close the Gap between Theory and Practice

Nursing instructors believe that writing a reflective journal in nursing can help close the gap between theory and practice by facilitating the inclusion of a theoretical framework into clinical experience. Reflective journaling allows you to apply theories learned in the classroom to real-world hospital situations. When you can document your experience and reflect on how nursing theories and principles apply in practice, you can deepen your knowledge of a theory and how it is helpful in nursing interventions.

Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

By engaging in reflective thinking practices, you can critically analyze a clinical situation and identify areas of improvement. Remember, reflective thinking is about deliberate stranger contemplation of your experiences and actions. Applying this in real-life situations will force you to critically assess the situation and relate the new knowledge acquired to prior knowledge.

In other words, you will be forced to cultivate in-depth critical thinking, which entails asking questions, analyzing, and integrating your answers.

Teaching Strategy for Educators

Reflective journals in nursing are important for students, but educators can also use them as a teaching strategy. When students engage in reflective writing, educators can identify areas they are struggling with or gaps in knowledge and competence. Then, they can develop additional education and training opportunities to address these gaps.

By taking a proactive approach to learning, educators can ensure their students continuously enhance their knowledge and competence while also staying updated on nursing research and evidence-based practices.

Enhance Self-Awareness

Self-awareness refers to the ability to focus on yourself and how your thoughts, feelings, and opinions align or do not align with your values and standards. Research shows that self-awareness is essential in nursing and profoundly affects nurse-patient relationships and patient care. When you engage in reflective thinking practices, you take a close look at yourself. Still, more importantly, you develop a deeper understanding of your beliefs, values, and biases that influence your decisions and interactions in a clinical experience.

Step-by-step Guide for Writing a Nursing Reflective Journal

Reflective journaling in nursing takes a structured process that involves documenting and reflecting on your thoughts, emotions, and actions about a clinical experience. Use the following steps to write your reflections:

Choose What to Reflect On

First, take time to think about what you want to reflect on before writing the paper. As a nurse or a nursing student, you can reflect on anything you experience during your shift, ranging from a missed diagnosis, stubborn or dissatisfied patients, a nursing ethical dilemma , a failed surgery or procedure, etc.

You can also reflect on things that went right in your shift, such as:

• A cancer diagnosis that was caught early
• A teaching experience with patients
• A difficult procedure that you managed to do successfully.

If you are not sure which experience to focus on, use the following tips to help you:

• Think of a recent clinical experience you went through. Think back to what stood out most and left a lasting impression in your life.
• Consider things that evoked strong emotions during your clinical rotations and enhanced your understanding of nursing education and practice.
• Additionally, consider people (either colleagues or patients) who had a profound impact on you during the clinical experience.

No matter which event happened during your clinical, you can reflect on it and use it for self-development.

Ensure you choose a topic that resonates with you lea, leads to deep introspection, and facilitates personal growth.

Choose a Topic

Just like other types of academic writing, your reflective journal in nursing must have a topic. A topic will provide focus and direction and guide you when writing. The topic you select will guide the writing process, so it is important that you take time to choose the right topic.

So, what is the best topic for a reflection paper? Well, the best topic must have the following characteristics:

• Relevant to the experience and nursing practice that you encountered and reflect your learning.
• It has personal significance and has an impact on your learning.
• Evoke strong emotions, whether positive or negative.
• Complex enough to let you have a deep introspection and provide a critical analysis of the experience.
• The topic must align with your academic and professional goals.

Ensure you consider all the characteristics when selecting a topic to provide a meaningful reflection and learning.

Choose a Proper Format

The first step to writing your nursing reflective journal is choosing the right to follow. Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, your reflection paper must contain the following elements:

• Introductions

The introduction is where you introduce the essence of your paper. Start your reflection paper by briefly introducing what you are reflecting upon so that readers know what to expect. Additionally, provide a thesis statement that provides a general opinion of the subject you are analyzing. This could be a lecture, a nursing article, a clinical experience, etc.

The body of your reflection paper should explore the main idea of your paper. In other words, the thesis statement. Go into detail about what you went through and how it influenced you. This is where you also talk about what you learned from the experience.

Conclusion. As the last part of your reflection paper, the conclusion should briefly state the thoughts, opinions, and experiences discussed in the paper. It should also state what you learn based on your analysis of the experiences.

That said, most reflective journal assignments in nursing are written in APA, Harvard, Vancouver, or AMA format. Ensure that your in-text citations and references align with the formatting styles.

Select a Reflective Framework for Your Nursing Reflective Journal

A reflective framework is a model that guides the thought process and reasoning about a particular event. Whenever you engage in reflective practices, you must use a reflective framework to write down your thoughts, feelings, and opinions about the events.

There are various models of reflection you can use. The main framework is Gibbs's reflective model, a powerful tool that fosters deep learning and critical thinking. Developed by Grahams Gibbs, this reflective model provides a structured framework for writing your reflective journal in nursing.

Some of the reflective models you can use when engaging in reflective practices include:

• Kolb’s Learning Cycle
• Schön’s framework
• ERA framework
• CARL framework
• Brookfield framework
• Roper Logan and Tiernerys reflections
• Atkins and Murphy's model

Ensure you select a reflective model that resonates with you and provides guides that help you write your reflection in a structured format.

Related Articles:

• How to write a nursing reflective essay.
• Nursing theories and theorists.
• Non-nursing theories used in nursing practice.

Describe the Experience

Go into detail about what you went through. Be objective about this and ensure you recount in detail the experience. To help you with this, use the following questions:

What happened?

• Where did the experience take place?
• When did it take place?
• Who was involved
• What did you do? Talk about everyone who participates, even if you feel their role was insignificant.
• Why did the event happen? What was the intention of the event when it occurred?
• What was the outcome?
• What did you want to happen instead?

The main things to include at this point involve what happened. Whenever you talk about the experience, detail it in the order in which it happened. Paint a clear and accurate picture of what occurred. Think of this stage as narrating the story only when you are providing facts. Do not talk about feelings or opinions.

Identify your Feelings about the Experience

This stage calls for self-reflection in your nursing reflective journal. Discuss your feelings during the experience and acknowledge any frustration, joy, anger, empathy, or other emotions you felt during the event.

Take a moment to think back to the event. What emotions were you experiencing? What was your gut reaction? Were you disgusted? Frightened? Angry?

After the event occurred, how did your feelings change? Detail how your feelings change with each passing moment.

Next, think of how those involved in the event might have felt. Did you observe any reactions? For instance, did someone throw up? Cry? Storm out of the room? Ensure you talk about all this, as they will help you make sense of the events.

Use these questions to describe your emotions in detail. Remember, by being detailed in your descriptions, the reader will feel what you felt.

Analyze the Experience

At this stage of your nursing reflection journal, evaluate the experience by considering both your actions and outcomes. Assess the situation by considering both the good and bad. Ask yourself, the following questions to properly make your evaluations:

• What was so good about the experience? Highlight the positive outcomes of the experience.
• What went wrong or what didn't work well?
• Did you contribute anything? If yes, what was it? Highlight all your contributions through the experience. Were they positive or negative?
• What were the contributions of others? Were they positive or negative?
• If the experience was difficult, state whether it was resolved in the end.
• Was there something that the people involved did that made you think twice about the situation or taught you something?

Provide an Analysis 

Up until now, you aimed to describe the events and feelings. Now you have the opportunity to say what it all means. In other words, this is the point where you make sense of what happened during the experience.

Ask yourself the following questions to analyze the situation properly:

• Why did this go well or bad? Reconsider the things that went badly and ask why
• What do you think could have caused the problem?
• Think about your contributions and state whether they made any meaningful impact on the experience.

Basically, ask questions like, so what? And why?

Ensure you connect the experience to a nursing theory. To ensure this is successful, choose a theory that aligns with the topic of your reflection. For example, if your reflection is about the challenges you encountered when communicating with patients, choose a theory like Trans-cultural Nursing Theory.

Once you have chosen the theory, identify its concepts, which will help you as you write. Talk about how your actions, decisions, and emotions align with or diverge from the principles of the chosen theory.

Please note that this part is analytical. So, do not describe it; analyze it by analyzing the experience, emotions, and feelings to make sense of everything.

Pay attention as you write this section, as it will determine whether you indeed learned something from the events that happened. Many students lose marks at this point because they fail to capture the essence of

Write Your Conclusion

Think about what can be concluded from the event that happened and the analyses you have done.

Ask yourself the following:

• Did you learn anything?
• Was there anything you missed that you think could have made an impact on the whole experience?
• Could you have discussed what happened with your instructor? If yes, would it have influenced you or the actions in any way?
• Is there any nursing literature you think you should read to make sense of the

Consider providing examples of how you intend to apply all the lessons learned. This way, you will show your instructors that you have truly reflected on the experiences.

Develop an Action Plan

At this stage, you should wrap up anything else you need to understand about the experience and what you should improve in the future. So, how do you write an action plan for a reflection?

Use the following questions to help you develop a great action plan:

• How will you use what you have learned in a similar situation? Have you become more confident in handling such a situation?
• How has the experience helped you improve in your studies and clinicals?
• Will you be able to communicate with patients and colleagues during your practice?
• What advice will you give others going through a similar situation?
• What actions are you committed to taking?
• What are the benchmarks for these actions?
• When do you think you will be able to complete these actions?

Remember, the action plan is about the future of you and your actions. So, capture this action well in your reflective journal nursing.

Proofread and Revise Your Paper

Once you are done writing, take some time off, preferably a day or two, depending on the deadlines given, before reviewing your paper. This will allow you to review your paper with a fresh pair of eyes and ensure you identify any errors in your work.

Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors and correct them. Additionally, ensure that your nursing reflective journal has properly described your experience and feelings and provided an evaluation analysis before finally writing your action plan.

Example of a Reflective Journal

Below is an example of a reflective journal written by a student who did a clinical rotation with a patient named Mrs. Smith. If you need to hire a nursing writer to write your reflective journal, don't hesitate to place an order on our website. 

Experience Today, I cared for Mrs. Smith, a 78-year-old patient admitted with pneumonia. Mrs. Smith presented with difficulty breathing, a persistent cough, and decreased oxygen saturation levels. Description Mrs. Smith was visibly distressed upon arrival, her labored breathing evident even from a distance. As I approached her bedside, I noticed her apprehension, which mirrored my own. Despite my attempts to maintain a calm demeanor, I could feel my heart racing as I assessed her condition.   Thoughts and Feelings Initially, I felt overwhelmed by the severity of Mrs. Smith's symptoms and the urgency of her situation. Doubts crept into my mind about whether I possessed the skills and knowledge necessary to provide effective care. However, as I focused on attending to her immediate needs, my anxiety began to subside, replaced by a sense of determination and purpose. Analysis Reflecting on the experience, I recognize that my initial reaction was driven by fear of the unknown and a lack of confidence in my abilities. However, as I engaged with Mrs. Smith and collaborated with my colleagues, I drew upon my training and expertise to deliver competent and compassionate care. This experience reaffirmed the importance of remaining calm under pressure and trusting in my capabilities as a nurse. Strengths and Weaknesses One strength I demonstrated during this encounter was my ability to prioritize Mrs. Smith's needs and mobilize resources efficiently. However, I acknowledge that there were moments when I struggled to maintain composure, particularly when her condition deteriorated. Moving forward, I aim to cultivate resilience and emotional regulation to better cope with challenging situations. Alternative Actions In hindsight, I recognize that I could have benefited from seeking assistance earlier when Mrs. Smith's condition worsened. By involving other members of the healthcare team sooner, we could have implemented interventions more promptly and potentially mitigated the escalation of her symptoms. Theory and Practice This experience underscored the significance of effective communication and interdisciplinary collaboration in nursing practice. By leveraging the expertise of my colleagues and adhering to evidence-based protocols, we were able to optimize Mrs. Smith's care and achieve positive outcomes. Goals for Improvement Going forward, I aspire to enhance my crisis management skills and develop strategies for maintaining composure in high-stress situations. Additionally, I intend to pursue further education and training in respiratory care to broaden my knowledge base and enhance my ability to care for patients with pulmonary conditions. Action Plan To achieve these goals, I will seek out opportunities for professional development, such as attending workshops or enrolling in relevant courses. I will also engage in regular reflection and seek feedback from my peers and mentors to continually refine my practice. This journal entry serves as a testament to my growth as a nurse and a commitment to ongoing learning and improvement. Through reflection and self-awareness, I strive to cultivate the skills and attributes necessary to deliver exemplary care and make a meaningful difference in the lives of my patients.

Final Thoughts

Writing a nursing reflective journal is never a walk in the pack. However, by following the above guide, you can write a reflective journal in nursing that captures the vents, critically analyzes them, and improves your future experiences as a nurse.

If you need help with writing these or any other types of nursing papers , we can help. Our writers have the skills and expertise to help guide you when writing a reflection paper. Reach out to us today for high-quality papers.

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How to write a nursing reflection paper [+Nursing Reflective Essays]

Bob cardens.

• August 23, 2022
• Essay Topics and Ideas , Nursing

Reflective writing is a skill that every nurse should learn. As health professionals, we are constantly confronted with ethical decisions that we must make. In order to be effective in our roles, we need to be able to think critically and reflect on our experiences. This reflection can be done through journaling , but it can also be done through writing reflective papers. Here’s a guide on how to write a nursing reflection paper and nursing reflective essays that are both effective and meaningful.

What You'll Learn

What is a reflection paper?

A reflection paper is a type of writing that helps you to look back on your experiences in school, work, or life and to think about the ways in which you have grown or changed as a result. A reflection paper can be a simple document that you write yourself, or it can be a more formal piece that you submit as part of a coursework assignment . Reflection papers can be helpful in several ways.

They can help you to reflect on your experiences and to take stock of what you have learned . They can also help you to change or improve your behaviour in future situations.

There are many different ways to write a reflection paper , and the format will depend on the context in which it is being written. However, there are some general principles that all reflection papers should follow.

• Reflect on what you have learned in the past year or so.
• Take stock of your accomplishments and failures during this time period.
• Think about how your experiences have changed you as a person.
• Identify any skills or knowledge that you have acquired during this time period that you would like to share with others.

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How to write a reflection paper in nursing

Reflection papers are important for nurses to complete as part of their professional development . They can provide nurses with a unique opportunity to reflect on their own experiences, identify strengths and weaknesses, and develop plans for future development. Here’s a guide on how to write a nursing reflection paper and nursing reflective essays that are both effective and meaningful.

1. Prioritize your reflection When writing a reflection paper , it is important to prioritize your thoughts and feelings. Start by listing the main points that you want to address in your essay. Next, focus on detailing these points in a clear and concise way. Finally, be sure to provide a conclusion that ties all of your ideas together.

2. Assess your own skills Before you can identify any areas where you need improvement, it is important to assess your own skills and strengths. Include questions like the following in your reflection paper: What have I done well in my career as a nursing student ? What do I enjoy doing most in my work as a nurse? How have my performances as a nurse impacted patient care ? How have I developed as a professional over the past year ? This information will help you identify areas where you are strongest and should continue developing those skills. It will also allow you to identify any areas where you may need additional training or practice.

3. Reflect on your experiences When you are writing a reflection paper , it is important to think about the emotions that you experienced during the events that you discuss. This can be difficult, but it is important to remember that emotions are a part of every human experience . Try to be as candid as possible while still maintaining a degree of objectivity.

4. Analyze your experiences When you are writing a reflection paper , it is important to analyze your experiences in order to understand them better. Ask yourself questions like the following: What were some of the challenges that I faced during this time period? How did I respond to these challenges? What did this experience teach me about myself? What did this experience teach me about my profession? How can I use what I have learned from this experience in the future? By analyzing your experiences, you will be able to better understand both the good and bad moments from your past year and career as a nurse.

Reflection papers can be a helpful tool in nurse development . By following these tips, you will be able to write an effective and meaningful reflection paper .

Reflection Paper Example

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What should be included in a reflection paper?

Reflection papers should include an overview of the patient’s care and a personal reflection on what was learned during the course of that care. Additionally, reflection papers should address specific issues or questions that arose during the patient’s stay in the hospital setting. Finally, reflection papers should offer any suggestions or advice that the nurse may have for improving patient care in the future.

Tips for writing a reflection paper in nursing

Reflection papers are a great way to document your learning in nursing . They can be used as an important tool to evaluate your own progress and growth as a nurse or to share your thoughts and experiences with others.

Here are some tips for writing a reflection paper in nursing:

• Think about what you want to communicate in your reflection paper. There are many different types of reflection papers, so think about what would be most helpful for you as a nurse. Some common focuses include assessment of skills, clinical experiences , professional development, and personal growth.
• Start by writing down your thoughts and feelings about the experience or class you’re writing about. This will help you to organize your thoughts later on in the paper.
• Take time to reflect on the content of the class or experience you’re reflecting on. What did you learn? What did you enjoy? What challenges did you face ? How did you overcome them? These are all important questions to ask yourself when writing a reflection paper.
• Choose a specific topic or theme to focus on in your reflection paper , and then research related materials on that topic. This will help you to develop a well-rounded perspective on the topic and to communicate that perspective effectively in your paper .
• Organize your thoughts into logical sections, and then write prose that is clear, concise, and easy to read. Use concrete examples to illustrate your points, and stay away from theological or philosophical rambling.

Writing a reflective paper can be difficult, but it is an important part of nursing. A reflective paper should help nurses learn from their experiences and grow as professionals . By reflecting on the care that they provide, nurses can identify areas for improvement and work to make changes in order to provide the best possible care for their patients. Here’s a guide on how to write a nursing reflection paper and nursing reflective essays that are both effective and meaningful.

How to write a reflection essay in Nursing

Nursing is an incredibly challenging and rewarding career choice. In this article, we will explore the basics of writing a reflective essay , which is a type of writing that helps you reflect on your experiences as a nurse and consider what it has taught you about yourself. We will provide tips on how to structure the essay , outline key points, and give you some ideas for reflective quotes to use.

What is a reflection essay?

When you write a reflection essay , you are writing about your own life experiences and how they have affected you. A reflection essay can be about anything that has affected your life, from a personal experience to something you have read or seen. The purpose of a reflection essay is to allow you to explore your thoughts and feelings about what has happened in your life and to learn from them.

How do I write a reflective essay?

There is no one way to write a reflection essay . What matters most is that you take the time to reflect on your life experiences and share what you have learned from them. You can start by brainstorming some ideas for topics that might interest you, then begin writing down your thoughts and feelings. Be honest with yourself- if something feels uncomfortable or difficult, try not to censor yourself. Let the words flow out of you without restraint.

What are the steps of writing a reflective essay?

There are a few steps to writing a reflective essay in nursing . First, you should assess the importance of reflection for your career. Second, identify what you learned from your experiences in nursing. Third, document your reflections in a cohesive and meaningful way. Fourth, share your reflections with others to gain feedback and improve your skills as a nurse .

As you continue,  thestudycorp.com  has the top and most qualified writers to help with any of your assignments. All you need to do is place an order with us. Here’s a guide on how to write a nursing reflection paper and nursing reflective essays that are both effective and meaningful.

Guidelines for writing a reflection essay

Reflection essays are common assignments for nursing students. They can offer a chance to reflect on their own learning and growth as nurses, and to share that experience with others. Here are some tips for writing a reflective essay:

• Choose a topic that interests you.
• Write about a specific experience or event from your nursing career.
• Consider how the experience has affected you personally.
• Share what you learned from the experience, and why it matters to you as a nurse.
• Reflect on how your experiences have shaped who you are as a nurse today.
• Share any advice you have for other nurses who are struggling to find their path in the profession.
• Thank your readers for taking the time to read your essay.

Tips to help you write a reflective essay

Writing a reflective essay can be a difficult task, but with the right tips, it can be a rewarding experience. Here are four tips to help you write a reflective essay effectively:

• First, make sure that your essay is focused. Make sure that each paragraph addresses a specific point of your reflection. If your essay is scattered or unfocused, it will be more difficult to write effectively.
• Next, be honest with yourself. Don’t try to sugarcoat your thoughts or hide the truth behind your reflection. Be vulnerable and open up about what you’ve learned from the experience. This will help readers understand and connect with your essay.
• Finally, use descriptive language when describing your experience. Use concrete images and words to help readers imagine what you’re talking about. This will help them understand the emotions that you were feeling during the experience.

These tips should help you write a reflective essay that is both effective and enjoyable to read. Here’s a guide on how to write a nursing reflection paper and nursing reflective essays that are both effective and meaningful.

What to include in your reflection essay

In order to write a reflection essay on nursing , you will need to think about what inspired you when you initially became interested in the field. Why did you choose nursing as your chosen profession? Reflect on the reasons why you are passionate about this career and share them with your readers. Additionally, make sure to describe the important aspects of your nursing experience and how it has shaped who you are as a person. Finally, be sure to offer advice for aspiring nurses out there.

How to write a reflection essay in Nursing?

Reflection is a necessary part of nursing. It allows nurses to think critically about their practice and how it can be improved. Reflecting on experience also allows nurses to develop self-awareness. When writing a reflection essay , it is important to follow the three steps analysis, reflection and evaluation.

In order to begin the reflective process, nurses should first assess their experience. This can be done by thinking about the specific aspects of care that were observed during the writing process . For example, did you feel empowered as a nurse during your reflections? Were there any areas in which you felt unsure or uncomfortable? Once the experience has been assessed, it is important to begin reflecting on it.

In order to understand why things happened and what lessons could be learned from the experience, nurses need to reflect on their thoughts and feelings at the time of the event. This includes everything from recalling what was going through your mind as you performed the task to analyzing why certain decisions were made. It is important, to be honest with yourself, and allow your thoughts and feelings to surface without censorship.

After reflecting on the experience, it is important to evaluate what was learned. This can take many different forms, such as writing a list of positive and negative outcomes that came from the experience. It is also important to think about ways in which the experience could have been improved. By evaluating the experience, nurses can learn from their mistakes while still making progress.

Nurses should always keep in mind the three steps of reflection when writing a reflective essay. By following these steps, nurses can develop a deeper understanding of their practice and learn from their experiences.

Reflection essays are a powerful tool for nursing students to use when reflecting on their experiences in the profession. They can provide insight into how nursing has contributed to your personal growth and development, help you identify areas where you need to continue developing as a nurse , and provide you with opportunities to share your clinical skills and knowledge with others.

When done well, reflection essays can provide nurses with a unique perspective on their career path and help them see both the good and bad moments of their experience in the profession .

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Reflective Practice in Nursing: How to Write Reflective Assignments

Dave Kieren

Reflective practice is an essential component of nursing education and professional development. It involves analyzing one’s experiences to improve future practice, fostering a deeper understanding of patient care, and enhancing clinical skills. This article explores the importance of reflective practice in nursing and provides a comprehensive guide on how to write effective reflective assignments.

Understanding Reflective Practice

Reflective practice is the process of examining and evaluating one’s actions and experiences to gain insights and improve future practice. It encourages nurses to think critically about their work, identify areas for improvement, and develop a deeper understanding of their profession. By engaging in reflective practice, nurses can enhance their clinical skills, improve patient care, and contribute to the advancement of nursing knowledge. You can refer this guide for a deeper understanding.

Importance of Reflective Practice in Nursing

Reflective practice is crucial for several reasons:

• Improves Clinical Skills : Reflective practice helps nurses identify strengths and weaknesses in their clinical practice, leading to continuous improvement.
• Enhances Patient Care : By reflecting on their experiences, nurses can develop strategies to provide better patient care.
• Promotes Professional Growth : Reflective practice encourages lifelong learning and professional development.
• Supports Evidence-Based Practice : Reflective practice helps nurses incorporate evidence-based practices into their work, improving patient outcomes.

How to Write Reflective Assignments

Writing reflective assignments can be challenging, but following a structured approach can make the process easier and more effective. Here are some steps to guide you through writing a reflective assignment:

• Choose a Reflective Model : Several models can guide your reflection, such as Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle, Schön’s Model, and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle. Choose one that suits your style and the requirements of your assignment.
• Describe the Experience : Start by providing a detailed description of the experience you are reflecting on. Include relevant details such as the context, your actions, and the outcomes.
• Analyze the Experience : Reflect on the experience by considering what went well, what didn’t, and why. Think about your feelings, thoughts, and actions during the experience.
• Draw Conclusions : Based on your analysis, identify what you have learned from the experience. Consider how the experience has influenced your understanding of nursing practice.
• Develop an Action Plan : Reflective practice should lead to action. Develop a plan for how you will apply what you have learned to improve your future practice.
• Use a Structured Format : Follow a structured format for your reflective assignment, including an introduction, body, and conclusion. Ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and well-organized.
• Seek Feedback : If possible, seek feedback from peers or mentors to gain different perspectives and improve your reflective writing skills.

Example of a Reflective Assignment Structure

• Introduction : Briefly introduce the experience you are reflecting on and the reflective model you will use.
• Description : Provide a detailed description of the experience, including relevant context and outcomes.
• Feelings : Reflect on your feelings and thoughts during the experience.
• Evaluation : Evaluate what was positive and negative about the experience.
• Analysis : Analyze the experience in more depth, considering why things happened as they did.
• Conclusion : Summarize what you have learned from the experience.
• Action Plan : Outline how you will apply what you have learned to your future practice.

Enhancing Your Reflective Writing

Writing reflective assignments can be demanding, and nursing students often seek additional support to excel in their academic endeavors. If you find yourself struggling with reflective writing or other nursing assignments, consider seeking professional assistance. Websites like R esearchHubOnline.com offer expert nursing assignment help to guide you through the process and ensure you submit high-quality work. Experienced writers can provide personalized assistance tailored to your specific needs, helping you achieve your academic goals and improve your reflective practice skills.

Reflective practice is a cornerstone of professional growth and enhanced patient care in nursing. By mastering the art of writing reflective assignments, you can sharpen your clinical skills, embrace continuous learning, and contribute meaningfully to the nursing profession.

Originally published at https://www.researchhubonline.com .

Written by Dave Kieren

Passionate about helping students excel in their academic journey. Founder of Research Hub Online, providing top-notch academic help and research assistance.

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Chapter 2 - Prioritization

2.1. prioritization introduction, learning objectives.

• Prioritize nursing care based on patient acuity

• Use principles of time management to organize work

• Analyze effectiveness of time management strategies

• Use critical thinking to prioritize nursing care for patients

• Apply a framework for prioritization (e.g., Maslow, ABCs)

“So much to do, so little time.” This is a common mantra of today’s practicing nurse in various health care settings. Whether practicing in acute inpatient care, long-term care, clinics, home care, or other agencies, nurses may feel there is “not enough of them to go around.”

The health care system faces a significant challenge in balancing the ever-expanding task of meeting patient care needs with scarce nursing resources that has even worsened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a limited supply of registered nurses, nurse managers are often challenged to implement creative staffing practices such as sending staff to units where they do not normally work (i.e., floating), implementing mandatory staffing and/or overtime, utilizing travel nurses, or using other practices to meet patient care demands.[ 1 ] Staffing strategies can result in nurses experiencing increased patient assignments and workloads, extended shifts, or temporary suspension of paid time off. Nurses may receive a barrage of calls and text messages offering “extra shifts” and bonus pay, and although the extra pay may be welcomed, they often eventually feel burnt out trying to meet the ever-expanding demands of the patient-care environment.

A novice nurse who is still learning how to navigate the complex health care environment and provide optimal patient care may feel overwhelmed by these conditions. Novice nurses frequently report increased levels of stress and disillusionment as they transition to the reality of the nursing role.[ 2 ] How can we address this professional dilemma and enhance the novice nurse’s successful role transition to practice? The novice nurse must enter the profession with purposeful tools and strategies to help prioritize tasks and manage time so they can confidently address patient care needs, balance role demands, and manage day-to-day nursing activities.

Let’s take a closer look at the foundational concepts related to prioritization and time management in the nursing profession.

2.2. TENETS OF PRIORITIZATION

Prioritization.

As new nurses begin their career, they look forward to caring for others, promoting health, and saving lives. However, when entering the health care environment, they often discover there are numerous and competing demands for their time and attention. Patient care is often interrupted by call lights, rounding physicians, and phone calls from the laboratory department or other interprofessional team members. Even individuals who are strategic and energized in their planning can feel frustrated as their task lists and planned patient-care activities build into a long collection of “to dos.”

Without utilization of appropriate prioritization strategies, nurses can experience  time scarcity , a feeling of racing against a clock that is continually working against them. Functioning under the burden of time scarcity can cause feelings of frustration, inadequacy, and eventually burnout. Time scarcity can also impact patient safety, resulting in adverse events and increased mortality.[ 1 ] Additionally, missed or rushed nursing activities can negatively impact patient satisfaction scores that ultimately affect an institution’s reimbursement levels.

It is vital for nurses to plan patient care and implement their task lists while ensuring that critical interventions are safely implemented first. Identifying priority patient problems and implementing priority interventions are skills that require ongoing cultivation as one gains experience in the practice environment.[ 2 ] To develop these skills, students must develop an understanding of organizing frameworks and prioritization processes for delineating care needs. These frameworks provide structure and guidance for meeting the multiple and ever-changing demands in the complex health care environment.

Let’s consider a clinical scenario in the following box to better understand the implications of prioritization and outcomes.

Imagine you are beginning your shift on a busy medical-surgical unit. You receive a handoff report on four medical-surgical patients from the night shift nurse:

• Patient A is a 34-year-old total knee replacement patient, post-op Day 1, who had an uneventful night. It is anticipated that she will be discharged today and needs patient education for self-care at home.

• Patient B is a 67-year-old male admitted with weakness, confusion, and a suspected urinary tract infection. He has been restless and attempting to get out of bed throughout the night. He has a bed alarm in place.

• Patient C is a 49-year-old male, post-op Day 1 for a total hip replacement. He has been frequently using his patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump and last rated his pain as a “6.”

• Patient D is a 73-year-old male admitted for pneumonia. He has been hospitalized for three days and receiving intravenous (IV) antibiotics. His next dose is due in an hour. His oxygen requirements have decreased from 4 L/minute of oxygen by nasal cannula to 2 L/minute by nasal cannula.

Based on the handoff report you received, you ask the nursing assistant to check on Patient B while you do an initial assessment on Patient D. As you are assessing Patient D’s oxygenation status, you receive a phone call from the laboratory department relating a critical lab value on Patient C, indicating his hemoglobin is low. The provider calls and orders a STAT blood transfusion for Patient C. Patient A rings the call light and states she and her husband have questions about her discharge and are ready to go home. The nursing assistant finds you and reports that Patient B got out of bed and experienced a fall during the handoff reports.

It is common for nurses to manage multiple and ever-changing tasks and activities like this scenario, illustrating the importance of self-organization and priority setting. This chapter will further discuss the tools nurses can use for prioritization.

2.3. TOOLS FOR PRIORITIZING

Prioritization of care for multiple patients while also performing daily nursing tasks can feel overwhelming in today’s fast-paced health care system. Because of the rapid and ever-changing conditions of patients and the structure of one’s workday, nurses must use organizational frameworks to prioritize actions and interventions. These frameworks can help ease anxiety, enhance personal organization and confidence, and ensure patient safety.

Acuity and intensity are foundational concepts for prioritizing nursing care and interventions.  Acuity  refers to the level of patient care that is required based on the severity of a patient’s illness or condition. For example, acuity may include characteristics such as unstable vital signs, oxygenation therapy, high-risk IV medications, multiple drainage devices, or uncontrolled pain. A “high-acuity” patient requires several nursing interventions and frequent nursing assessments.

Intensity addresses the time needed to complete nursing care and interventions such as providing assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), performing wound care, or administering several medication passes. For example, a “high-intensity” patient generally requires frequent or long periods of psychosocial, educational, or hygiene care from nursing staff members. High-intensity patients may also have increased needs for safety monitoring, familial support, or other needs.[ 1 ]

Many health care organizations structure their staffing assignments based on acuity and intensity ratings to help provide equity in staff assignments. Acuity helps to ensure that nursing care is strategically divided among nursing staff. An equitable assignment of patients benefits both the nurse and patient by helping to ensure that patient care needs do not overwhelm individual staff and safe care is provided.

Organizations use a variety of systems when determining patient acuity with rating scales based on nursing care delivery, patient stability, and care needs. See an example of a patient acuity tool published in the  American Nurse  in Table 2.3 .[ 2 ] In this example, ratings range from 1 to 4, with a rating of 1 indicating a relatively stable patient requiring minimal individualized nursing care and intervention. A rating of 2 reflects a patient with a moderate risk who may require more frequent intervention or assessment. A rating of 3 is attributed to a complex patient who requires frequent intervention and assessment. This patient might also be a new admission or someone who is confused and requires more direct observation. A rating of 4 reflects a high-risk patient. For example, this individual may be experiencing frequent changes in vital signs, may require complex interventions such as the administration of blood transfusions, or may be experiencing significant uncontrolled pain. An individual with a rating of 4 requires more direct nursing care and intervention than a patient with a rating of 1 or 2. [3]

Example of a Patient Acuity Tool [ 4 ]

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Read more about using a  patient acuity tool on a medical-surgical unit.

Rating scales may vary among institutions, but the principles of the rating system remain the same. Organizations include various patient care elements when constructing their staffing plans for each unit. Read more information about staffing models and acuity in the following box.

Staffing Models and Acuity

Organizations that base staffing on acuity systems attempt to evenly staff patient assignments according to their acuity ratings. This means that when comparing patient assignments across nurses on a unit, similar acuity team scores should be seen with the goal of achieving equitable and safe division of workload across the nursing team. For example, one nurse should not have a total acuity score of 6 for their patient assignments while another nurse has a score of 15. If this situation occurred, the variation in scoring reflects a discrepancy in workload balance and would likely be perceived by nursing peers as unfair. Using  acuity-rating staffing models  is helpful to reflect the individualized nursing care required by different patients.

Alternatively, nurse staffing models may be determined by staffing ratio.  Ratio-based staffing models  are more straightforward in nature, where each nurse is assigned care for a set number of patients during their shift. Ratio-based staffing models may be useful for administrators creating budget requests based on the number of staff required for patient care, but can lead to an inequitable division of work across the nursing team when patient acuity is not considered. Increasingly complex patients require more time and interventions than others, so a blend of both ratio and acuity-based staffing is helpful when determining staffing assignments.[ 5 ]

As a practicing nurse, you will be oriented to the elements of acuity ratings within your health care organization, but it is also important to understand how you can use these acuity ratings for your own prioritization and task delineation. Let’s consider the Scenario B in the following box to better understand how acuity ratings can be useful for prioritizing nursing care.

You report to work at 6 a.m. for your nursing shift on a busy medical-surgical unit. Prior to receiving the handoff report from your night shift nursing colleagues, you review the unit staffing grid and see that you have been assigned to four patients to start your day. The patients have the following acuity ratings:

Patient A: 45-year-old patient with paraplegia admitted for an infected sacral wound, with an acuity rating of 4.

Patient B: 87-year-old patient with pneumonia with a low grade fever of 99.7 F and receiving oxygen at 2 L/minute via nasal cannula, with an acuity rating of 2.

Patient C: 63-year-old patient who is postoperative Day 1 from a right total hip replacement and is receiving pain management via a PCA pump, with an acuity rating of 2.

Patient D: 83-year-old patient admitted with a UTI who is finishing an IV antibiotic cycle and will be discharged home today, with an acuity rating of 1.

Based on the acuity rating system, your patient assignment load receives an overall acuity score of 9. Consider how you might use their acuity ratings to help you prioritize your care. Based on what is known about the patients related to their acuity rating, whom might you identify as your care priority? Although this can feel like a challenging question to answer because of the many unknown elements in the situation using acuity numbers alone, Patient A with an acuity rating of 4 would be identified as the care priority requiring assessment early in your shift.

Although acuity can a useful tool for determining care priorities, it is important to recognize the limitations of this tool and consider how other patient needs impact prioritization.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

When thinking back to your first nursing or psychology course, you may recall a historical theory of human motivation based on various levels of human needs called Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.  Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs  reflects foundational human needs with progressive steps moving towards higher levels of achievement. This hierarchy of needs is traditionally represented as a pyramid with the base of the pyramid serving as essential needs that must be addressed before one can progress to another area of need.[ 6 ] See Figure 2.1  [ 7 ] for an illustration of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs places physiological needs as the foundational base of the pyramid.[ 8 ] Physiological needs include oxygen, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, and excretion. The second level of Maslow’s hierarchy reflects safety needs. Safety needs include elements that keep individuals safe from harm. Examples of safety needs in health care include fall precautions. The third level of Maslow’s hierarchy reflects emotional needs such as love and a sense of belonging. These needs are often reflected in an individual’s relationships with family members and friends. The top two levels of Maslow’s hierarchy include esteem and self-actualization. An example of addressing these needs in a health care setting is helping an individual build self-confidence in performing blood glucose checks that leads to improved self-management of their diabetes.

So how does Maslow’s theory impact prioritization? To better understand the application of Maslow’s theory to prioritization, consider Scenario C in the following box.

You are an emergency response nurse working at a local shelter in a community that has suffered a devastating hurricane. Many individuals have relocated to the shelter for safety in the aftermath of the hurricane. Much of the community is still without electricity and clean water, and many homes have been destroyed. You approach a young woman who has a laceration on her scalp that is bleeding through her gauze dressing. The woman is weeping as she describes the loss of her home stating, “I have lost everything! I just don’t know what I am going to do now. It has been a day since I have had water or anything to drink. I don’t know where my sister is, and I can’t reach any of my family to find out if they are okay!”

Despite this relatively brief interaction, this woman has shared with you a variety of needs. She has demonstrated a need for food, water, shelter, homeostasis, and family. As the nurse caring for her, it might be challenging to think about where to begin her care. These thoughts could be racing through your mind:

Should I begin to make phone calls to try and find her family? Maybe then she would be able to calm down.

Should I get her on the list for the homeless shelter so she wouldn’t have to worry about where she will sleep tonight?

She hasn’t eaten in awhile; I should probably find her something to eat.

All of these needs are important and should be addressed at some point, but Maslow’s hierarchy provides guidance on what needs must be addressed first. Use the foundational level of Maslow’s pyramid of physiological needs as the top priority for care. The woman is bleeding heavily from a head wound and has had limited fluid intake. As the nurse caring for this patient, it is important to immediately intervene to stop the bleeding and restore fluid volume. Stabilizing the patient by addressing her physiological needs is required before undertaking additional measures such as contacting her family. Imagine if instead you made phone calls to find the patient’s family and didn’t address the bleeding or dehydration – you might return to a severely hypovolemic patient who has deteriorated and may be near death. In this example, prioritizing emotional needs above physiological needs can lead to significant harm to the patient.

Although this is a relatively straightforward example, the principles behind the application of Maslow’s hierarchy are essential. Addressing physiological needs before progressing toward additional need categories concentrates efforts on the most vital elements to enhance patient well-being. Maslow’s hierarchy provides the nurse with a helpful framework for identifying and prioritizing critical patient care needs.

Airway, breathing, and circulation, otherwise known by the mnemonic “ABCs,” are another foundational element to assist the nurse in prioritization. Like Maslow’s hierarchy, using the ABCs to guide decision-making concentrates on the most critical needs for preserving human life. If a patient does not have a patent airway, is unable to breathe, or has inadequate circulation, very little of what else we do matters. The patient’s  ABCs  are reflected in Maslow’s foundational level of physiological needs and direct critical nursing actions and timely interventions. Let’s consider Scenario D in the following box regarding prioritization using the ABCs and the physiological base of Maslow’s hierarchy.

You are a nurse on a busy cardiac floor charting your morning assessments on a computer at the nurses’ station. Down the hall from where you are charting, two of your assigned patients are resting comfortably in Room 504 and Room 506. Suddenly, both call lights ring from the rooms, and you answer them via the intercom at the nurses’ station.

Room 504 has an 87-year-old male who has been admitted with heart failure, weakness, and confusion. He has a bed alarm for safety and has been ringing his call bell for assistance appropriately throughout the shift. He requires assistance to get out of bed to use the bathroom. He received his morning medications, which included a diuretic about 30 minutes previously, and now reports significant urge to void and needs assistance to the bathroom.

Room 506 has a 47-year-old woman who was hospitalized with new onset atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. The patient underwent a cardioversion procedure yesterday that resulted in successful conversion of her heart back into normal sinus rhythm. She is reporting via the intercom that her “heart feels like it is doing that fluttering thing again” and she is having chest pain with breathlessness.

Based upon these two patient scenarios, it might be difficult to determine whom you should see first. Both patients are demonstrating needs in the foundational physiological level of Maslow’s hierarchy and require assistance. To prioritize between these patients’ physiological needs, the nurse can apply the principles of the ABCs to determine intervention. The patient in Room 506 reports both breathing and circulation issues, warning indicators that action is needed immediately. Although the patient in Room 504 also has an urgent physiological elimination need, it does not overtake the critical one experienced by the patient in Room 506. The nurse should immediately assess the patient in Room 506 while also calling for assistance from a team member to assist the patient in Room 504.

Prioritizing what should be done and when it can be done can be a challenging task when several patients all have physiological needs. Recently, there has been professional acknowledgement of the cognitive challenge for novice nurses in differentiating physiological needs. To expand on the principles of prioritizing using the ABCs, the CURE hierarchy has been introduced to help novice nurses better understand how to manage competing patient needs. The CURE hierarchy uses the acronym “CURE” to guide prioritization based on identifying the differences among Critical needs, Urgent needs, Routine needs, and Extras.[ 9 ]

“Critical” patient needs require immediate action. Examples of critical needs align with the ABCs and Maslow’s physiological needs, such as symptoms of respiratory distress, chest pain, and airway compromise. No matter the complexity of their shift, nurses can be assured that addressing patients’ critical needs is the correct prioritization of their time and energies.

After critical patient care needs have been addressed, nurses can then address “urgent” needs. Urgent needs are characterized as needs that cause patient discomfort or place the patient at a significant safety risk.[ 10 ]

The third part of the CURE hierarchy reflects “routine” patient needs. Routine patient needs can also be characterized as “typical daily nursing care” because the majority of a standard nursing shift is spent addressing routine patient needs. Examples of routine daily nursing care include actions such as administering medication and performing physical assessments.[ 11 ] Although a nurse’s typical shift in a hospital setting includes these routine patient needs, they do not supersede critical or urgent patient needs.

The final component of the CURE hierarchy is known as “extras.” Extras refer to activities performed in the care setting to facilitate patient comfort but are not essential.[ 12 ] Examples of extra activities include providing a massage for comfort or washing a patient’s hair. If a nurse has sufficient time to perform extra activities, they contribute to a patient’s feeling of satisfaction regarding their care, but these activities are not essential to achieve patient outcomes.

Let’s apply the CURE mnemonic to patient care in the following box.

If we return to Scenario D regarding patients in Room 504 and 506, we can see the patient in Room 504 is having urgent needs. He is experiencing a physiological need to urgently use the restroom and may also have safety concerns if he does not receive assistance and attempts to get up on his own because of weakness. He is on a bed alarm, which reflects safety considerations related to his potential to get out of bed without assistance. Despite these urgent indicators, the patient in Room 506 is experiencing a critical need and takes priority. Recall that critical needs require immediate nursing action to prevent patient deterioration. The patient in Room 506 with a rapid, fluttering heartbeat and shortness of breath has a critical need because without prompt assessment and intervention, their condition could rapidly decline and become fatal.

In addition to using the identified frameworks and tools to assist with priority setting, nurses must also look at their patients’ data cues to help them identify care priorities.  Data cues  are pieces of significant clinical information that direct the nurse toward a potential clinical concern or a change in condition. For example, have the patient’s vital signs worsened over the last few hours? Is there a new laboratory result that is concerning? Data cues are used in conjunction with prioritization frameworks to help the nurse holistically understand the patient’s current status and where nursing interventions should be directed. Common categories of data clues include acute versus chronic conditions, actual versus potential problems, unexpected versus expected conditions, information obtained from the review of a patient’s chart, and diagnostic information.

Acute Versus Chronic Conditions

A common data cue that nurses use to prioritize care is considering if a condition or symptom is acute or chronic.  Acute conditions  have a sudden and severe onset. These conditions occur due to a sudden illness or injury, and the body often has a significant response as it attempts to adapt.  Chronic conditions  have a slow onset and may gradually worsen over time. The difference between an acute versus a chronic condition relates to the body’s adaptation response. Individuals with chronic conditions often experience less symptom exacerbation because their body has had time to adjust to the illness or injury. Let’s consider an example of two patients admitted to the medical-surgical unit complaining of pain in Scenario E in the following box.

As part of your patient assignment on a medical-surgical unit, you are caring for two patients who both ring the call light and report pain at the start of the shift. Patient A was recently admitted with acute appendicitis, and Patient B was admitted for observation due to weakness. Not knowing any additional details about the patients’ conditions or current symptoms, which patient would receive priority in your assessment? Based on using the data cue of acute versus chronic conditions, Patient A with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis would receive top priority for assessment over a patient with chronic pain due to osteoarthritis. Patients experiencing acute pain require immediate nursing assessment and intervention because it can indicate a change in condition. Acute pain also elicits physiological effects related to the stress response, such as elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate, and should be addressed quickly.

Actual Versus Potential Problems

Nursing diagnoses and the nursing care plan have significant roles in directing prioritization when interpreting assessment data cues.  Actual problems  refer to a clinical problem that is actively occurring with the patient. A  risk problem  indicates the patient may potentially experience a problem but they do not have current signs or symptoms of the problem actively occurring.

Consider an example of prioritizing actual and potential problems in Scenario F in the following box.

A 74-year-old woman with a previous history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. She has generalized weakness, a weak cough, and crackles in the bases of her lungs. She is receiving IV antibiotics, fluids, and oxygen therapy. The patient can sit at the side of the bed and ambulate with the assistance of staff, although she requires significant encouragement to ambulate.

Nursing diagnoses are established for this patient as part of the care planning process. One nursing diagnosis for this patient is  Ineffective Airway Clearance . This nursing diagnosis is an actual problem because the patient is currently exhibiting signs of poor airway clearance with an ineffective cough and crackles in the lungs. Nursing interventions related to this diagnosis include coughing and deep breathing, administering nebulizer treatment, and evaluating the effectiveness of oxygen therapy. The patient also has the nursing diagnosis  Risk for   Skin Breakdown  based on her weakness and lack of motivation to ambulate. Nursing interventions related to this diagnosis include repositioning every two hours and assisting with ambulation twice daily.

The established nursing diagnoses provide cues for prioritizing care. For example, if the nurse enters the patient’s room and discovers the patient is experiencing increased shortness of breath, nursing interventions to improve the patient’s respiratory status receive top priority before attempting to get the patient to ambulate.

Although there may be times when risk problems may supersede actual problems, looking to the “actual” nursing problems can provide clues to assist with prioritization.

Unexpected Versus Expected Conditions

In a similar manner to using acute versus chronic conditions as a cue for prioritization, it is also important to consider if a client’s signs and symptoms are “expected” or “unexpected” based on their overall condition.  Unexpected conditions  are findings that are not likely to occur in the normal progression of an illness, disease, or injury.  Expected conditions  are findings that are likely to occur or are anticipated in the course of an illness, disease, or injury. Unexpected findings often require immediate action by the nurse.

Let’s apply this tool to the two patients previously discussed in Scenario E. As you recall, both Patient A (with acute appendicitis) and Patient B (with weakness and diagnosed with osteoarthritis) are reporting pain. Acute pain typically receives priority over chronic pain. But what if both patients are also reporting nausea and have an elevated temperature? Although these symptoms must be addressed in both patients, they are “expected” symptoms with acute appendicitis (and typically addressed in the treatment plan) but are “unexpected” for the patient with osteoarthritis. Critical thinking alerts you to the unexpected nature of these symptoms in Patient B, so they receive priority for assessment and nursing interventions.

Handoff Report/Chart Review

Additional data cues that are helpful in guiding prioritization come from information obtained during a handoff nursing report and review of the patient chart. These data cues can be used to establish a patient’s baseline status and prioritize new clinical concerns based on abnormal assessment findings. Let’s consider Scenario G in the following box based on cues from a handoff report and how it might be used to help prioritize nursing care.

Imagine you are receiving the following handoff report from the night shift nurse for a patient admitted to the medical-surgical unit with pneumonia:

At the beginning of my shift, the patient was on room air with an oxygen saturation of 93%. She had slight crackles in both bases of her posterior lungs. At 0530, the patient rang the call light to go to the bathroom. As I escorted her to the bathroom, she appeared slightly short of breath. Upon returning the patient to bed, I rechecked her vital signs and found her oxygen saturation at 88% on room air and respiratory rate of 20. I listened to her lung sounds and noticed more persistent crackles and coarseness than at bedtime. I placed the patient on 2 L/minute of oxygen via nasal cannula. Within 5 minutes, her oxygen saturation increased to 92%, and she reported increased ease in respiration.

Based on the handoff report, the night shift nurse provided substantial clinical evidence that the patient may be experiencing a change in condition. Although these changes could be attributed to lack of lung expansion that occurred while the patient was sleeping, there is enough information to indicate to the oncoming nurse that follow-up assessment and interventions should be prioritized for this patient because of potentially worsening respiratory status. In this manner, identifying data cues from a handoff report can assist with prioritization.

Now imagine the night shift nurse had not reported this information during the handoff report. Is there another method for identifying potential changes in patient condition? Many nurses develop a habit of reviewing their patients’ charts at the start of every shift to identify trends and “baselines” in patient condition. For example, a chart review reveals a patient’s heart rate on admission was 105 beats per minute. If the patient continues to have a heart rate in the low 100s, the nurse is not likely to be concerned if today’s vital signs reveal a heart rate in the low 100s. Conversely, if a patient’s heart rate on admission was in the 60s and has remained in the 60s throughout their hospitalization, but it is now in the 100s, this finding is an important cue requiring prioritized assessment and intervention.

Diagnostic Information

Diagnostic results are also important when prioritizing care. In fact, the National Patient Safety Goals from The Joint Commission include prompt reporting of important test results. New abnormal laboratory results are typically flagged in a patient’s chart or are reported directly by phone to the nurse by the laboratory as they become available. Newly reported abnormal results, such as elevated blood levels or changes on a chest X-ray, may indicate a patient’s change in condition and require additional interventions. For example, consider Scenario H in which you are the nurse providing care for five medical-surgical patients.

You completed morning assessments on your assigned five patients. Patient A previously underwent a total right knee replacement and will be discharged home today. You are about to enter Patient A’s room to begin discharge teaching when you receive a phone call from the laboratory department, reporting a critical hemoglobin of 6.9 gm/dL on Patient B. Rather than enter Patient A’s room to perform discharge teaching, you immediately reprioritize your care. You call the primary provider to report Patient B’s critical hemoglobin level and determine if additional intervention, such as a blood transfusion, is required.

2.4. CRITICAL THINKING AND CLINICAL REASONING

Prioritization of patient care should be grounded in critical thinking rather than just a checklist of items to be done.  Critical thinking  is a broad term used in nursing that includes “reasoning about clinical issues such as teamwork, collaboration, and streamlining workflow.”[ 1 ] Certainly, there are many actions that nurses must complete during their shift, but nursing requires adaptation and flexibility to meet emerging patient needs. It can be challenging for a novice nurse to change their mindset regarding their established “plan” for the day, but the sooner a nurse recognizes prioritization is dictated by their patients’ needs, the less frustration the nurse might experience. Prioritization strategies include collection of information and utilization of clinical reasoning to determine the best course of action.  Clinical reasoning  is defined as, “A complex cognitive process that uses formal and informal thinking strategies to gather and analyze patient information, evaluate the significance of this information, and weigh alternative actions.” [2]

When nurses use critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills, they set forth on a purposeful course of intervention to best meet patient-care needs. Rather than focusing on one’s own priorities, nurses utilizing critical thinking and reasoning skills recognize their actions must be responsive to their patients. For example, a nurse using critical thinking skills understands that scheduled morning medications for their patients may be late if one of the patients on their care team suddenly develops chest pain. Many actions may be added or removed from planned activities throughout the shift based on what is occurring holistically on the patient-care team.

Additionally, in today’s complex health care environment, it is important for the novice nurse to recognize the realities of the current health care environment. Patients have become increasingly complex in their health care needs, and organizations are often challenged to meet these care needs with limited staffing resources. It can become easy to slip into the mindset of disenchantment with the nursing profession when first assuming the reality of patient-care assignments as a novice nurse. The workload of a nurse in practice often looks and feels quite different than that experienced as a nursing student. As a nursing student, there may have been time for lengthy conversations with patients and their family members, ample time to chart, and opportunities to offer personal cares, such as a massage or hair wash. Unfortunately, in the time-constrained realities of today’s health care environment, novice nurses should recognize that even though these “extra” tasks are not always possible, they can still provide quality, safe patient care using the “CURE” prioritization framework. Rather than feeling frustrated about “extras” that cannot be accomplished in time-constrained environments, it is vital to use prioritization strategies to ensure appropriate actions are taken to complete what must be done. With increased clinical experience, a novice nurse typically becomes more comfortable with prioritizing and reprioritizing care.

Prioritization of patient care should be grounded in critical thinking rather than just a checklist of items to be done.  Critical thinking  is a broad term used in nursing that includes “reasoning about clinical issues such as teamwork, collaboration, and streamlining workflow.”[ 1 ] Certainly, there are many actions that nurses must complete during their shift, but nursing requires adaptation and flexibility to meet emerging patient needs. It can be challenging for a novice nurse to change their mindset regarding their established “plan” for the day, but the sooner a nurse recognizes prioritization is dictated by their patients’ needs, the less frustration the nurse might experience. Prioritization strategies include collection of information and utilization of clinical reasoning to determine the best course of action.  Clinical reasoning  is defined as, “A complex cognitive process that uses formal and informal thinking strategies to gather and analyze patient information, evaluate the significance of this information, and weigh alternative actions.”[ 2 ]

2.7. LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Learning activities.

(Answers to “Learning Activities” can be found in the “Answer Key” at the end of the book. Answers to interactive activities are provided as immediate feedback.)

The CURE hierarchy has been introduced to help novice nurses better understand how to manage competing patient needs. The CURE hierarchy uses the acronym “CURE” to help guide prioritization based on identifying the differences among  C ritical needs,  U rgent needs,  R outine needs, and  E xtras.

You are the nurse caring for the patients in the following table. For each patient, indicate if this is a “critical,” “urgent,” “routine,” or “extra” need.

II. GLOSSARY

Airway, breathing, and circulation.

Nursing problems currently occurring with the patient.

The level of patient care that is required based on the severity of a patient’s illness or condition.

A staffing model used to make patient assignments that reflects the individualized nursing care required for different types of patients.

Conditions having a sudden onset.

Conditions that have a slow onset and may gradually worsen over time.

A complex cognitive process that uses formal and informal thinking strategies to gather and analyze patient information, evaluate the significance of this information, and weigh alternative actions.”[ 1 ]

A broad term used in nursing that includes “reasoning about clinical issues such as teamwork, collaboration, and streamlining workflow.”[ 2 ]

A strategy for prioritization based on identifying “critical” needs, “urgent” needs, “routine” needs, and “extras.”

Pieces of significant clinical information that direct the nurse toward a potential clinical concern or a change in condition.

Conditions that are likely to occur or anticipated in the course of an illness, disease, or injury.

Prioritization strategies often reflect the foundational elements of physiological needs and safety and progr ess toward higher levels.

A staffing model used to make patient assignments in terms of one nurse caring for a set number of patients.

A nursing problem that reflects that a patient may experience a problem but does not currently have signs reflecting the problem is actively occurring.

A prioritization strategy including the review of planned tasks and allocation of time believed to be required to complete each task.

A feeling of racing against a clock that is continually working against you.

Conditions that are not likely to occur in the normal progression of an illness, disease, or injury.

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

• Cite this Page Open Resources for Nursing (Open RN); Ernstmeyer K, Christman E, editors. Nursing Management and Professional Concepts [Internet]. Eau Claire (WI): Chippewa Valley Technical College; 2022. Chapter 2 - Prioritization.
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In this Page

• PRIORITIZATION INTRODUCTION
• TENETS OF PRIORITIZATION
• TOOLS FOR PRIORITIZING
• CRITICAL THINKING AND CLINICAL REASONING
• LEARNING ACTIVITIES

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Reflective Assessment of Patient Care

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