Background
The end of any course should bring with it a sense of cumulative experience, the idea that several months worth of work has produced something you can take with you, that you have engaged in a process of thought and activities that adds up to something. When a person chooses to be a nurse, he or she has made a moral commitment to care for all patients. Such a decision to care is not to taken lightly.
Reflective Practice
The act of writing, of choosing words and phrases that really sum up feelings and reactions, can really provide a focus for thinking about learning. Below is the What, So What, Now What? model for reflection. It is based on Kolbs (1994) Experiential Learning Cycle Experiential Learning Cycle.
The What? Experiencing/Describing Phase taking part in an activity, sharing reactions and observations. What were the most significant aspects of the information (this is not a general summary of the article/informa
tion)? How did I feel/react to this information? What personal experiences are relevant to this information?
The So What? Inferring Phase discussing implications, patterns, dynamics; generalizing. In what ways did this affirm or challenge my practice? How is this relevant to me? What questions has this raised? How can I make personal meaning from this?
These next 3 answers are identified in the So What section, but resolved in the Now What section: What ideas need further exploration? In what ways does this challenge me? What gaps in my knowledge or skills does this highlight?
The Now What? Transferring Phase linking to real world principles, planning effective use.
How can I use this learning? How will I explore these ideas further to fill gaps in skills or knowledge? What questions or problems arise from this? How will I address them? What changes do I need to make to my practice? How will I make these changes happen?