The use of reflection in practice: the experiences of 3rd year Baccalaureus Technologiae (BTech) nursing students at a nursing education institution in the Western Cape Province

Thesis (MCur)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.ENGLISH SUMMARY: Developing reflective skills leads to the development of critical thinking skills. It is imperative that the student nurse develops these skills in order to deliver effective, reliable, appropriate, professional and quality healthcare services. Reflective writing forms an integral part of the Academic Development Programme module in the curricula for the first year of training undergraduate nurses at a nursing education institution in Cape Town, South Africa in order to improve reading and writing skills. Various reflective practices, such as reflective writing, free-writing and journaling are introduced to the students during their 1st year of Baccalaureus Technologiae (BTech) undergraduate nursing studies and the students are encouraged to use reflective practices in healthcare environments. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of 3rd year BTech nursing students regarding their own use and application of reflective practices. The objectives of the study were to: Explore the experiences of 3rd year BTech nursing students on their own use of reflection in practice. Describe the influence of reflective practices on the lives of 3rd year BTech nursing students. A qualitative approach with a descriptive design was applied and a purposive sampling method was used to select fifteen participants for three focus groups. Data was collected during focus groups interviews with the use of a semi-structured interview guide to explore the experiences and diverse perspectives of the use of reflection in practice. Permission to conduct the study was granted by the Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of Stellenbosch University and permission from the Institutional Ethical Review Board at the specific nursing education institution and individual study participants where the study was to be conducted. Data collection was completed by two trained fieldworkers who were not affiliated with the nursing education institution under study. Thematic analysis of the data was performed and six themes emerged. The findings of this study revealed that participants have a good understanding of reflection and admitted to engaging in various forms of reflective practices. Their preferred method of reflection is dependent on the situation and the needs of the undergraduate student nurse. Participants articulated the benefits of the use of reflection which was evident in the personal and professional growth they identified within themselves. Developing cognitive skills leads to enhanced clinical skills and transformative behaviour. Self-reflection is important in the development of the individual’s identity. This is required for the further development of the professional person, who in the process of development should be able to make critical decisions about patient care and service delivery. Therefore, it is imperative that nurse educators stimulate the development of reflective thinking in the classroom setting and the students should utilise this skill in their personal and professional capacity to develop character and a sense of morality.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontwikkeling van reflektiewe vaardighede lei tot die ontwikkeling van kritiese denkvaardighede. Dit is gebiedend noodsaaklik dat die studentverpleegster hierdie vaardighede ontwikkel, ten einde effektiewe, betroubare, geskikte, professionele en gesondheidsorgdienste van gehalte te kan lewer. Reflektiewe skryfwyses vorm ‘n integrale deel in die kurrikula van die Akademiese Ontwikkelingsprogram module vir die eerste jaar van opleiding van voorgraadse verpleegsters, by ‘n inrigting vir Verpleegkunde in Kaapstad, Suid-Afrika, om lees- en skryfvaardighede te verbeter. Verskeie reflektiewe praktyke, soos reflektiewe skryfwyses, kreatiewe skryfwerk en joernalisering word aan die voorgraadse verplegingstudente gedurende die eerste jaar van Baccalaureus Technologiae (BTech) bekend gestel en hulle word aangemoedig om reflektiewe praktyke in gesondheidsorgomgewings te gebruik. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die ervaringe van die derdejaar-BTech verplegingstudente ten opsigte van hulle eie gebruik en toepassing van reflektiewe praktyke te ondersoek. Die doelwitte van hierdie studie is om: Die ervaringe van die derdejaar-BTech verplegingstudente oor hul eie gebruik van refleksie in die praktyk te ondersoek Die invloed van reflektiewe praktyke op die lewens van die derdejaar-BTech verplegingstudente te beskryf. ‘n Kwalitatiewe benadering met ‘n beskrywende ontwerp is toegepas en ‘n doelgerigte steekproef met vyftien deelnemers vir drie fokusgroepe is gebruik. Data is gedurende onderhoude met die fokusgroepe ingesamel deur gebruik te maak van ‘n semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudsgids, om die ervaringe en uiteenlopende perspektiewe oor die gebruik van refleksie in die praktyk te ondersoek. Toestemming om die ondersoek te loods, is verkry van die Gesondheidsnavorsingsetiekkomitee aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch, die Departement Verpleegkunde se Gesondheidsnavorsingsetiekkomitee en individuele studie-deelnemers. Data-insameling is voltooi deur twee opgeleide veldwerkers wat nie verbonde was aan die inrigting vir Verpleegkunde wat ondersoek word nie. Tematiese analise van die data was uitgevoer en ses temas het daaruit gespruit. Die bevindings van hierdie ondersoek het getoon dat deelnemers ‘n goeie begrip van refleksie het en hulle het erken dat hulle op verskeie maniere van reflektiewe praktyke gebruik maak. Hulle voorkeurmetode van reflekise is afhanklik van die situasie en die behoeftes van die voorgraadse verplegingstudente. Deelnemers het melding gemaak van die voordele van refleksie wat duidelik in hulle persoonlike en professionele groei bespeur kon word. Deur kognitiewe vaardighede te ontwikkel, word kliniese vaardighede en transformatiewe gedrag verbeter. Self-refleksie is belangrik vir die ontwikkeling van die individu se identiteit. Dit word vereis vir verdere ontwikkeling van die professionele persoon wat in die proses van ontwikkeling is om kritieke besluite oor pasiëntsorg en diensverskaffing te kan maak. Dus, is dit noodsaaklik dat verpleegopvoeders die ontwikkeling van reflektiewe denke in die klaskameropset moet stimuleer en die studente behoort hierdie vaardigheid in hulle persoonlike en professionele kapasiteit te gebruik om ‘n goeie reputasie en ‘n sin vir moraliteit te ontwikkel