The request for the Final Practicum or Clinical experience reflection includes an understanding of how classes and practicum experiences affect individual thinking and shape future nurse practice as a scholar-practitioner. The Final Reflection allows you to ask questions, build self-awareness, and better understand your emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and what drives you to move forward. The Final Reflection is personal to you; hence, it does not need to include references to scholarly works. This is a self-reflective narrative to share your own thoughts and experience.
The Final Practicum or Clinical experience reflection is a critical component of the nursing education process, as it provides an opportunity for students to integrate their classroom learning with their experiential learning in a real-world healthcare setting. This final reflection allows students to gain a deeper understanding of how their classes and practicum experiences have influenced their thinking and will shape their future nursing practice as scholar-practitioners.
In this reflection, students are encouraged to ask questions, explore their self-awareness, and gain insights into their emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. By engaging in this self-reflection process, students can gain a clearer understanding of themselves as individuals and as professionals, and identify areas for growth and improvement.
One of the main objectives of the Final Reflection is to help students explore how their classroom learning has translated into their practicum experiences and nursing practice. This includes examining the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom and how they were applied in the clinical setting. Students may reflect on specific case studies, patient interactions, or procedures they were involved in during their clinical experience and analyze how their classroom learning influenced their actions and decision-making.
In addition to examining the practical application of their classroom learning, students are also encouraged to reflect on the impact of their practicum experience on their personal and professional growth. This may include reflecting on how their clinical experience has influenced their values, beliefs, and attitudes as a nurse, as well as their understanding of the healthcare system and the role of interdisciplinary teams.
The Final Reflection also provides an opportunity for students to gain insights into their emotions and reactions during their practicum experience. Students may reflect on the challenges they encountered, such as difficult patient situations or ethical dilemmas, and explore how they managed their emotions and applied their knowledge and skills to address these challenges. This self-reflection can help students develop resilience and emotional intelligence, which are essential qualities for nursing practice.
Furthermore, the Final Reflection allows students to identify their strengths and weaknesses as scholar-practitioners and develop strategies for ongoing professional development. By critically examining their performance during the practicum experience, students can identify areas in which they excel and areas that require further development. This self-awareness is crucial for continuous improvement and lifelong learning as a nurse.
While the Final Reflection is a personal narrative, it is important for students to frame their reflections within the context of evidence-based practice and professional standards. While it does not require references to scholarly works, students should draw connections between their experiences and the broader nursing literature and guidelines. This allows students to situate their reflections within the larger context of nursing practice and maintain a scholarly approach to their reflection.
In summary, the Final Practicum or Clinical experience reflection is an essential component of nursing education, as it allows students to integrate their classroom learning with their real-world experiences and shape their future nursing practice as scholar-practitioners. Through self-reflection, students can gain insights into their thinking, emotions, strengths, and weaknesses, and develop strategies for ongoing professional development. While the reflection is personal in nature, it should be framed within the context of evidence-based practice and professional standards to maintain a scholarly approach.