Introduction

Reflective practice – also called critical reflection – involves intentionally and analytically reflecting on a professional experience, and examining your performance, actions, skills, decisions, behaviour, and emotions. 

This can feel challenging, as it can expose the difference between what you hope to achieve in your practice and the reality of how you actually practice. However, it can also encourage you to make improvements and change the way you approach similar future experiences.

Reflective practice has been built into many codes of conduct and professional guidelines across the healthcare industry in Australia. There is a high value placed on critical thinking and continuous improvement in the health professions, and reflective practice can support these skills.

In a professional setting, self-aware and authentic reflective practice can help you to understand why you practise the way you do, which may help you to understand:

• Strengths and weaknesses in your practice. 
• Specific experiences, which could change your approach for similar future experiences.
• Gaps in your skills or knowledge, which you can then improve.
• New opportunities or new ways to practice.
• Taken-for-granted assumptions that could be informed by prejudice and discrimination, which you could then unpack and move beyond.

Any professional skill can become routine and unconscious, but stagnancy can be dangerous in a complex, specialised and rapidly changing profession like healthcare. 

Reflective practice is a tool that will help you to remain an active, mindful and learning practitioner.