Teaching reflection to nursing students: a qualitative study in an Irish context

Teaching nursing students to reflect on their practice is now officially considered an essential component of nursing education in a number of countries. The aim of this study was to explore nurse teachers’ perceptions and experiences of using reflection with diploma nursing students in an Irish context. One of the central themes to emerge, upon which this article is based, is the manner in which reflection is actually taught and/or facilitated by nurse educators in diploma nursing programmes, and the factors that influence this. Intensive interviews were conducted with 11 nurse teachers and data were analysed using a strategy resembling grounded theory. Findings indicated that the teaching of reflection was influenced by structural and human resource requirements and a lack of organisational commitment within the schools of nursing. Reflective practice did not permeate throughout the curriculum, but was instead an isolated, episodic classroom activity. The prospect of integrating reflective practice, as taught in the schools, with nursing practice in the clinical realms was problematic because of a range of cultural impediments. The repressive culture within the schools of nursing seemed to subvert discussion and debate about the status of reflective practice in the nursing curriculum.