Reflective Practice

In recent weeks we devoted a number of articles to professional development, and the importance of undertaking Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities as they are an intrinsic element of professionalism, ensuring occupational competency, accuracy and operational efficiency.

In the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) article, we submitted that CPD is more than the attendance of an event or reading a document, it is the critical reflection upon practice relating to experience which drives the development of the individual, which is the cornerstone of the reflective practitioner. It gives credibility and ensures individuals meet regulatory and statutory requirements.

It is on this basis that we are exploring reflective practice in relation to professionalism. Reflective practice is a proactive approach to engage with own working practice and develop the skills of the individual to make them more effective and constructive, as well as improving professional developmental.

Reflection enables the individual to evaluate their practice, considering how their behaviour has impacted upon others, and what they can do to improve. The reflection process should take place after each CPD activity, enabling the individual to evaluate how it went, what was good about it, and what could be improved. The utilization of the reflective method develops practice and drives forward continuous improvement.

Furthermore, reflection can also be embedded in everyday practice, creating the reflective practitioner. The same system is utilized, but instead of a CPD activity, working practice is reviewed as a way to learn and develop on an ongoing basis.

It is through the combination of CPD activities and reflective practice that the professional emerges, and starts to create a well-rounded worker proficient in their chosen field, with a competitive advantage over their peers.

There are various models for undertaking reflection, however, as an intrinsic part of CPD we suggest the following 4 stage cycle of: Reflection, Planning, Action, and Evaluation as outlined by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). This provides the opportunity for the practitioner to engage with, learn and then act upon their experience in respect of their current and/or future needs.

As part of the reflective cycle, it can be useful to consider some self-evaluation questions to aid in the process. If you are looking to review your learning experience, consider:

• What have I learnt?
• What were the most effective ways of learning that I used?
• Why did they work?
• Were there any ways of learning that did not work?
• If so, why not?

However, if you are looking to review your performance:

• Which of my targets have I achieved?
• What changes did I make to my plan and why?
• Where did I perform well?
• What were the difficulties?
• What would I do differently in the future?

Ultimately, you should endeavour to combine both learning and performance elements during your process to create a more rounded reflective CPD experience. This reflective process can be undertaken as part of a CPD activity, or as part of general working practice. It is also important to remember, reflection is not just about looking back – it is about looking forward.

Whatever your reasons for undertaking the process, it will prove beneficial, and says a lot about the type of professional you are.