Reflective Practice: A Comparative Dimensional Analysis of the Concept in Nursing and Education Studies

Aim This paper reports on an analysis of the concept of reflective practice. Background Reflective practice, a concept borrowed from the field of education, is widely used in nursing. However, to date, no study has explored whether this appropriation has resulted in a definition of the concept specific to the nursing discipline. Data Sources A sample comprised of 42 articles in the field of nursing drawn from the CINAHL database and 35 articles in education from the ERIC database (1989–2013) was analyzed. Review Method A concept analysis using the method proposed by Bowers and Schatzman was conducted to explore the differing meanings of reflective practice in nursing and education. Results In nursing, the dimensions of the concept differ depending on context. In the clinical context, the dimensions may be summarized as theory–practice gap, development, and caring; in training, as learning, guided process, and development; and in research, as knowledge, method, and social change. In education, the concept is also used in the contexts of training (the dimensions being development, deliberate review, emotions, and evaluation) and research (knowledge, temporal distance, and method). The humanist dimension in nursing thus reflects a use of the concept more specific to the discipline. Conclusion The concept analysis helped clarify the meaning of reflective practice in nursing and its specific use in the discipline. This observation leads to a consideration of how the concept has developed since its appropriation by nursing; the adoption of a terminology particular to nursing may well be worth contemplating.