Reflective writing in nursing education: A narrative literature review

Background and aim: Reflective writing has emerged as an increasingly valuable pedagogical strategy in nursing education, particularly during clinical internships, supporting students in critically analyzing their experiences, integrating theory with practice, and fostering professional development. Despite its growing use, evidence on its potential contribution to learning remains limited. This review aims to explore current evidence on the educational role of reflective writing in nursing students’ learning, analyzing the competencies stimulated by this practice (cognitive, metacognitive, clinical, emotional, relational, communicative), exploring students' perceptions and analyzing barriers to its implementation. Methods: A narrative literature review was performed through the MEDLINE, CINAHL, Google Scholar databases, selecting 29 relevant studies, including qualitative and quantitative research and systematic reviews. Results: The results show that reflective writing appears to support the learning process, strengthening the development of metacognitive and critical thinking skills, emotional awareness and communication abilities. These competencies support stress management and improve interaction with patients. However, its perceived benefits appear to be influenced by several factors: students’ perceived workload, quality of educational support, the ability to integrate this practice into curricula. The presence of trained educators who can offer constructive feedback and create a psychologically safe environment is essential to promote meaningful reflection. Conclusions: When strategically integrated and supported in training programs, reflective writing can represent a valuable educational resource for nursing students during clinical internships. Nonetheless, further studies are needed to strengthen the evidence on its benefits and define appropriate strategies for its systematic inclusion in nursing education programs.