critical reflection essay samples

Critical Reflection

A Critical Reflection (also called a reflective essay) is a process of identifying, questioning, and assessing our deeply-held assumptions – about our knowledge, the way we perceive events and issues, our beliefs, feelings, and actions. When you reflect critically, you use course material (lectures, readings, discussions, etc.) to examine our biases, compare theories with current actions, search for causes and triggers, and identify problems at their core.   Critical reflection is   not   a reading assignment, a summary of an activity, or an emotional outlet.   Rather,   the goal is   to change your thinking about a subject, and thus change your behaviour.

Tip: Critical reflections are common in coursework across all disciplines, but they can take very different forms. Your instructor may ask you to develop a formal essay, produce weekly blog entries, or provide short paragraph answers to a set of questions. Read the assignment guidelines before you begin.

How to Critically Reflect

Writing a critical reflection happens in two phases.

• Analyze:   In the first phase, analyze the issue and your role by asking critical questions. Use free writing as a way to develop good ideas. Don’t worry about organized paragraphs or good grammar at this stage.
• Articulate:   In the second phase, use your analysis to develop a clear argument about what you learned. Organize your ideas so they are clear for your reader.

First phase: Analyze

A popular method for analyzing is the three stage model: What? So What? Now what?

In the  What?  stage, describe the issue, including your role, observations, and reactions. The   what?   stage helps you make initial observations about what you feel and think. At this point, there’s no need to look at your course notes or readings.

Use the questions below to guide your writing during this stage.

• What happened?
• What did you do?
• What did you expect?
• What was different?
• What was your reaction?
• What did you learn?

In the second  So What?   stage, try to understand on a deeper level why the issue is significant or relevant. Use information from your first stage, your course materials (readings, lectures, discussions) -- as well as previous experience and knowledge to help you think through the issue from a variety of perspectives.

Tip:  Since you’ll be using more course resources in this step, review your readings and course notes before you begin writing.

Below are three perspectives you can consider:

• Academic perspective: How did the experience enhance your understanding of a concept/theory/skill? Did the experience confirm your understanding or challenge it? Did you identify strengths or gaps in your knowledge?
• Personal perspective:   Why does the experience matter? What are the consequences? Were your previous expectations/assumptions confirmed or refuted? What surprised you and why?
• Systems perspective:   What were the sources of power and who benefited/who was harmed? What changes would you suggest? How does this experience help you understand the organization or system?

In the third   Now what?   stage, explore how the experience will shape your future thinking and behaviour.

Use the following questions to guide your thinking and writing:

• What are you going to do as a result of your experiences?
• What will you do differently?
• How will you apply what you learned?

Second phase: Articulate

After completing the analysis stage, you probably have a lot of writing, but it is not yet organized into a coherent story. You need to build an organized and clear argument about what you learned and how you changed. To do so,   develop a thesis statement , make an   outline ,   write , and   revise.

Develop a thesis statement

Develop a clear argument to help your reader understand what you learned. This argument should pull together different themes from your analysis into a main idea. You can see an example of a thesis statement in the sample reflection essay at the end of this resource.

Tip: For more help on developing thesis statements, see our   Thesis statements  resource

Make an outline

Once you have a clear thesis statement for your essay, build an outline. Below is a straightforward method to organize your essay.

• Background/Context of reflection
• Thesis statement
• Introduce theme A
• Writer's past position/thinking
• Moment of learning/change
• Writer's current/new position
• Introduce theme B
• Introduce theme C
• Summarize learning
• Discuss significance of learning for self and others
• Discuss future actions/behaviour

Write and revise

Time to get writing! Work from your outline and give yourself enough time for a first draft and revisions.

Even though you are writing about your personal experience and learning, your audience may still be an academic one. Consult the assignment guidelines or ask your instructor to find out whether your writing should be formal or informal.

Sample Critical Reflection

Below are sample annotated paragraphs from one student’s critical reflection for a course on society and privilege.

Introduction

Background/context of reflection : I became aware of privileged positions in society only in recent years. I was lucky enough, privileged enough, to be ignorant of such phenomena, but for some, privilege is a daily lesson of how they do not fit into mainstream culture. In the past, I defined oppression as only that which is obvious and intentional. I never realized the part I played. However, during a class field study to investigate privileged positions in everyday environments, I learned otherwise.   Thesis:   Without meaning to, I caused harm by participating in a system where I gained from others’ subtle oppression. In one of these spaces, the local mall, everything from advertisements to food to products, to the locations of doorways, bathrooms and other public necessities, made clear my privilege as a white, heterosexual male.

Body paragraph

Topic sentence : Peggy McIntosh describes privilege as an invisible knapsack of tools and advantages. This description crystalized for me when I shopped for a greeting card at the stationary store. There, as a white, heterosexual male, I felt comfortable and empowered to roam about the store as I pleased. I freely asked the clerk about a mother’s day card.   Writer’s past position:   Previously, I never considered that a store did anything but sell products. However, when I asked the sales clerk for same sex greeting cards, she paused for a few seconds and gave me a look that made me feel instantly uncomfortable. Some customers stopped to look at me. I felt a heat move over my face. I felt, for a moment, wrong for being in that store.  I quickly clarified that I was only doing a report for school, implying that I was not in fact homosexual.   Writer’s current position:   The clerk’s demeanor changed. I was free to check, she said.  It was the only time during the field study that I had felt the need to explain what I was doing to anyone. I could get out of the situation with a simple clarification. But what if I really was a member of the homosexual community? The looks and the silence taught me that I should be feared.  I realized that, along with its products, the store was selling an image of normal. But my “normality” was another person’s “abnormality.”  After I walked out of the store I felt guilty for having denied being homosexual.

Summary of learning:   At the mall I realized how much we indirectly shame nonprivileged groups, even in seemingly welcoming spaces. That shame is supported every time I or any other privileged individual fails to question our advantage. And it leads to a different kind of shame carried by privileged individuals, too.   Value for self and others:   All of this, as Brown (2003) documents, is exacerbated by silence. Thus, the next step for me is to not only question privilege internally, but to publicly question covert bias and oppression. If I do, I may very well be shamed for speaking out. But my actions might just encourage other people to speak up as well.

Sample paragraphs adapted from James C. Olsen's Teaching Portfolio from Georgetown University .

How To Write A Critical Reflection Assignment

29 April, 2022

13 minutes read

Author:  Tomas White

The act of discovering, examining, and evaluating our deep-seated beliefs and writing about these is known as critical reflection (also known as reflective essay). The assignment can concern our knowledge, our perceptions of events and issues, and our beliefs, feelings, and behaviors. When you critically reflect, you utilize study material (lectures, books, discussions, etc.) to […]

The act of discovering, examining, and evaluating our deep-seated beliefs and writing about these is known as critical reflection (also known as reflective essay). The assignment can concern our knowledge, our perceptions of events and issues, and our beliefs, feelings, and behaviors.

When you critically reflect, you utilize study material (lectures, books, discussions, etc.) to analyze the prejudices, compare theories with present behaviors, seek reasons and triggers, and discover underlying problems.

A critical reflection essay is neither a reading assignment, a description of events, nor an outlet for emotions. Rather, the goal is to alter people’s perceptions of the issue and, as a result, their behavior.

Why Are Critical Reflection Assignments So Popular?

Critical thinking writing is frequent in student assignments, although it can take several forms. Your teacher may require you to submit a common essay, make weekly blog updates, or respond to a series of questions in a limited amount of time.

Together with the tasks, you’ll have to do during your college and university courses, and this activity allows you to express yourself the most. It motivates you to see things from many angles and discuss your perspectives with others.

Without exaggeration, it is useful for both academic advancement and your journey of self-knowledge. So, let’s see how to create a paper that would amaze everyone.

The Main Purposes Of Critical Reflection

Rather than merely providing information, a critical reflection essay allows you to take a personal perspective and voice your ideas on the subject. It might be about anything, from your favorite movie to touring the Grand Canyon and debating evolution theories. An educational, professional, or personal critical reflection paper is possible.

They all have somewhat different styles:

• Answer to a previously studied book, video, or lecture is educational.
• Professional – a typical duty for teachers and social workers, focuses on analyzing a person’s conduct.
• Personal one shows how you feel about a more personal topic.

Which to select is determined by the subject. If you’re having trouble with this, talk to your supervisor.

How To Write A Critical Reflection Essay: Step-by-Step Guide

There are two steps to writing a good critical reflection essay:

• Analyze the situation and your involvement in it by asking critical questions. Freewriting is a great approach to coming up with new ideas. Don’t bother about paragraph organization or grammar at this point.
• To correctly formulate, use your analysis to clarify what you’ve learned in the second phase. Organize your thoughts so that the reader can understand them.

To help you, we’ll provide you with a general guide on how to choose a topic.

Come Up With the Topic

As a beginning point, consider any major moments in life that have significantly impacted you, either favorably or badly.

Real-life experience, imagined experience, a remarkable object or location, a person who has inspired you, or something you have ever seen or read are all common critical reflection essay topics.

If you’re writing a critical reflection essay for college, your professor will probably want you to focus on a certain incident. It’s also worth noting that in a critical reflection essay, the event’s impacts are vital. If you don’t include them, you’ll just be telling stories.

Uncover The Topic

It may seem self-evident, but the act of reflection is the foundation for writing such a paper. Therefore you must get it right from the start. It would be best to consider how the experience you have chosen to focus on has affected or changed you. Determine the effects for you individually using your recollections and experiences.

Once you’ve decided on an essay topic, start researching it thoroughly and devote a significant amount of time thinking about it. Make a list of everything you remember about the experience, explaining it as clearly and completely as possible.

Remember your sentiments and utilize terms to describe the experience when doing so. You can write notes using brief words at the start of writing, but you must ensure that you are capturing all responses, views, and experiences.

Make The Analysis Of Main Ideas And Problems Of The Critical Reflection Assignment Topic

It would help if you began thinking to evaluate your memory’s contents effectively. Picking a few questions to consider is a good way to start. They will assist you in delving deeper into your experiences. Here are some good questions to think about:

• What did your experience or event analysis teach you?
• Did you change as a result of it? How?
• Has it influenced your life positively or negatively?
• What would you do if you could go back in time?
• Why do you believe you made the decision you did? Do you believe it was the best decision you could have made?
• What did you think of the whole experience? Has it been beneficial for you? What specific talents or views have you gained?

These starter questions should assist you in beginning your reflective process. Remember that the key to thinking thoroughly and critically about your experiences is to ask yourself many questions. It is a crucial talent for creating a fantastic critical reflection essay.

Develop Logical Chains Between Research Stages

The creation of logical chains helps to remember and comprehend a large amount of information to identify the pattern of any events or phenomena. Logical chains are necessary for developing critical thinking and the ability to think logically.

A logical chain is a chain of sequential judgments and conclusions leading from the initial factors to the conclusion of logical construction.

The logical chain in the critical reflection essay is always present. Always, even if the judgment seems illogical. A judgment may come from incorrect factors, erroneous information – and therefore be incorrect, but there should be logic in any judgment and conclusion of a critical reflection essay.

Create a Critical Reflection Assignment Checklist

It is worth analyzing your article on three levels to produce a decent checklist.

Level of criticality

• Is there any relevant theory or professional references in the text?
• Are you able to back up the claims with evidence?
• Has the event touched your professional experience?

Level of description

• Is your professional experience consistent with your personal experiences?
• Is it accurate in its information?
• Is it a problem or an opportunity to solve it?
• Is it a description of one or two solutions to a problem?

Level of analysis

• Is your text able to describe both the immediate and deeper causes?
• Is it an issue or an opportunity for other people to solve it?
• Do you have any immediate concerns about your career progress due to the experience?

Try to figure out the aim of your reflective writing. Different goals necessitate different materials, organization, and styles.

The necessity to show proof of learning based on experience is common in all varieties of critical reflection papers.

Aim for a mix of descriptive, analytical, and critical reflective writing aspects.

Template For Critical Reflection Essay

Traditional and creative (which are quite useful but hazardous) techniques for writing critical reflection essays are available:

• In a traditional way, the thesis should state the key concept, develop it throughout the main paragraphs with supporting reasons, and finish with the facts confirming the thesis.
• If you want to use creative options, begin a discussion on the subject and imply a conclusion. Assume where the discussion will lead, but leave some uncertainty. Make and write the personal analysis. Consider a conclusion that differs marginally or totally from what the audience expected at the start.

You will be able to write your critical reflections without problems if you use this or that option. By choosing one of the options, you can easily start writing a template for your paper.

Introduction Of Critical Reflection Paper

The most significant aspect of writing a critical reflection essay is expressing your views about a topic. Just don’t get too worked up over it. Instead of being emotional, you should convey your ideas logically. 

Give the reader a sense of what to expect in the next few paragraphs. Create a compelling concept: encapsulate the important statement in one sentence to draw attention.

It is when you delve deeper into the thesis. In a few paragraphs, you must describe the essential. Use a three-paragraph structure. Tell the audience more about your experience and how it influenced you. 

Compare and contrast other people’s experiences. Then tell the audience what you’ve discovered as a result of it.

The conclusion must be comprehensive and persuasive. The document’s conclusion demonstrates that your thoughts are completely developed. 

Strong accents are used to bring the conversation to an end. To offer readers food for thought, make a creative image of your experience.

Correct Formatting Of Critical Reflection Paper

The essay writer primarily discusses life experiences. The objective of writing such a paper is to allow the authors to explore how they have changed or learned from a particular life experience and how that experience has changed them.

You can present the critical reflection assignment in various ways, but learning logs or diary entries are the most common. Diary entries, in particular, are utilized to show how the author’s thoughts changed over time.

Everyone who has written at least one scientific paper in the past is familiar with the reflection paper format.

• A4 paper is the most popular.
• Each side of the field is 1 inch.
• The material is divided into 12 paragraphs.
• The font is easy to read (Arial, Helvetica, Calibri, Times New Roman, etc.)
• Two spaces separate the lines.
• Citations in APA, Chicago, and other styles are available (determined by the supervisor).
• The word count ranges from 250 to 750.

Depending on the intended audience, the format might change. The critical reflection essay can be scientific or given more general meaning, such as as a component of a larger work. Although the presentation structure may alter, the goal remains the same. Teachers hope to encourage students to think thoroughly and critically about a specific learning experience or series of events.

It is all you know how to write critical reflection paper.

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Critical Reflection

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Writing Critical Reflection

Reflective writing is a common genre in classrooms across disciplines. Reflections often take the form of narrative essays that summarize an experience or express changes in thinking over time. Initially, reflective writing may seem pretty straightforward; but since reflective writing summarizes personal experience, reflections can easily lose their structure and resemble stream-of-consciousness journals capturing disjointed musings focused on only the self or the past.   

Critical reflection still requires a writer to consider the self and the past but adopts an argumentative structure supported by readings, theories, discussions, demonstrated changes in material conditions, and resources like post-collaboration assessments, testimonial evidence, or other data recorded during the collaboration . Common arguments in critical reflections present evidence to demonstrate learning, contextualize an experience, and evaluate impact. While critical reflections still require authors to reflect inwardly, critical reflection go es beyond the self and examine s any relevant contexts that informed the experience. Then, writers should determine how effectively their project addressed these contexts. In other words, critical reflection considers the “impact” of their project: How did it impact the writer? How did it impact others? Why is the project meaningful on a local, historical, global, and/or societal level? H ow can that impact be assessed?  

In short: reflection and critical reflection both identify the facts of an experience and consider how it impacts the self. Critical reflection goes beyond this to conceive of the project’s impact at numerous levels and establish an argument for the project’s efficacy. In addition, critical reflection encourages self-assessment—we critically reflect to change our actions, strategies, and approaches and potentially consider these alternative methods.  

Collecting Your Data: Double-Entry Journaling

Double-entry journaling is a helpful strategy for you to document data, observations, and analysis throughout the entire course of a community-based project. It is a useful practice for projects involving primary research, secondary research, or a combination of both. In its most basic form, a double-entry journal is a form of notetaking where a writer can keep track of any useful sources, notes on those sources, observations, thoughts, and feelings—all in one place.  

For community-based projects, this might involve:  

• Recording your observations during or after a community partner meeting in one column of the journal.  
• Recording any of your thoughts or reactions about those observations in a second column.   
• Writing any connections you make between your observations, thoughts, and relevant readings from class in a third column.  

This allows you to document both your data and your analysis of that data throughout the life of the project. This activity can act as a blueprint for your critical reflection by providing you with a thorough account of how your thinking developed throughout the life of a project.   

The format of a double-entry journal is meant to be flexible, tailored to both your unique notetaking practice and your specific project. It can be used to analyze readings from class, observations from research, or even quantitative data relevant to your project.  

Just the Facts, Please: What, So What, Now What

Getting started is often the hardest part in writing. To get your critical reflection started, you can identify the What , So What , and Now What? of your project. The table below presents questions that can guide your inquiry . If you’re currently drafting, we have a freewriting activity below to help you develop content.  

Freewrite your answers to these questions; that is, respond to these questions without worrying about grammar, sentence structure, or even the quality of your ideas. At this stage, your primary concern is getting something on the page. Once you’re ready to begin drafting your critical reflection, you can return to these ideas and refine them.  

Below are some additional prompts you can use to begin your freewriting. These reflection stems can organize the ideas that you developed while freewriting and place them in a more formal context.  

• I observed that...  
• My understanding of the problem changed when...  
• I became aware of (x) when....  
• I struggled to...  
• The project's biggest weakness was…  
• The project's greatest strength was…   I learned the most when...  
• I couldn't understand...  
• I looked for assistance from...  
• I accounted for (x) by...  
• I connected (concept/theory) to...  
• (Specific skill gained) will be useful in a professional setting through…  

Analyzing Your Experience: A Reflective Spectrum

Y our critical reflection is a space to make an argument about the impact of your project . This means your primary objective is to determine what kind of impact your project had on you and the world around you. Impact can be defined as the material changes, either positive or negative, that result from an intervention , program , or initiative . Impact can be considered at three different reflective levels: inward, outward, and exploratory.

Inward reflection requires the writer to examine how the project affected the self. Outward reflection explores the impact the project had on others. Additionally, you can conceptualize your project’s impact in relation to a specific organization or society overall, depending on the project’s scope. Finally, exploratory reflection asks writers to consider how impact is measured and assessed in the context of their project to ultimately determine: What does impact look like for the work that I’m doing? How do I evaluate this? How do we store, archive, or catalog this work for institutional memory? And what are the next steps?  

This process is cyclical in nature; in other words, it’s unlikely you will start with inward reflection, move to outward reflection, and finish with exploratory reflection. As you conceptualize impact and consider it at each level, you will find areas of overlap between each reflective level.   

Finally, if you’re having trouble conceptualizing impact or determining how your project impacted you and the world around you, ask yourself:   

• What metrics did I use to assess the "impact" of this project? Qualitative? Quantitative? Mixed-methods? How do those metrics illustrate meaningful impact?  
• How did the intended purpose of this project affect the types of impact that were feasible, possible, or recognized?  
• At what scope (personal, individual, organizational, local, societal) did my outcomes have the most "impact"?  

These questions can guide additional freewriting about your project. Once you’ve finished freewriting responses to these questions, spend some time away from the document and return to it later. Then, analyze your freewriting for useful pieces of information that could be incorporated into a draft.  

Drafting Your Critical Reflection

Now that you have determined the “What, So What, Now What” of your project and explored its impact at different reflective levels, you are ready to begin drafting your critical reflection.  

If you’re stuck or find yourself struggling to structure your critical reflection, the OWL’s “ Writing Process ” [embe ded link ] resource may offer additional places to start. That said, another drafting strategy is centering the argument you intend to make.  

Your critical reflection is an argument for the impact your project has made at multiple levels; as such, much of your critical reflections will include pieces of evidence to support this argument. To begin identifying these pieces of evidence, return to your “reflection stem” responses . Your evidence might include :  

• H ow a particular reading or theory informed the actions during your partnership ;  
• How the skills, experiences, or actions taken during this partnerhsip will transfer to new contexts and situations;  
• Findings from y our evaluation of the project;  
• Demonstrated changes in thoughts, beliefs, and values, both internally and externally;  
• And, of course, specific ways your project impacted you, other individuals, your local community, or any other community relevant to the scope of your work.  

As you compile this evidence, you will ulti mately be compiling ways to support an argument about your project’s efficacy and impact .  

Sharing Your Critical Reflection

Reflective writing and critical reflections are academic genres that offer value to the discourse of any field. Oftentimes, these reflective texts are composed for the classroom, but there are other venues for your critical reflections, too.  

For example, Purdue University is home to the Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement ( PJSL ) which publishes student reflective texts and reflections with research components. Although PJSL only accepts submissions from Purdue students, other journals like this one may exist at your campus. Other venues like the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Impact publish reflective essays from scholars across institutions, and journals in your chosen discipline may also have interest in reflective writing.  

Document explaining the theories, concepts, literature, strategies that informed the creation of this content page.  

Reflective Writing

• Book a session
• Introduction
• Planning Reflective Writing
• Reflective Frameworks & Models
• Compare your experience to the literature

Critical Reflective Writing

• Questions to ask about your analysis
• Reflective writing books
• ⬅ Back to Skills Centre This link opens in a new window

Questioning your analysis of the experience is an important element of reflective writing, and is a good way to include critical writing in your essay.

In our writing, we need to to evidence that we have questioned our analysis .

Questions to ask

Here are more examples of how you can be critical of your analysis. 

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• Last Updated: Feb 26, 2024 3:45 PM
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Guide on How to Write a Reflection Paper with Free Tips and Example

A reflection paper is a very common type of paper among college students. Almost any subject you enroll in requires you to express your opinion on certain matters. In this article, we will explain how to write a reflection paper and provide examples and useful tips to make the essay writing process easier.

Reflection papers should have an academic tone yet be personal and subjective. In this paper, you should analyze and reflect upon how an experience, academic task, article, or lecture shaped your perception and thoughts on a subject.

Here is what you need to know about writing an effective critical reflection paper. Stick around until the end of our guide to get some useful writing tips from the writing team at EssayPro — a research paper writing service

What Is a Reflection Paper

A reflection paper is a type of paper that requires you to write your opinion on a topic, supporting it with your observations and personal experiences. As opposed to presenting your reader with the views of other academics and writers, in this essay, you get an opportunity to write your point of view—and the best part is that there is no wrong answer. It is YOUR opinion, and it is your job to express your thoughts in a manner that will be understandable and clear for all readers that will read your paper. The topic range is endless. Here are some examples: whether or not you think aliens exist, your favorite TV show, or your opinion on the outcome of WWII. You can write about pretty much anything.

There are three types of reflection paper; depending on which one you end up with, the tone you write with can be slightly different. The first type is the educational reflective paper. Here your job is to write feedback about a book, movie, or seminar you attended—in a manner that teaches the reader about it. The second is the professional paper. Usually, it is written by people who study or work in education or psychology. For example, it can be a reflection of someone’s behavior. And the last is the personal type, which explores your thoughts and feelings about an individual subject.

However, reflection paper writing will stop eventually with one very important final paper to write - your resume. This is where you will need to reflect on your entire life leading up to that moment. To learn how to list education on resume perfectly, follow the link on our dissertation writing services .

Unlock the potential of your thoughts with EssayPro . Order a reflection paper and explore a range of other academic services tailored to your needs. Dive deep into your experiences, analyze them with expert guidance, and turn your insights into an impactful reflection paper.

Free Reflection Paper Example

Now that we went over all of the essentials about a reflection paper and how to approach it, we would like to show you some examples that will definitely help you with getting started on your paper.

Reflection Paper Format

Reflection papers typically do not follow any specific format. Since it is your opinion, professors usually let you handle them in any comfortable way. It is best to write your thoughts freely, without guideline constraints. If a personal reflection paper was assigned to you, the format of your paper might depend on the criteria set by your professor. College reflection papers (also known as reflection essays) can typically range from about 400-800 words in length.

Here’s how we can suggest you format your reflection paper:

How to Start a Reflection Paper

The first thing to do when beginning to work on a reflection essay is to read your article thoroughly while taking notes. Whether you are reflecting on, for example, an activity, book/newspaper, or academic essay, you want to highlight key ideas and concepts.

You can start writing your reflection paper by summarizing the main concept of your notes to see if your essay includes all the information needed for your readers. It is helpful to add charts, diagrams, and lists to deliver your ideas to the audience in a better fashion.

After you have finished reading your article, it’s time to brainstorm. We’ve got a simple brainstorming technique for writing reflection papers. Just answer some of the basic questions below:

• How did the article affect you?
• How does this article catch the reader’s attention (or does it all)?
• Has the article changed your mind about something? If so, explain how.
• Has the article left you with any questions?
• Were there any unaddressed critical issues that didn’t appear in the article?
• Does the article relate to anything from your past reading experiences?
• Does the article agree with any of your past reading experiences?

Here are some reflection paper topic examples for you to keep in mind before preparing to write your own:

• How my views on rap music have changed over time
• My reflection and interpretation of Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• Why my theory about the size of the universe has changed over time
• How my observations for clinical psychological studies have developed in the last year

The result of your brainstorming should be a written outline of the contents of your future paper. Do not skip this step, as it will ensure that your essay will have a proper flow and appropriate organization.

Another good way to organize your ideas is to write them down in a 3-column chart or table.

Do you want your task look awesome?

If you would like your reflection paper to look professional, feel free to check out one of our articles on how to format MLA, APA or Chicago style

Writing a Reflection Paper Outline

Reflection paper should contain few key elements:

Introduction

Your introduction should specify what you’re reflecting upon. Make sure that your thesis informs your reader about your general position, or opinion, toward your subject.

• State what you are analyzing: a passage, a lecture, an academic article, an experience, etc...)
• Briefly summarize the work.
• Write a thesis statement stating how your subject has affected you.

One way you can start your thesis is to write:

Example: “After reading/experiencing (your chosen topic), I gained the knowledge of…”

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs should examine your ideas and experiences in context to your topic. Make sure each new body paragraph starts with a topic sentence.

Your reflection may include quotes and passages if you are writing about a book or an academic paper. They give your reader a point of reference to fully understand your feedback. Feel free to describe what you saw, what you heard, and how you felt.

Example: “I saw many people participating in our weight experiment. The atmosphere felt nervous yet inspiring. I was amazed by the excitement of the event.”

As with any conclusion, you should summarize what you’ve learned from the experience. Next, tell the reader how your newfound knowledge has affected your understanding of the subject in general. Finally, describe the feeling and overall lesson you had from the reading or experience.

There are a few good ways to conclude a reflection paper:

• Tie all the ideas from your body paragraphs together, and generalize the major insights you’ve experienced.
• Restate your thesis and summarize the content of your paper.

We have a separate blog post dedicated to writing a great conclusion. Be sure to check it out for an in-depth look at how to make a good final impression on your reader.

Need a hand? Get help from our writers. Edit, proofread or buy essay .

How to Write a Reflection Paper: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: create a main theme.

After you choose your topic, write a short summary about what you have learned about your experience with that topic. Then, let readers know how you feel about your case — and be honest. Chances are that your readers will likely be able to relate to your opinion or at least the way you form your perspective, which will help them better understand your reflection.

For example: After watching a TEDx episode on Wim Hof, I was able to reevaluate my preconceived notions about the negative effects of cold exposure.

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas and Experiences You’ve Had Related to Your Topic

You can write down specific quotes, predispositions you have, things that influenced you, or anything memorable. Be personal and explain, in simple words, how you felt.

For example: • A lot of people think that even a small amount of carbohydrates will make people gain weight • A specific moment when I struggled with an excess weight where I avoided carbohydrates entirely • The consequences of my actions that gave rise to my research • The evidence and studies of nutritional science that claim carbohydrates alone are to blame for making people obese • My new experience with having a healthy diet with a well-balanced intake of nutrients • The influence of other people’s perceptions on the harm of carbohydrates, and the role their influence has had on me • New ideas I’ve created as a result of my shift in perspective

Step 3: Analyze How and Why These Ideas and Experiences Have Affected Your Interpretation of Your Theme

Pick an idea or experience you had from the last step, and analyze it further. Then, write your reasoning for agreeing or disagreeing with it.

For example, Idea: I was raised to think that carbohydrates make people gain weight.

Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of research to overcome my beliefs finally. Afterward, I adopted the philosophy of “everything in moderation” as a key to a healthy lifestyle.

For example: Idea: I was brought up to think that carbohydrates make people gain weight. Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of my own research to finally overcome my beliefs. After, I adopted the philosophy of “everything in moderation” as a key for having a healthy lifestyle.

Step 4: Make Connections Between Your Observations, Experiences, and Opinions

Try to connect your ideas and insights to form a cohesive picture for your theme. You can also try to recognize and break down your assumptions, which you may challenge in the future.

There are some subjects for reflection papers that are most commonly written about. They include:

• Book – Start by writing some information about the author’s biography and summarize the plot—without revealing the ending to keep your readers interested. Make sure to include the names of the characters, the main themes, and any issues mentioned in the book. Finally, express your thoughts and reflect on the book itself.
• Course – Including the course name and description is a good place to start. Then, you can write about the course flow, explain why you took this course, and tell readers what you learned from it. Since it is a reflection paper, express your opinion, supporting it with examples from the course.
• Project – The structure for a reflection paper about a project has identical guidelines to that of a course. One of the things you might want to add would be the pros and cons of the course. Also, mention some changes you might want to see, and evaluate how relevant the skills you acquired are to real life.
• Interview – First, introduce the person and briefly mention the discussion. Touch on the main points, controversies, and your opinion of that person.

Writing Tips

Everyone has their style of writing a reflective essay – and that's the beauty of it; you have plenty of leeway with this type of paper – but there are still a few tips everyone should incorporate.

Before you start your piece, read some examples of other papers; they will likely help you better understand what they are and how to approach yours. When picking your subject, try to write about something unusual and memorable — it is more likely to capture your readers' attention. Never write the whole essay at once. Space out the time slots when you work on your reflection paper to at least a day apart. This will allow your brain to generate new thoughts and reflections.

• Short and Sweet – Most reflection papers are between 250 and 750 words. Don't go off on tangents. Only include relevant information.
• Clear and Concise – Make your paper as clear and concise as possible. Use a strong thesis statement so your essay can follow it with the same strength.
• Maintain the Right Tone – Use a professional and academic tone—even though the writing is personal.
• Cite Your Sources – Try to cite authoritative sources and experts to back up your personal opinions.
• Proofreading – Not only should you proofread for spelling and grammatical errors, but you should proofread to focus on your organization as well. Answer the question presented in the introduction.

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Critical Reflection Essay Examples

• Critical Reflection Essay

Critical reflection essays are a key requirement for learners in different fields and disciplines.

Whether it is a  reflective essay for nursing  or social work, you are required to employ a particular language and writing style that aligns to your study area.

It is important to note that reflective writing should be linked to theories in your field.

This should ensure that the work adopts a formal tone.

As illustrated in all critical reflection essay templates, tones adopted could vary from one field to another.

Above said, it is imperative to clearly understand what a critical reflection essay entails before you embark on the writing process.

What is a Critical Reflection?

Aims of critical reflection, questions to contextualize your writing, questions to ask when analyzing a specific piece of writing, questions to ask on the writing process and evolution as a writer.

• ii. So what?

iii. Now what?

I. developing a thesis statement, ii. creating an outline, iii. writing, iv. revising, thesis statement.

The first step on how to write a reflective essay is to understand what critical reflection is.

In simple terms, critical reflection can be defined as:

“The process that requires you to identify, question, and assess your deeply-held assumptions about our beliefs, knowledge, how we perceive issues and events, feelings, and actions”.

Accordingly, critical reflection requires you to use course materials such as readings, lectures, and discussions to search for triggers and causes, examine individual biases, compare current actions with theories, and identify actual problems.

As illustrated in critical reflection essay examples in nursing or social work, the main objective entails changing your thinking about specific issues and therefore changing your behavior.

Critical reflection as such should not be confused with an activity’s summary, a reading assignment, or an emotional outlet.

As illustrated by critical reflection essay examples, critical reflective writing seeks to serve numerous aims.

These aims are as highlighted below:

For the lecturer:

1. Appraise your growth as a writer by examining how you wrote a text and what guides your technical and artistic decisions.

2. Understand the origin of your work, intended aims, and how the work fits into the course.

3. Evaluate your ability to engage with issues on writing, techniques and themes acquired throughout the course.

1. Learn that writing is motivated by different issues or factors.

2. Learn that good writing develops from different decisions, failures, experiments, shift in ideas, and terminating preconceived notions.

3. Acquire skills in the use of correct critical and technical vocabulary necessary in the analysis of critical work.

4. Grow as a writer by learning from experiments, failures, and successes.

5. Identify strengths and weaknesses in individuals writing style and how to improve.

6. Place your writing style within the wider literary, theoretical, historical, social, cultural, and political context.

Reflective Questions to Ask

There are several reflective questions you could as to help critical reflective writing.

As demonstrated in critical reflection essay examples, these questions come in handy in critical reflection writing.

They include:

1. In what ways do your writing fit into the wider theoretical, literary, social, cultural, or political context (s)?

2. What form does your of writing assume? Script, short story, poem, creative non-fiction, etc.

3. In what genre does you work fit into? For example, nonfiction writing may include: memoirs, biographies, scientific writing, argumentative essays, expository writing, and historical work.

4. Which writers (authors, poets, or playwrights) write in similar way like you?

5. What was your influence when writing and redrafting. Note what things molded your writing by mind-mapping to help identify the currents and streams that shaped your work.

6. Is there a particular poem, novel, film, memoir, art or photography, piece of journalism or music, documentary, radio program, play, or TV show that influence your writing? How?

7. Were there any books, seminar discussions, or writing exercises on writing styles and approaches that inspired or guided you?

8. Did you conduct any research? Whether interviews, fieldwork, or visits to museums or galleries.

9. What other elements influenced your writing? For example, travel, childhood memories, family stories, overheard conversations, or lectures in other courses.

1. How was the work written? Meticulously sentence by sentence or one swift outpouring? Was revision and editing done along the way or at the end?

2. What was the initial spark for the idea covered in the work?

3. What were the original vision and goals for the work and to what extent were they achieved?

4. How did the work evolve during the writing process?

5. What technical decisions were made and why? Consider what a certain point of view, structure, voice, form, imagery, lines, layout, punctuation, or metaphor was adopted. For instance, whether you adopted a ghost’s point of view to illustrate what was familiar from an unlikely angle.

6. How were your feelings about the final work?

7. Are there areas that you feel require improvement even after redrafting?

8. What are the problems that you faced when writing and how did you address them?

9. What was the feedback from your peers or/ and instructor? Was the feedback incorporated or rejected, why?

10. How would you write the work in the future?

1. What writing aspects and styles work for you?

2. What did you discover about your writing process during this course?

3. What writing elements are you drawn to?

4. What elements of writing are the most challenging to you?

5. What areas could you improve your writing around?

6. What writing experiments did you test? What worked and didn’t? What were the lessons?

7. What were the key insights into the writing craft whether poetry, fiction, scripts, or creative nonfiction did you have?

8. What can you do differently in the future?

9. What presented as the greatest learning moments during the course? What were your breakthrough moments?

10. What do you wish to write next?

Critical Reflection Writing

As demonstrated in critical reflection essay examples, critical reflective writing occurs in two main phases.

1. Analysis

This phase requires you to analyze the issue at hand as well as your role by asking the respective critical questions.

The phase is characterized by three questions that help conduct the analysis:

ii. So what?

This stage is where you should describe the issue being analyzed, including your observations, role, and reactions.

The stage should help observe what you think and feel about an issue.

Course readings and notes may not be really relevant at this stage.

You can use the below questions to navigate through this stage:

1. What happened?

2. What did you do?

3. What did you expect?

4. What was different?

5. What was your reaction?

6. What did you learn?

ii.  So what?

As illustrated in critical reflection essay examples, this as the second stage requires you to in in-depth understand the reason why the issue under analysis is relevant or significant.

To do this, you should incorporate information from the first stage, previous knowledge and experience, and course materials to help view the issue from different angles.

Probable angles include:

a. Academic angle: This perspective reviews how the experience enhanced your understanding of a skill, theory, or concept.

You should examine whether the experience confirmed or challenged your understanding, or the identifiable gaps or strengths in your knowledge.

 b. Systems angle: The perspective should examine the sources of power, the beneficiaries and those harmed.

You should review the changes you view necessary, and how the experience helped understand the system or organization.

c. Personal angle: This perspective should look at why the experience matter, arising consequences, previous expectations or assumptions that were refuted or confirmed, and what was a surprise and why.

This is the third stage and seeks to explore how the experience shapes your future behavior and thinking.

Questions to ask include:

a. What should I do based on the resulting experiences?

b. What should I do differently?

c. How would I apply the learned lessons?

2. Articulation

As the second phase, articulation entails organizing notes developed in the analysis phase in one coherent story.

It is the phase where you develop an organized and clear argument on lessons learned and change in perspective.

The phase can be divided into 4 stages, including;

The stage entails coming up with a clear argument to build the story around.

Such an argument should factor in the different themes that form the main idea.

Creating an outline is a very important step.

The outline should be as illustrated below:

Introduction

-Background

-Thesis statement

Paragraph 1

-Introduction of theme A

-Your previous position

-Learning moment

-Your new position

Paragraph 2

-Introduction of theme B

-New position

Paragraph 3

-Introduction of theme C

-Summary of the lesson/s

-Significance of the lesson/s to you and others

-Future behavior

This stage entails building a coherent story.

You should ensure that the writing is formal.

The stage entails going through the written story to ensure that it is devoid of grammatical and syntax mistakes.

Berkowitz (2016) observes that although patient experience is commonly associated with patient satisfaction, it is a remarkably complex concept. This complexity has led to the development of priority areas such as safer care, effective communication and care coordination, preventive care, affordability of care, and patient and families engagement in care delivery, that have all been closely linked to quality patient experience. Accordingly, among these priority areas, patient and families engagement is one of the key spheres where nurses are vastly involved. Such patient engagement is usually defined by the amounts of information flowing between patient and care provider (s), degrees of patient’s active role in care decisions, and levels of patient involvement in decision and policy making (Kristin et al., 2013).

The above noted, in this essay, I seek to explore the assessment of patient and family engagement in care provision. This exploration encompasses reflections on the experiences acquired during care provision to a 50 year old patient. In view of that, I will share some ideas and questions these reflections provoke about assessment of patient and family engagement in care provision.

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Critical reflection for assessments and practice

• Critical reflection

Critical reflection for assessments and practice: Critical reflection

• Reflective practice
• How to reflect
• Critical reflection writing
• Recount and reflect

What is critical reflection?

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are".

Anais Nin - Seduction of the Minotour (1961)

Critical reflection can be defined in different ways but at core it's an extension of critical thinking. It involves learning from everyday experiences and situations. You need to ask questions of yourself and about your actions to better understand why things happened.  

Critical reflection is active not passive

Critical reflection is active personal learning and development where you take time to engage with your thoughts, feelings and experiences. It helps us examine the past, look at the present and then  apply learnings to future experiences or actions.

Critical reflection is also focused on a central question, “Can I articulate the doing that is shaped by the knowing.” What this means is that critical reflection and reflective practice are tied together. You can use critical reflection as a tool to analyse your reflections more critically which allows you to evaluate , inform and continually change your practice .

Critical reflection: think, feel, and do

The events, experiences or interactions you choose to critically reflect on can be either positive or negative. They may be an interesting interaction or an everyday occurrence. 

No matter what it is, when you are critically reflecting it is a good idea to think about how the experience, event or interaction made you: 

And what you can do to change your practice.

What you think, feel and do as a result of critical reflective learning will shape the what, how and why of future behaviours, actions and work.

Critical reflection: what influences your practice 

Critical reflection also means thinking about why you make certain choices in your practice. Sometimes this may feel uncomfortable because it can highlight your assumptions, biases, views and behaviours. But it is important to take the time to think about how your own experiences influence your study, your work and your life in general. This involves you recognising how your perspectives and values influence the decisions you make. 

Click on the plus (+) icons  beneath each thought bubble to view some example assumptions that may influence practice. 

Scaffolded approach to think, feel, and do in your practice

There is quite a bit to keep in mind with using critical reflective to shape your practice. Making critical reflection part of your everyday is easier if you have a framework to refer to.

This critical reflection and reflective practice framework is a handy resource for you to keep. Download the framework  and use it as a prompt when doing critical reflective assessments at uni or as part of developing reflective practice in your work.

DOWNLOAD FRAMEWORK (PDF, 1MB)

Critical reflection includes research and evidence-base

Why you need to use academic literature in critical reflections can be hard to understand as you may feel that you don’t need to draw on other sources when discussing your own experiences. Critical reflections involve both personal perspective and theory = the need to use academic literature. 

Personal plus theory underpins reflective practice

Keep in mind that when you are at university there is an expectation that you support the points you make by referring to information from relevant, credible sources. 

You also need to think about how theories can influence and inform your practice. Reflective practice relies on evidence, with research informing your reflection and what changes to practice you intend to put into play. This means you will need to use academic literature to support what you are saying in your reflection. 

Learn more about including literature in your writing. Deakin’s academic skills guide on  Using Sources  will help you weave academic literature into your critical reflection assessments. It’s focused on supporting evidence in your writing.

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• Last Updated: Mar 15, 2024 4:53 PM
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Examples of Reflective Writing

Types of reflective writing assignments.

A journal  requires you to write weekly entries throughout a semester. May require you to base your reflection on course content.

A learning diary is similar to a journal, but may require group participation. The diary then becomes a place for you to communicate in writing with other group members.

A logbook is often used in disciplines based on experimental work, such as science. You note down or 'log' what you have done. A log gives you an accurate record of a process and helps you reflect on past actions and make better decisions for future actions.

A reflective note is often used in law. A reflective note encourages you to think about your personal reaction to a legal issue raised in a course.

An essay diary  can take the form of an annotated bibliography (where you examine sources of evidence you might include in your essay) and a critique (where you reflect on your own writing and research processes).

a peer review  usually involves students showing their work to their peers for feedback.

A self-assessment task  requires you to comment on your own work.

Some examples of reflective writing

Social science fieldwork report (methods section), engineering design report, learning journal (weekly reflection).

Brookfield, S 1987, Developing critical thinkers: challenging adults to explore alternative ways of thinking and acting , Open University Press, Milton Keynes.

Mezirow, J 1990, Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: a guide to transformative and emancipatory learning , Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

Schön, DA 1987, Educating the reflective practitioner , Jossey-Bass. San Francisco.

We thank the students who permitted us to feature examples of their writing.

Prepared by Academic Skills, UNSW. This guide may be distributed or adapted for educational purposes. Full and proper acknowledgement is required. 

Essay and assignment writing guide

• Essay writing basics
• Essay and assignment planning
• Answering assignment questions
• Editing checklist
• Writing a critical review
• Annotated bibliography
• How do I write reflectively?
• Examples of reflective writing
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Essay Samples on Critical Reflection

Reflective learning: the power of self-analysis and personal growth.

A reflective essay is a unique form of essay writing where you examine an experience and reflect on your own self. Use strong evidence and explain the real or imaginary scene in an interesting manner. A reflective essay is a type of writing in which...

• Critical Reflection
• Self Reflection

Critical Thinking Skills and Their Importance Today

As rapid urbanization continues to dominate the world, humans are being exposed to brand new ideas that feeds their mind logistically as well as holistically. This phenomenon in turn opens an opportunity for us to gain knowledge in various subjects that equips us with an...

• Critical Thinking

Importance of Reflection and Learning From Past Incidents

To practice competently, reflection is important because it allows one to critically think about past or present events, evaluate situations and then use the knowledge obtained to act accordingly in future situations. All of which improves patient care and helps minimise bad practice in the...

Reflective Statement on the Role of Gods in Oedipus the King

Reflective statement for Oedipus the king Before the class interactive oral, I did not know the importance of Greek gods in the ancient Greek society. Actually it is in the course of the discussions that I was able to understand that, the entire life of...

• Oedipus The King

Critical Reflection on Gender Stereotypes and Feminism in Cultural Household

The central focus of this critical reflection will be on my own experiences with gender and identity. I will aim to critically reflect on how my experience interacts with the following aspects such as religion, class, age, and race. While also drawing on my own...

• Gender Stereotypes

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Critical Reflection on Eco-Phylosophies and Environment

Critical Reflection: Why do you care about environment? The world is an ever changing and ever evolving entity and humans who reside in it have seen their perceptions change drastically over the years. Issues that were considered to be unimportant at one point of time...

• Natural Environment

Critical Reflection on Schema and Transactional Reading Theories

Introduction In this essay I will analyse and briefly describe two of the main reading theories and how they can be applied to the current Australian Curriculum English (P-3). I will also evaluate how my chosen theories support some approaches and strategies commonly used to...

Critical-Reflective Analysis: Similarities seen Between HIV and Mental Illnesses

HIV/ AIDS is a disease that disproportionately affects those whom are living in poverty and deepens the divide between social strata. Although there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, we as health professionals do our best to prevent it from spreading and taking more lives. The...

• Mental Illness

Reflection On Karen Burson's Article About Canada's Food Security

Our first understanding of humanity is based on the worldview we grew up in. It is important as it shapes our moral compass and how we see the world. My worldview is complex. For me, nature is a very concrete concept. It refers to the...

• Food Security

Best topics on Critical Reflection

1. Reflective Learning: the Power of Self-Analysis and Personal Growth

2. Critical Thinking Skills and Their Importance Today

3. Importance of Reflection and Learning From Past Incidents

4. Reflective Statement on the Role of Gods in Oedipus the King

5. Critical Reflection on Gender Stereotypes and Feminism in Cultural Household

6. Critical Reflection on Eco-Phylosophies and Environment

7. Critical Reflection on Schema and Transactional Reading Theories

8. Critical-Reflective Analysis: Similarities seen Between HIV and Mental Illnesses

9. Reflection On Karen Burson’s Article About Canada’s Food Security

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Home — Essay Samples — Philosophy — Critical Reflection — Reflection and Reflective Practice

Reflection and Reflective Practice

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Essay on Critical Reflection

Introduction

A critical reflection is an essential approach for one to assess their ability and plans for the future. For professionals, a critical reflection helps one to learn from experience with a view of bettering their expertise in the practice. Incidents that happen in life can require one to reflect on them for clarity and learning. Learning from experience helps one develop principles that promote their professionalism within their area of practice (Coleman and Willis, 2015). In essence, a reflection tries to make sense of an incident or event that happened in one’s life. In this report, the paper seeks to apply a reflective model of learning to analyze an incident that occurred in my life. The Gibbs model of reflection will be used to evaluate and investigate the incident that is within the practice context (Truong, Gibbs, Paradies and Priest, 2017). The paper focuses on reflecting on an incident that happened and what can be learnt from the same.

The Gibbs Model

Description of Incident

During my first placement in the second year, I experienced something unusual that hit me hard in my mind. A patient who could often complain of abdominal pains collapsed in the middle of the room. I was busy helping with tea when I heard a nurse calling for help from doctors. I became concerned and immediately went to check out what was happening. A woman patient in the ward had collapsed off her seat and died in the middle of the room. Earlier, she had complained of severe abdominal pain, but nobody took her seriously, for she was suffering from dementia. Doctors tried hard to assess her situation in a bid to help her all in vain. I was not the one in charge of the patient, but I was informed that her attempts to raise the alarm had failed as no one took her seriously. I did not find out the exact reason for her death, though the doctor’s report indicated that it was pain-related. The dementia factor in the patient was probably the reason why other n8urses never took her serious. The incident made me as I usually feel obliged to help patients heal from various ailments. The death could have been avoided if the nurse in charge had considered the matter seriously (Jasemi, Valizadeh, Zamanzadeh and Keogh, 2017). It made me reflect on my role as a nurse and how should I help people who are in the process of recovering. The incident served as a landmark experience that made me develop a strong passion for my profession.

I felt that the nurses in charge had failed in their mandate to execute their role as a healthcare practitioner. Once a patient is in pain, it is only proper that they are accorded the right attention in a bid to help them heal faster. In my opinion, one should become a practitioner in the area after developing an interest in the area. Before the experience, I always assumed nurses within the area have an obligation of handling their patients in the right manner. Professionally, I thought that nurses should be compassionate to their ailing patients. The incidence proved to me that some individuals join the profession for the wrong reasons, which affects the delivery of services. During the experience, I thought that I should rush and help, only to realize that the patient was no more (Sekse, Hunskår and Ellingsen, 2018). For once, it crossed my mind that some deaths within practice settings can be avoided if patients are allocated the right care.

My first reaction was to rush and see the happenings with a view of lending a helping hand. Equally, I felt that it is our role as nurses to be of help, especially when such incidences happen. In as such as one might not be in charge of a particular patient, they should not fail to help others within the practice setting. During the incident, I helped measure her blood sugar levels to ascertain whether she was okay. Throughout, I stayed on standby to provide any assistance if need be. After the experience, I thought that action would be taken for those nurses who were showing a bad example and were not taking their roles seriously. Authorities and other practitioners should be at the forefront of identifying issues with patients for better handling (Sekse, Hunskår and Ellingsen, 2018). The experience changed my perception of what the profession is and what can be done to help patients.

The incidence went well with the execution of essential roles in an attempt to save the patient’s life. The doctors present and other practitioners thanked those who showed compassion, which boosted the passion for working hard and providing more support to those in need (Sekse, Hunskår and Ellingsen, 2018). The nurses present helped in testing sugar levels of the patient and availed themselves for any further assistance. Any practitioner needs to help, not only when told to, but also when the need is required. Some nurses fail in delivering holistic care for patients assigned to them. As such, it was essential for anybody within to provide any assistance. However, the fact the patient died eventually allowed sadness to fill the room. As a bitter part of the story, guilt engulfed everyone in the room since attempts to save the patient had failed (Colley, 2016). A critical evaluation of the incidence indicates that proper care and help could have prevented death. Patients should be treated with care in a bid to help them recover from various ailments.

A practitioner professionally trained should not watch a patient dying because they are not in charge. Such actions are detrimental to the provision of holistic care to patients within a healthcare setting. Nurses should be at the forefront of defending their patients in case anything happens. The incident indicates how uncaring some practitioners are to basics that they should perform. For instance, a patient suffering from dementia experiences pain, but there is no need for a practitioner to ignore (Fitch, Fliedner and O’Connor, 2015). Practitioners should ensure that they handle patients with care, especially those suffering from chronic diseases. The pain that they go through requires one to be compassionate. If one cannot be able to provide such help, then they should not think of becoming practitioners.

It is also proper to assess the consequences of action from the incident that happened. The patient had complained of severe abdominal pain, which was ignored by those near her. If one could have assessed her and give a report of her state, then probably she could not have succumbed. As such, the fact that healthcare practitioners ignored her is a significant reason that led to her death. Equally, dementia patients should be handled with care to avoid complicating their case anyhow (Cooper and Chang, 2016). Failure of the nurse in charge to discharge her roles professionally is also a reason that led to the death. The nurse should have considered the matter seriously or at least ensure the patient gets some painkillers for the same.

Death hurts those close to one and practitioners should work in their capacity to help avoid some case. Patients should be assessed from time to time to ensure that they are in a stable condition health-wise Truong, Gibbs, Paradies and Priest, 2017). Failure to conduct such assessments can lead to unexpected deaths. Employing a high level of ethical standards within the practice setting can prove helpful in avoiding such circumstances.

The experience taught me to be compassionate and handle any cases notable among patients seriously. If I had the opportunity, I could have helped the patient instead of leaving her die. The fact that I was not assigned to be in charge of the particular patient mad me scare off in the first place. Positively, some practitioners are caring and can do anything to save the lives of patients. However, I noted that some are cruel and insensitive to complaints raised by patients. Insensitivity to matters that affect patients can end up being costly as I noted from the incident. I learnt that there was more that I needed to become a fully equipped as a practitioner. The experienced helped me reflect on my goals and how I can achieve them. To me, I needed to go through that to ascertain some facts within the profession.

Action Plan

To fully understand the profession, I need more exposure to patients who are suffering from various diseases. The exposure can help me to learn important basics on how to handle various patients. I did well during the experience, and there is a need to improve so that I can be of more help in the future. Further learning is important, and experience would help a great deal if I have to be better.

To sum it up, the reflection helped better my experience within the practice setting. The Gibbs model was useful in assessing the experience, which proved a significant step in my life. The model is easy to apply as it entails six significant steps. Through the application of the Gibbs model, I have been able to learn essential aspects that are useful in my area of practice. Reflective learning models should be applied more often to help many understand and learn from past experiences within the practice setting.

Coleman, D. and Willis, D.S., 2015. Reflective writing: the student nurse’s perspective on reflective writing and poetry writing.  Nurse education today ,  35 (7), pp.906-911.

Colley, S.L., 2016. Senior nursing students’ perceptions of caring for patients at the end of life.  Journal of Nursing Education ,  55 (5), pp.279-283.

Cooper, K.L. and Chang, E., 2016. Undergraduate nurse students’ perspectives of spiritual care education in an Australian context.  Nurse education today ,  44 , pp.74-78.

Fitch, M.I., Fliedner, M.C. and O’Connor, M., 2015. Nursing perspectives on palliative care 2015.  Annals of palliative medicine ,  4 (3), pp.150-155.

Jasemi, M., Valizadeh, L., Zamanzadeh, V. and Keogh, B., 2017. A Concept analysis of holistic care by hybrid model.  Indian journal of palliative care ,  23 (1), p.71.

Sekse, R.J.T., Hunskår, I. and Ellingsen, S., 2018. The nurse’s role in palliative care: A qualitative meta‐synthesis.  Journal of clinical nursing ,  27 (1-2), pp.e21-e38.

Truong, M., Gibbs, L., Paradies, Y. and Priest, N., 2017. ” Just treat everybody with respect”: Health Service Providers’ Perspectives on the Role of Cultural Competence in Community Health Service Provision.  ABNF Journal ,  28 (2).

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