Encouraging reflective practice

Abstract

As busy practitioners it becomes commonplace to look back over the day's professional activities. All too often, and despite a preponderance of positive interactions, the reflective eye reviews the negative aspects of daily activity and interrupts the intended social relaxation. Hence reflection in medical care is often seen as a negative act, without purpose and rarely connected to any true educational outcome. In this article, the authors' present a positive picture of reflective practice and open the discussion of how it can become standard professional practice, leading to high quality care and encourage future learning.