Theory of Reflective Practice in Nursing

This article explicates the author’s Theory of Reflective Practice in Nursing and its philosophical underpinnings. The Theory of Reflective Practice in Nursing is a middle-range theory. It mainly proposes that nurses must practice reflection-before-action, reflection-in-action, reflection-on-action, and reflection-beyond-action to advance nursing practice. Reflective practice can impact positive outcomes such as personal and professional development, improved quality of care, and improved care outcomes. Moreover, the theory posits that the environment provides the context of the concepts of reflective practice. The environment can nurture or inhibit effective reflective practice. The theory has strong interpretive and phenomenological roots thus it exemplifies a postmodernist perspective. Reflection is a way of knowing in nursing that typifies the subjective, explicatory, and contextual form of knowledge that emerges from nurses’ practice experiences.