Reflection on professional development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Reflection on professional development - Essay Example Reflective practice has been recognised to be an important tool for professional development. It helps one to objectively assess if what he has learned and done in the recent past is enough to help him move on and move up to higher levels of learning and doing. Lipman (2003) defines reflective thinking as â€Å"thinking that is aware of its own assumptions and implications as well as being conscious of the reasons and evidence that support the conclusion† (p. 26). Reid (1993) presents a motivational definition of reflective thinking as â€Å"a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice.† Van Manen defines reflection in terms of a means of mental action that distances the person from events in order that they may be viewed in a more objective manner (as cited in Moon, 1999). In all of these definitions, I learned that it takes much objectivity in assessing the efforts I have put into my stu dies and practice in the past year. I take on a dual role – one as a reporter and another as an assessor. Reflective practice has both advantages and disadvantages. ... The risk is in realizing that one may not be suited to the profession he has chosen to undertake. Reading about how such scholars regard reflective practice as an essential process in professional growth, I pressed myself to look back to my experiences from the time I began my NVQ-3 and objectively assess my growth and performance in practice in order to be able to look forward to the long road leading to my future success as a professional. I began Year 1 in September 2010. In less than I year, I have learned so much already, although I am aware that there is still so much to be learned in the coming years. I used to think nursing tasks were limited to washing and dressing patients, administering medicine prescribed by doctors and not much else. I was definitely wrong! I realized that it entails so much more especially after learning about the foundations of nursing practice. Learning about anatomy and physiology was difficult enough, not to mention being able to manage time properl y, complying with assignments and generally being a good student. It was particularly trying for me since I am already 40 years old and have five children of my own to care for. Nevertheless, I am fired up by the challenges I face every day. My reflective account will include my graduate skills, my computer literacy skills, feedback from my mentors and the internal and external factors that influence my development. 1. Graduate Skills Being on my first year, I am still in the adjustment phase of my graduate student life. Perhaps I have an easier time than my peers who are in the same year level because of my basic knowledge in nursing practices that I have gained from my work as a health care assistant. However, the