Becoming a Reflective Practitioner: A Reflective and Holistic Approach to Clinical Nursing, Practice Development and Clinical Supervision

Within health care, there are new ideas emerging regarding the management and development of clinical practice. In a short period of time, reflective practice has brought about a revolution in nursing. It has been embraced wholeheartedly as an effective approach to developing nursing care.

Becoming a Reflective Practitioner is a practical guide to developing a reflective approach to care in everyday practice. Christopher Johns lucidly outlines a process in which the practitioner can develop his or her own method for developing a reflective and holistic approach to care. Based on everyday clinical practice, the examples guide the reader through the stages of reflective practice in the context of a caring relationship with the client. By drawing on key nursing philosophers' work, the significance of nursing theory is acknowledged in the way it informs without prescribing what nurses ought to do. This text shows that reflective practice is a dynamic process that evolves as the practitioner develops his or her own practice. It clearly illustrates the tension between offering a vision for practice and a reflection of reality.

This book will be of interest to all nurses involved in developing their clinical practice. It will inform managers and clinical supervisors wishing to explore a model for developing reflective practice in their units. It will also be of interest to other health care professionals adopting a reflective approach to developing practice.

From the Postscript by Jean Watson:
'This work by Christopher Johns brings us face to face with the human elements and human dilemmas; the deep level of humanity that clinicians encounter daily, moment by moment; the blessings and challenges of: living, suffering, changing, evolving, dying, leading us to nothing less than a rebirthing of self and work. '