In any walk of life, you need to introspect to learn and grow from your experiences. More so, in academia, reflective practices are used to guide students, especially in fields like nursing, education, and social work. The challenges and successes are both addressed, and it helps students gain a perspective. But you need to follow the proper structure, like reflective writing models, to do it efficiently.
Driscoll’s model of reflection is one such model that is simple and has a clear framework. The practicality of this model makes it the best choice for healthcare professionals, particularly for nursing students. Driscoll’s Model of Reflection helps them in both reflective writing and clinical supervision.
In this blog, we are going to discuss what Driscoll’s model of Reflection is, its uses, and its importance. Also, we will give Driscoll’s reflective model example and helpful tips for your reflective essays.
Driscoll’s model of reflection was developed by Driscoll in 1994, 2004, and 2007. He took the inspiration from Terry Boston’s reflective framework in 1970. It revolved around the three important questions, which were initially asked by Borton in his reflective model. They are:
By breaking down the experience into viable stages, you feel less overwhelmed. This helps in facilitating critical thinking, and you can learn through experiences for improvement. You also build self-awareness, which helps you immensely in both academic and professional environments.
Let us understand the basic meaning behind the three stages of Driscoll’s Model of Reflection.
In the first stage, you recall all the events and describe the experience. Here, you are just stating what transpired in the situation.
Commonly asked questions:
What happened?
What was your role in that situation?
What things have you observed?
What were other people doing at that time?
By recounting and recapping the events, you are just setting a base for the proper analysis in the next stage. Here you are just looking at the situation without being biased and from an objective point of view.
At this stage, the real reflection begins. You delve deeper and analyse the situation to understand its emotional and visible impact.
Key questions to ask:
What were you thinking and feeling?
What was the significance of the experience?
What did you learn?
What impact did others’ behaviour have on the situation?
By analysing the situation, you gain insights and a new perspective. You understand its emotional weight, interpretations, and the far-reaching implications of the experience.
This is the last stage. Here you decide what you are going to do with the acquired knowledge and insights. The actions you will take in the future when going through the same situation.
Important question to address:
How will you apply this learning?
What things will you change next time?
What steps are you going to take to improve?
By deciding on your future actions through reflection, you are embarking on the path of personal growth and enhanced performance.
The Driscoll’s model of reflection is applied in various fields to form a reflective essay. But it is most commonly used in the fields that need real-world exposure in their learning methods. For instance, the Driscoll model in nursing, education, and social work assignments is used to form reflective essays.
This reflective model is used to structure the content into three sections:
Introduction
Here, you write a brief overview of your experience.
Body
It covers the three parts - “What”, “So What”, and “Now What”, respectively.
Conclusion
Lastly, you make a precise conclusion about your learnings and future actions.
Read the following suggestions to enhance the quality of your reflective essay using Driscoll’s model of reflection.
By using these tips, you will catch the attention of your reader, and it reflects your deep understanding of the situation.
Imagine you are a nursing student and you need to write a reflective essay. There is no better way than the Driscoll model of reflection to do it. Just three simple stages to make it engaging and effective. Look at the example below to understand it better.
“It was my first ever experience assisting pediatric doctors during my clinical placement. I was helping the doctor and the senior nurse in comforting a young boy aged 8 years. The child suffered major injuries during his accidental fall from the stairs. He was bleeding from his forehead and also had several bruises on his arms. My duty was to keep him calm while the doctor was examining him and the senior nurse was preparing bandages. The kid was visibly distressed and in severe agony. Despite my efforts to comfort him, he kept crying and was shaking with fear. Then I used the distraction technique by holding his hand and giving him a chocolate. I also asked him about his favourite movies, hobbies, and friends. This worked, and he was calm for the time being. During this period, the senior nurse cleaned his wounds, and the doctor bandaged him after applying medicines.”
“Well, at first, I was terrified myself by seeing such a small kid in so much pain. Then, I recomposed myself and stuck to doing the best I know. At first, I asked him to be brave and used a motivational tone. Then I realised, it wasn’t working. So I changed my ways and used a distraction mechanism to help him cope with the pain and escape from the current situation. I was relieved when it worked, and the doctor and senior nurse praised me later. They appreciated my presence of mind and empathy and advised me to keep up with the same approach. This was my first ever experience, that too with such a young patient. It made me realise the importance of emotional support, which has such a lasting impact on patients. I also learned about wound cleaning, hygiene practices, and the standards that are to be followed by a nurse.”
“After this experience, I am assured that I have the skills to be a great nurse. Though it’s just the start, I can confidently say that I have chosen the right profession. I will continue to hone my skills and develop the mindset to help patients in emergencies. I will learn from the feedback given to me by my seniors and caregivers. In the future, I will never hesitate to work with young patients in the pediatric ward. I will take it as a learning opportunity and develop my skillset to comfort patients emotionally, physically, and medically. Especially when I am serving in a pediatric ward, the emotional support is just as important as medical support. In the future, I will continue to engage the young patients in a playful manner and with gentleness.”
So, this example of the Driscoll model in nursing emphasises the reflection part with a clear approach. This helps in structuring your thoughts into a clear narrative with the help of learnings and future actions.
There are several advantages of Driscoll’s reflective model. Can’t wait to know about them. Have a read.
It is a smart and logical way to put out your thoughts in the three simple and effective stages. The “what, so what and now what” helps you with setting the base, reflection and focusing on future actions, respectively.
The effectiveness of the Driscoll reflection model lies in simplicity. Just three questions make it easy to remember the details. Especially for the beginners, who are new and need assignment for help on reflective essays.
It is applicable across various disciplines with students and professionals alike. More so, in fields like nursing, where you need to apply the real-life practical learnings to your growth and development.
This reflective model encourages critical thinking and self-awareness rather than just superficial reporting. The more honest you are and the deeper you delve into your genuine feelings and insights, the more you will learn.
Even if you are just a beginner in reflective writing, Driscoll's model of reflection in nursing is a great choice. You can enhance your reflective writing skills before getting into detailed reflective models like Gibbs’ cycle.
As with any other reflective model in nursing, the Driscoll reflective model isn’t without any limitations. Look below to understand what they are.
Every time, the simplified approach will not work. For complex experiences like assisting in an emergency, like a medical relief camp after a natural calamity, needs more insights.
It is not very focused on incorporating any educational theories like other models. For example, Gibbs’ reflective model is a lot more detailed and informative.
This model is as effective as the sincerity shown by the person using it. If you are not being honest and not reflecting properly, the model is not effective.
However, the clarity and adaptability of this model across disciplines make it a reliable choice. Be truthful and accountable to get the most valuable lessons out of it.
Conclusion
In summary, the Driscoll’s model of reflection is the widely used model across disciplines. More so, in nursing, social care and healthcare, people learn the most via reflecting on real-life scenarios.
The approach of fitting your experience in three simple steps of “what, so what, and now what” is highly beneficial. This helps in enhancing your skills for reflection, which is useful for your development both academically and personally.
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