Reflection. Part 2: developing reflective skills

In the previous article in this series (Fowler, 2015) I used the examples of mirrors as an aid to reflection. If you want to see what your face looks like or what lies behind you, then you look in a mirror. The analogy of the mirror works for reflection on clinical practice initially, but only at a fairly superficial level. Think about how long you spend at one time looking in a mirror—I would be surprised if it were any longer than 15 seconds. We use mirrors to quickly capture our appearance. If we simply transfer our understanding of reflection from its daily application with mirrors to its use in dental nursing practice, then we are in danger of using and understanding reflection as a quick and superficial glance at our practice; that is why reflection for many dental nurses is nothing more than a 10-second review of the day's work. Instead of seeing reflection as a mirror, as it is usually portrayed, try thinking about reflection as a microscope.