ABSTRACT
In modern healthcare organisations, reflective practice generally occurs in a group setting, and involves taking the time for staff to think about the serious, complex and emotionally charged work they do in caring for those in pain and distress. The concept of reflective practice has its origins in early twentieth-century phenomenological philosophy and the work of a diverse group of philosophers and psychologists including John Dewey and Kurt Lewin. Since the 1990s in the United Kingdom, there has been a growing interest in the use of reflective practice in healthcare, especially amongst nurses and clinical psychologists. Healthcare staff feel, in practical, intellectual and emotional ways, under-resourced, and reflective practice is often invoked as a way to bridge the gap. Reflective practice is presented by Donald Schon as corrective to the unrealistic amount of hope and belief invested in standard and purely technological solutions to human problems. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
