Purpose:
1. To engage in self-assessment, reflection, and application of reflective practice in nursing as an approach towards continuous professional development.
2. To reflectively identify professional gaps and growth opportunities for application toadvanced nursing role and life-long learning.
Assignment Details:
Nursing is a profession where strategies for life-long learning is an expectation. Lifelong learning is a vital component to keeping knowledge and skills current. Active engagement in continuing professional development to maintain high standards of nursing care through competent practice is essential as a nursing professional. With a reflective lens, strengths, growth opportunities, and action planning can take place in one’s practice towards a process of continuous improvement. In pursuit of lifelong learning, a propensity for self-awareness and reflection can become more deliberate when practiced regularly and useful in goal setting and career planning. This assignment aims to enhance students’ knowledge and application of reflective practice in nursing and engagement in self-appraisal strategies supporting continuous
professional development.
In completing this assignment, engaging in self-awareness and reflection are integral to the assignment. An important aspect of the activity and questions are that they lend well to reflection. Therefore, taking a self-awareness and reflective approach can challenge one’s instincts in identifying opportunities for professional growth and development. For example, ask yourself ‘How do I know?’ and ‘Why?’ regularly.
In preparation for the assignment, students are to complete Module 2, which provides learning opportunities to expand one’s knowledge on reflective practices and relative learning materials.
Located within Module 2, complete the Reflective Practice Self-Assessment Quiz. The completed self-assessment quiz is not required to be submitted; rather to inform aspects of Assignment 3.
In completing this assessment, the student should first complete the quiz (p. 1). Once the self assessment quiz has been completed, then view the scoring section (p. 2) to analyze the results.
Identify any gaps or opportunities for reflective practices.
Using the Reflective Self-Appraisal Activity Template, address the following
questions of inquiry:
1. Explain what reflective practice refers to and application as an advanced nursing
professional.
2. Discuss what you have learned from completing the Reflective Practice Self-Assessment Quiz about the ways that you use reflection. Were there any ‘aha moments’ or opportunities? Explain.
3. Using Benner’s Stages of Clinical Competence – Novice-to-Expert theory, identify your (1) present stage as a nursing professional and anticipated stage as a new DNP-prepared graduate. Share two ways to cultivate professional growth and development using reflective practice.
4. Drawing on a brief reflective account of a practice-related event, activity, or experience.
Describe how this event, activity, or experience resulted in a change or improvement in your practice. (Include only non-identifiable information).
5. Reflecting on your current knowledge and skills, identify two clinical goals you aim to achieve this term that will inform your role as a DNP-graduate. What resources will aid you in accomplishing these goals.
On the Reflective Self-Appraisal Activity Template, the questions of inquiry are prepared in boxes. Address the questions by typing your responses below the question box/table.
Brevity and succinctness are key drivers for the assignment in maintaining a minimum of 200- word count and a maximum of 500-word count in addressing each of the questions of inquiry.
Consideration should be given to the weighted rubric items. Cite any evidence sources and include in the reference section in APA 7th ed. format.
1. Explains what reflective practice refers to and application as an advanced nursing professional.
2. Discuss what you have learned from completing the Reflective Practice Self-Assessment Quiz about the ways that you use reflection. Were there any ‘aha moments or opportunities? Explain.
3. Using Benner’s Stages of Clinical Competence – Novice-to-Expert theory, identify your (1) present stage as a nursing professional and anticipated stage as a new DNP-prepared graduate. Share two ways to cultivate professional growth and development using reflective practice.
4. Drawing on a brief reflective account of a practice-related event, activity, or experience. Describe how this event, activity, or experience resulted in a change or improvement in your practice. (Include only non-identifiable information).
5. Reflecting on your current knowledge and skills, identify two clinical goals you aim
to achieve this term that will inform your role as a DNP graduate
6. Work-product is organized and uses the Reflective Self-Appraisal Activity Template. Responses are succinct, coherent, and professional demonstrating doctoral-level work constructed with proper grammar, punctuation, and full sentences. Evidence sources are cited/referenced in APA 7th ed. formatting. Remains within 350-500 words.
