Reflective practice examples

A dental nurse reflects on supporting a patient with severe anxiety using Gibbs' Reflective Cycle, exploring reassurance, communication and future adjustments.

A district nurse reflects on a difficult lone-working visit with the ERA cycle, exploring personal safety, escalation and changes to future community practice.

A doctor reflects on breaking bad news with Gibbs' Reflective Cycle, examining the family's response and a more compassionate approach for next time.

A junior doctor reflects on a difficult family conversation using Driscoll's model, examining treatment escalation and a clearer approach for next time.

A doctor reflects on a missed diagnosis using Kolb's learning cycle, examining anchoring bias, safety-netting and changes to future diagnostic practice.

A health visitor reflects on a family declining home visits with Driscoll's model, exploring engagement, safeguarding judgement and a different next approach.

A healthcare assistant reflects on raising a concern about a colleague using the ERA cycle, exploring professional courage, safety and a constructive next step.

A mental health nurse reflects on de-escalating a distressed patient using the ERA cycle, examining communication, safety and actions for future ward practice.

A midwife reflects on postpartum haemorrhage with Gibbs' Reflective Cycle, exploring escalation, team coordination and learning for safer maternity care.

A midwife reflects on making a safeguarding referral with the ERA cycle, showing how antenatal observations informed action, learning and future practice.

A midwife practice supervisor reflects on a struggling student with Kolb's learning cycle, exploring curiosity, hidden trauma and better supervision.

A nurse reflects on critical appraisal feedback using the ERA cycle, turning a conversation about communication under pressure into a development plan.

A nurse reflects on escalating care for a deteriorating patient with Driscoll's model, examining clinical intuition, structured communication and next steps.

A nurse reflects on a near-miss medication error using Gibbs' Reflective Cycle, exploring the learning and safer checks that should shape future practice.

A nursing associate reflects on providing end-of-life care for the first time with Gibbs' cycle, exploring presence, personal care and family support.

An operating department practitioner reflects on a wrong-site surgery near miss with Driscoll's model, examining safety checks and actions for theatre practice.

An occupational therapist reflects on applying a CPD course to practice using Kolb's learning cycle, testing how goal-setting changed conversations in clinic.

A paramedic reflects on an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with Gibbs' Reflective Cycle, examining team leadership, emotional impact and emergency practice.

A paramedic reflects on a non-conveyance decision using Kolb's learning cycle, examining clinical reasoning, shared decisions and safer practice at home.

A paramedic reflects on a teamwork breakdown during a multi-agency emergency using Driscoll's model, identifying communication lessons for the next response.

A pharmacist reflects on a patient complaint about a dispensing delay using Kolb's learning cycle, turning the encounter into practical service improvement.

A physiotherapist reflects on a challenging shift handover using the ERA cycle, examining lost mobility information and actions to improve team communication.

A podiatrist reflects on a deteriorating diabetic foot with Kolb's learning cycle, examining risk recognition, referral and future changes to practice.

A practice nurse reflects on an immunisation error with the ERA cycle, examining what happened, patient communication and safer checks for future clinics.

A diagnostic radiographer reflects on querying an imaging request with Driscoll's model, examining patient safety, escalation and future confidence.

A speech and language therapist reflects on declined swallowing recommendations with Kolb's cycle, exploring consent, communication and future advice.

A healthcare student reflects on a first placement with Gibbs' Reflective Cycle, exploring anxiety, supernumerary status and learning to ask questions.

A student nurse reflects on the death of a patient during placement using Driscoll's model, exploring emotional impact, support and professional learning.