Reinvigorating the Gibbs Model of Reflection: An Innovative Method for Nurses in 2024
The Gibbs Model of reflection or reflective cycle developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988 is a model for professional development that has been widely adopted by practitioners, especially in the area of nursing. This six-stage framework helps an individual to step through a process of analysis, learning and planning for change. The rapidly changing environment of healthcare requires constant reassessment of the models in use to ensure that they meet the needs of the nurses as they are.
This article discusses the various possibilities for further development of the Gibbs Model in 2024, based on modern trends in healthcare and nurses’ specific educational requirements. Each stage of the model will be discussed with suggested changes and additional factors that find application in British settings related to nursing.
Improving the Setting for Contemporary Nursing Practice.
1. Description: Putting the Experience into Perspective.
Original Focus: The actual situation as it is.
Updated Approach: Use the context outside the experience. This might include factors such as team cohesion, resource constraints, and patient population. A British nurse might also be mindful of the NICE policies and other guidelines that might specifically apply to the situation.
Example:
Original: I was attending to a post-operative patient who had pain. I administered the prescribed pain reliever.
Updated: I was looking after a 72-year-old male patient Mr Jones on a busy ward with few nurses deputizing for absent colleagues. Mr Jones took opioids as prescribed by NICE guidelines but complained of persistent pain.
2. Feelings: The Effect of Media Portrayal on Emotions.
Original Focus: Emotional response to the experience is acknowledged.
Updated Approach: Remind students to explore these feelings more thoroughly. Nurses should reflect on how their emotions could influence their actions or communication with patients.
Example:
Original: It frustrated me that the pain medication wasn’t helping Mr. Jones.
Updated: Thinking that Mr Jones would continue to suffer made me doubt the medication’s efficiency. Which in turn made it difficult to recommend other pain management methods asserting that I might be contradicting the doctor’s prescriptions.
3. Evaluation: Becoming Ethnographically Grounded.
Original Focus: Assesses the outcome of particular actions.
Updated Approach: Broaden the evaluation to also reflect alternative courses of action and possible results. Nurses could think about what they have done right or not right when responding to the patient, the doctor, or their fellow nurses.
Example:
Original: I was uncertain whether more than the recommended dose of pain medicine was appropriate.
Updated: It was also tempting to reach for the additional medication right away but many times the question remained whether taking more of the same drug would solve the problem since Mr. Jones already reacted to the first dose. It is possible to assume that another solution to the problem would have been to try some other pain relievers instead, or at least to ask the doctor about switching medication. Another option that they could have considered is seeking the advice of Mr. Jones to know more about his pain experience.
4. Analysis: Re-coupling the Self with Evidence: Reflection as Informational Practice.
Original Focus: Defines the background events that led to the experience.
Updated Approach: This practice can help learners to think of theories, research, and best practices in nursing. For British nurses, this might include referring to NICE guidelines or policy frameworks which might have been implemented nationally.
Example:
Original: I had to authoritatively refer Mr. Jones to the doctor and request his medication.
Updated: After retrospection I was able to realize that the first method might not have been the best in terms of achieving the desired results. It may have been more effective to incorporate a fuller pain assessment given the recent NICE guidance to assess post-operative pain management. Considering that there are best practices for managing pain at the national level, it is possible that involving the senior nurse or the doctor in the conversation about the child’s preference for alternative pain management strategies could have changed the situation.
In a Nutshell: Developing a Personal Learning Strategy.
Original Focus: Recounts the main takeaways from the experience.
Updated Approach: Stress the importance of a personal learning plan based on the identified areas for improvement.
Example:
Original: I obtained the knowledge of how to interact with patients and physicians when managing pain.
Updated: During this placement, I understood the importance of improving my pain assessment. And learning about evidence-based pain management approaches that are recommended in the NICE guidelines. I intend to attend a comprehensive pain assessment training course offered by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Consult the doctor during the next ward round on possible adaptations to Mr Jones’ pain management plan. Or in assessments avail Nursing assignment helpers in UK for optimum results instantly.
Action Plan: Guaranteeing Meaningful Change.
Original Focus: Describes specific steps that are to be implements to enhance future practice.
