Learning Objective #1: Understand the conflicting demands of nursing education, from the student perspective, that necessitate a focus on renewal in order to maximize learning and growth

Learning Objective #2: Understand the potential of reflective practice to meet the growth and renewal needs of nurses at all levels of development

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One of the most challenging aspects of nursing education from the student perspective is managing the rapid change inherent to brief periods of patient care, inconsistent patient assignments, and changes in faculty and patient population with clinical rotations. This challenge is magnified by accelerated and combined degree tracks. While there is certainly value for the student in becoming accustomed to change and its influence on nursing practice, there are other aspects of nursing thought of as universal to practice in any environment, and while these consistent elements are not static, they are regarded as being ever-present. These competing demands present an experiential contradiction to the nursing student that can be difficult to reconcile, making personal and professional renewal through introspection a vital activity for nursing students as well as established professionals.

The physical skills of nursing (e.g. sterile technique) are a consistent aspect of practice easily reinforced through repetition despite other changes in the educational environment, but what of the less tangible parts of a student's practice like philosophy of nursing practice, client/practitioner dynamics, personal feelings and emotions in the caring moment, and the realization of ideal practice? These ever-present elements of nursing are sometimes thought to only develop over many years, will somehow develop themselves, or are sacrificed for technical instruction all together. This presentation will propose reflective practice as a solution to the competing demands of nursing education, offering the potential for rapid personal and professional growth and renewal through structured reflection on clinical experiences; and enhancement of the technical, professional, and interpersonal skills of the student nurse. The flexibility of reflective practice, and its power to clarify the complexities of values and feelings at play in the caring moment, will by exemplified by student reflective practice journal entries based on Christopher Johns' reflective practice model.