Assessment Task 2: Reflective Essay Using Driscoll’s Model of Reflection

Course Code: NURS2005

Course Name: Foundations of Reflective Practice in Nursing

Assessment Type: Individual Reflective Essay

Word Limit: 1,500 words (excluding references)

Weighting: 40%

Due Date: Week 8, Friday 5:00 PM (submit via LMS)

Learning Outcomes Assessed: LO2: Apply reflective models to analyse clinical experiences; LO3: Demonstrate self-awareness in professional nursing practice.

Assessment Description

Reflect on a specific clinical experience from your recent placement or simulation using Driscoll’s Model of Reflection (2007). This three-stage model—what?, so what?, now what?—helps you systematically examine your actions, feelings, and future improvements in nursing practice. Choose an incident involving patient care, teamwork, or ethical decision-making. Structure your essay to address each stage explicitly, drawing on nursing theory and evidence to support your analysis.

Task Requirements

• Introduction (150-200 words): Briefly describe the incident and outline the structure using Driscoll’s model.
• Body:
  1. What? (400-500 words): Describe the event, your role, key actions, and involved parties.
  2. So What? (400-500 words): Explore your feelings, responses, influences, and links to others’ reactions.
  3. Now What? (400-500 words): Identify learnings, alternative actions, and plans for future practice.
• Conclusion (150-200 words): Summarise insights and professional growth.

Incorporate at least 8 scholarly references (APA 7th edition). Use first-person voice. Maintain confidentiality using pseudonyms.

Marking Rubric

Research Study Bay Notes

During my placement in the emergency department, I assisted in caring for a 65-year-old patient admitted with chest pain. I took vital signs and prepared an IV line while the team assessed for myocardial infarction. My role involved monitoring oxygen saturation, which dropped to 92%, prompting me to alert the nurse. Another student nurse was present, observing quietly. The experience felt intense yet rewarding as we stabilised the patient quickly.

In that moment, anxiety gripped me because I worried my inexperience might delay care. I responded by double-checking readings and communicating promptly, driven by my prior simulation training. Reflecting now, I feel more confident, though initially my actions clashed with my fear of errors. The senior nurse appeared calm and praised my initiative, which validated my efforts and highlighted teamwork’s role.

This reflection reveals gaps in my confidence under pressure, which better communication protocols could address. Next time, I would verbalise concerns earlier to involve the team sooner. To prepare, I plan to review advanced cardiac assessments and seek mentorship. What went wrong before was hesitation; now, I commit to assertive practice (Driscoll, J. (2007). Practising clinical supervision: A reflective approach for healthcare professionals. Elsevier).

A 2022 study in the Journal of Advanced Nursing examined Driscoll’s model in acute care settings, finding it improved nurses’ emotional regulation by 25% after repeated use. Participants in a UK hospital trial reported clearer identification of bias in high-stress scenarios, such as the one described. This aligns with my experience, where initial anxiety clouded judgment until debriefed.

Students often overlook linking reflections to regulatory standards like the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s code, assuming personal insight suffices. Compare Driscoll’s simplicity to Gibbs’ six-stage cycle, which adds evaluation but demands more time—ideal for complex cases yet less practical in fast-paced placements. In Australia, NMBA guidelines emphasise such reflections for registration, so integrate them explicitly to meet competencies.

References

1. Driscoll, J. (2007). Practising clinical supervision: A reflective approach for healthcare professionals. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470680608.ch12
2. Bullock, I., & Manias, E. (2018). Reflective practice in nursing. Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119261193
3. Ng, L., Tuckett, A., & Eley, R. (2021). Driscoll’s what model of reflection applied in an acute care placement. Nurse Education in Practice, 50, 102956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2020.102956
4. Thompson, S., & Thompson, N. (2023). The critically reflective practitioner. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31733-0
5. Husebø, S. E., O’Regan, S., & Nestel, D. (2015). Reflective practice and its role in simulation. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 11(8), 368-375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2015.04.005
6. Guide to Driscoll’s What So What Now What Nursing Reflection
7. Using Driscoll Model for Clinical Incident Analysis
8. Write a 1,500-word reflective essay using Driscoll’s model on a nursing placement incident, structured as What, So What, Now What with APA references.
9. Submit a 5-6 page essay applying Driscoll’s reflection to clinical experience, including rubric and sample for NURS2005.
10. Reflect on nursing incident with Driscoll’s model: 1,500 words, rubric, samples included.

Assessment: Assessment Task 3 – Gibbs Reflective Cycle Case Study

Course Code: NURS2005 | Due: Week 11 | Word Limit: 2,000 words | Weight: 30%.

Analyse a provided case study on patient handover errors using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (1988). Describe the situation, evaluate outcomes, and propose multidisciplinary improvements. Include 10 references, focus on safety protocols, and peer-review simulation data. Rubric emphasises critical analysis and NMBA standards alignment.

1. Week 10 Discussion Post: Post 400 words on “Compare Driscoll and Kolb models in nursing education” with two peer replies (150 words each).

2. Assessment Task 4 (Week 13): 2,500-word portfolio of three reflections from placements, using multiple models.

3. Final Benchmark: 3,000-word research essay on “Efficacy of reflective models in reducing nursing errors,” with meta-analysis.