Reflective writing

Closely related to journaling and expressive writing, reflective writing is a practice in which the writer describes a real or imaginal scene, event, interaction, passing thought, memory, or observation in either essay or poetic form, adding a personal “reflection” on the meaning of the item or incident, thought, feeling, emotion, or situation in his or her life. Many reflective writers keep in mind guiding questions, such as “What did I notice?” “How was I changed by this?” or “What might I have done differently?”

Thus, the focus is on writing that is not merely descriptive. The writer doesn’t just hit the replay button; rather, he or she revisits the scene to note details and emotions, reflect on meaning, examine what went well or revealed a need for additional learning, and relate what transpired to the rest of life.

While anyone can use reflective writing for personal development, the practice is often incorporated into professionalism training for physicians, nurses, teachers, social workers, and others who are in the process of developing understanding of self and others in order to offer more humane and compassionate service to their patients or clients. The underlying assumption is that through the experience of telling and listening to stories, the student becomes more attuned to noticing, listening to, recording, and responding to the stories of patients and colleagues in the years ahead.

Through the longitudinal practice of reflective writing comes recognition that perspectives grow and change. A vector develops: the stories are going somewhere, or they’re stuck. Viewed this way, even bad days aren’t so awful; the writer becomes curious about what comes next. The mindful, reflective stance that develops in clinical training can subsequently be helpful and healing when modeled for patients or clients.

It is important to note that reflective writing asks the practitioner to not only pull back the lens and observe events, human interactions, and perspectives in the field of study, but also become more conscious of his/her emotional responses to situations encountered in training and practice, find metaphors for experiences, and contextualize observations. When reflective writing is shared in classes and groups, careful listening and provision of responsible, sensitive feedback to fellow students and practitioners is encouraged.

[Bolton G. "Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development". London: Paul Chapman Publishers; 2001.] [Ellison G. "Reflective Writing in Medical Education". www.gailellison.com.] [Roy R. Teaching cultural sensitivity through literature and reflective writing."Virtual Mentor". 2007;9(8):543-546.] [Shapiro J, Kasman D, Shafer A. Words and wards: a model of reflective writing and its uses in medical education. "J Med Humanit". 2006;227:231-244. ]

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