Nursing Reflective Essay: Examples and Guide for Students

Nursing Reflective Essay: Examples and Guide for Students

Are you a nursing student? Then, you will definitely have an assignment to compose a nursing reflective essay. This task might be quite tough and challenging. But don’t stress out! Our professionals are willing to assist you.

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First and foremost, let’s figure out what’s reflective writing. In a few words, such essays are based on your experiences, feelings, views on something, etc. For nursing students, reflective papers help to practice their skills and expand their knowledge.

In case you are wondering how to write a nursing reflective essay, you are on the right page. This article will provide you with the most insightful tips that will help you write an outstanding paper. Also, look through our page to find practical nursing reflective essay examples.

Analytical vs. Reflective Nursing Essay

Basically, nursing essays can be divided into different types.

The most common ones are analytical and reflective essays. These two styles are the most suitable for nursing papers. They either argue a particular perspective (analytical) or base the narration on previous experiences (reflective).

This focus is what differentiates one type of essay from another, as both analytical and reflective nursing essays can be quite similar stylistically.

Nursing: Analytical Essay

Speaking of structural parts, the basic outline for an analytical essay on nursing can look like this:

Introduction. The introduction is your first paragraph, which usually consists of two parts. First, you have to capture the reader’s attention. Then, you aim to create a clear thesis statement to demonstrate your position.
Providing evidence. Each of your arguments should have at least one piece of evidence. If you have more to share, it’s even better. However, you have to keep the word count in mind. So, make strong points to keep your essay concise.
Practical use of evidence. There’s no point in providing evidence that wouldn’t have any real use in practice.
The judgment of evidence. Here, you’ll demonstrate your critical thinking abilities. Prove that your evidence is indeed strong and valid. 
Conclusion. First, summarize what’s been said in your essay. Then give your own opinion on it.

✒️ Nursing: Reflective Essay

A reflective nursing essay usually consists of the following elements:

Introduction. It explains the whole purpose of the essay and tells readers what to expect. The most crucial part of the introduction is the thesis statement. Usually, it’s the last sentence of the intro. Your thesis should be concise and clearly reflect your position. 
Description of the situation. Since a reflective essay is based on previous experiences, describing those events is the core part of the paper. Again, this section should contain only the most important and valuable details.
Sharing of personal feelings. The section demonstrates how you react to situations and how you’re able to gain control over those emotions.
Evaluation of experience. This part is a summary of what skills and knowledge did you get from experience.
Reflection and opportunities for learning. The part is closely connected to the previous one. While previously you were just giving a summary, here you’ll describe what this situation made you understand. Also, elaborate on your future path of self-development.
Conclusion. This one is simple. Just summarize all the information you discussed in your essay.

What is a reflective essay.

Writing a Reflective Essay on Nursing: Guide

Creating a nursing reflection essay is a long and challenging journey that requires total concentration on a task. That’s why it is essential to turn your “study mode” on and devote yourself to the essay writing process.

No doubts, you might get too overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to get done. But don’t worry! We know how to avoid anxiety. Just follow out tips and write an outstanding nursing reflection paper!

Remove the Distractions

Yes, it’s as simple as that. Ironically, most of the major problems usually happen at this initial stage. So, you just need to know how to overcome them right away.

Turn all the gadgets off (yes, even your cell phone).
Make sure to get rid of anything around you that could potentially catch your attention and distract you from writing.
Get earplugs if necessary.

Then, get in your “study mood.”

Go through all your pre-game rituals — visit the bathroom, eat, drink, meditate, etc.
Get fun out of the way. Dedicate some time for yourself so that you won’t have the temptation later.
Prepare the essentials — open your notebook or create a Word document and make sure you have all the necessary notes and resources ready.

Research

After you create perfect conditions, make another significant step to start writing. Research is an essential part of any academic work, even if you’re telling your personal story.

Here’s where you can start your search for brilliant ideas:

your college library;
your course readings;
scholar.google.com;
online nursing journal articles;

And no matter what topic you’re going to discuss, don’t forget that most nursing essays use a similar pattern: