Humour in reflective practice

Reflective practice simplifies an incident by segmenting it with the goal of gaining a new perspective. In this comment, the use of humour in paramedic practice is reflected upon through the use of a patient scenario, examined through the lens of the Driscoll (1994) model of reflection. Humour in health care can be controversial—and also rewarding.

Several models can be used in health care to assist reflective practice. Some examples include the Johns Model (2004), The Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988), and Driscoll's ‘The What?’ Reflective Model (1994).

Cyclic models such as Johns (2004) and Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988) often too easily push the participant into a retrospective process and since the purpose of reflection is to improve future practice, equal consideration should be distributed to previous and future actions (Forrest, 2008). Heavily structured models such as these can often be found to be restrictive, confining the natural process of reflection.