Reflective practice for paramedics: a new approach

When reflecting on my own teaching and teaching strategies as a clinical tutor, by far my preferred reflective model is Gibbs' (1998). I like its ease of use and multifaceted approach to reflection. However, from a clinical practice point of view, I find that as Gibbs (as with many reflective models) doesn't necessarily demand that the reflecting clinician or student refer to literature and academia in order to compare their practice against empirical evidence, inexperienced reflecting persons may not do so. I have observed this tenancy particularly among those who have been trained vocationally rather than academically and so have not, in essence, been taught to reflect. Neglecting to refer to evidence when reflecting as clinical development activity appears to me to be a missed opportunity to embrace evidence-based practice and personal development.

As a paramedic, I value reflection highly as a way of building on my own development, and is a key tool for discovering information which you may previously have had little or no awareness of. However, this opportunity is reliant upon referral to contemporary evidence and literature. I wanted to build a model which directs the reflecting clinician to refer to literature to develop a deeper understanding of their actions, their patients and themselves. My aim was to guide clinicians into discovering what else is out there that could develop their own individual practice, and possibly practice on a wider scale. I chose a question-based format, as I thought this approach was unambiguous and direct, which would be particularly useful for those who are unfamiliar with the concept of reflection.