Post- pandemic: using reflective practice as a learning tool
Many people are looking forward to post-pandemic life and wanting to get on with their professional practice as they have always known it. However, there is an acknowledgment that we simply cannot jump back into the water and begin moving through our world again using our pre-pandemic ways of thinking, working and living. I suggest this is an opportune time to use reflective practice as a powerful learning tool to enhance one’s personal and professional learning as we move forward out of the pandemic. The pandemic has woken us up, shaken us, rattled us, taken us out of our comfort zones and even saved us from monotony and predictability. The pandemic shone a spotlight on many aspects of our work. It provided recognition and validation for people whose work was often unknown or misunderstood. While it has been a challenging time, I believe people want this pandemic to bring some meaningful transformation for themselves and with that there is enthusiasm for new learning that could lead to positive changes. People are now in a unique position to redefine what it is they really do and to assess what is most important and what they value about their professional practice.
We know that learning from one’s experience is critical and without the ability to be reflective and monitor and evaluate ourselves there is a fear that we will continue to work in the same ways as we did prior to the pandemic. Reflective practice can assist people to identify what aspects of your work you want to maintain and enhance and what you need to change and let go of as we move out of the pandemic. Reflective practice is evidence based; it is empowering. It’s about your own learning that continues as you are immersed in your work. Reflective practice helps to uncover one’s professional work, analyze it, examine it, evaluate it and determine if it is effective, ethical and safe. It’s about educating your self through acknowledgment of your wisdom and intuitive ways of working.
Reflective practice encourages individuals to connect more personally to their work. Who we are is intertwined within our professional work; it is really impossible to separate our professional and personal self particularly now that Covid has merged our home and work lives. Reflective practice helps us to integrate our sense of self into our professions, highlighting our uniqueness as individuals and what we bring to our work. I believe that reflective practice can help to create a new perspective and personal connection and passion for our life’s work.
Please contact me to learn more about how reflective practice can support your ongoing learning.
Cathy New BScN MAEd CCF