The impact of reflective practice on the development of nursing undergraduate students
Abstract Background Empathy and compassionate care are essential competencies for nursing students in their interactions with patients. Reflective practice, which entails contemplating and drawing lessons from past experiences, has the potential to enhance these qualities. This study aims to investi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07490-3 |
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| author | Qing Yang Wei Zou |
| author_facet | Qing Yang Wei Zou |
| author_sort | Qing Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Empathy and compassionate care are essential competencies for nursing students in their interactions with patients. Reflective practice, which entails contemplating and drawing lessons from past experiences, has the potential to enhance these qualities. This study aims to investigate the influence of reflective practice on the cultivation of empathy and compassion among nursing students. Methods This retrospective study targeted undergraduate nursing interns who had been employed for less than six months and lacked prior clinical work experience. The research group underwent training in reflection-based practice. Following the implementation of this practice, assessments were conducted to measure the participants’ reflective practice ability, compassion, caring behaviors, and empathy skills. Results Compared to the non-reflective practice group, the reflective practice group exhibited higher scores in terms of understanding, patience, perseverance, openness to adopting new ideas, emotional nursing skills, and empathy after the training. Additionally, the reflective practice group demonstrated greater compassion. Conclusion This retrospective study underscores the substantial impact of reflective practice on the development of empathy and compassion among undergraduate nursing students. Clinical trial number Not applicable. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7b4df75a7eda4e2cb81e758e3c1ae757 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-7b4df75a7eda4e2cb81e758e3c1ae7572025-08-20T03:45:30ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202025-07-012511910.1186/s12909-025-07490-3The impact of reflective practice on the development of nursing undergraduate studentsQing Yang0Wei Zou1Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityAbstract Background Empathy and compassionate care are essential competencies for nursing students in their interactions with patients. Reflective practice, which entails contemplating and drawing lessons from past experiences, has the potential to enhance these qualities. This study aims to investigate the influence of reflective practice on the cultivation of empathy and compassion among nursing students. Methods This retrospective study targeted undergraduate nursing interns who had been employed for less than six months and lacked prior clinical work experience. The research group underwent training in reflection-based practice. Following the implementation of this practice, assessments were conducted to measure the participants’ reflective practice ability, compassion, caring behaviors, and empathy skills. Results Compared to the non-reflective practice group, the reflective practice group exhibited higher scores in terms of understanding, patience, perseverance, openness to adopting new ideas, emotional nursing skills, and empathy after the training. Additionally, the reflective practice group demonstrated greater compassion. Conclusion This retrospective study underscores the substantial impact of reflective practice on the development of empathy and compassion among undergraduate nursing students. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07490-3Reflective practiceEmpathyCompassionNursing undergraduate students |
| spellingShingle | Qing Yang Wei Zou The impact of reflective practice on the development of nursing undergraduate students BMC Medical Education Reflective practice Empathy Compassion Nursing undergraduate students |
| title | The impact of reflective practice on the development of nursing undergraduate students |
| title_full | The impact of reflective practice on the development of nursing undergraduate students |
| title_fullStr | The impact of reflective practice on the development of nursing undergraduate students |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of reflective practice on the development of nursing undergraduate students |
| title_short | The impact of reflective practice on the development of nursing undergraduate students |
| title_sort | impact of reflective practice on the development of nursing undergraduate students |
| topic | Reflective practice Empathy Compassion Nursing undergraduate students |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07490-3 |
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