Reflective Practice for Healthcare Professionals, Essay Example

Entering upon reflection as to my learning experiences at the Dublin Business School (DBS), I must first identify the specific stimulus to be reflected upon. As the programme involves multiple courses, I may focus on one these, but the reality is that several have been marked by similarities in the learning processes for me. This being the case, I believe that exploring the experiences of writing skills and business communication courses will combine to reinforce the most important elements of the learning. No stimulus is valuable unless it is effectively useful to the student (Tharby), whether as educational or as a source for reflection. Consequently, it seems that comparing the realities of the two specifics will work to expand my reflection in general and assist me in understanding the strengths, issues, and processes of learning in each.

To begin with, serious reflection requires that I examine my feelings before I took these courses and as I worked within them. More exactly, it is more than likely that my success or lack of it relied on how I personally felt about each form of learning, and because our emotional states always affect the levels of commitment we make. In retrospect, I believe that I was both over-confident and apprehensive as I approached the learning. In plain terms, English is a complex language to master for the non-native speaker, just as business writing is an English genre with demands all its own. This I knew, but I believed that my intelligence would rise to the occasions, and I also was confident because I trusted to DBS as providing learning to lessen any difficulties for non-English students. At the same time, however, I know I was also intimidated, mainly because I wanted to excel and I could not know just how challenging these course would be for me. These feelings also remained in place for much of the programme, and because each achievement only led to further ones, and the combination of confidence and anxiety carried through. However, I do not regret these feelings at all. I think that they worked together to generate more motivation, even when the learning or assignments were difficult and anxiety dominated my feelings.

As to the writing and business communication learning itself, I confess to being conflicted regarding their specific values. On one level, the education was professional and obviously developed with thought, as well as with an understanding that different students take in learning in different ways. I found that, no matter the challenge facing me, I could be assured of assistance as long as my motive to do well was clear. I did expect this, given the standing of DBS, but it was still an impressive and very helpful reality. Then, and going to basic education, I know that my understanding of English expression in general, and of business communication in particular, greatly increased. A major benefit, in fact, was in how the former course served as a platform for the latter. As to the conflict, I must admit that this was and is likely based on my having deep-seated problems with specifics of English usage itself. I realized, during the programme, that I was there to gain this knowledge, but the content itself often struck me as being less than perfectly created. I do believe that English can be an exciting language, but it was difficult for me to move beyond fundamental issues of construction, etc.

I realize, of course, that my evaluation here is not reflective of any flaw in the instruction. I am also aware that anyone entering into English in this way is likely to have a bias in place, because we are naturally more comfortable with the expression we know, and consequently see it as more correct. This in turn leads me to wonder if this is not a reality in any education in which another language is learned, and because language is so personally experienced by us. As improving my English, both in business and in social ways, is important to me, it still “feels like” something removed from me, rather than as any natural expression. My hope is that this will change over time. Also, this same issue I describe is less important to me in terms of business communication. That is learning which struck me as so structured, I was better able to master it.  It is in fact interesting to me that the greater formality of business English, even as some personal elements are applied, is easier to learn than “casual” usage. I then reflect that, again, the intensely personal aspect of language is responsible for this difference, in reality for many or only in my own experience.

As is obvious, all reflection involves some analysis, and it is not easy to know where general reflection ends and focused analysis begins. More exactly, it is difficult to truly understand how my own views and abilities interacted with the learning experience, as well as my personal circumstances at the time. We are all greatly affected by how we deal with living, every day, just as age and situations must affect how we perceive any experience. For example, and returning to my sense of business communication, I actually welcomed this instruction because it asked only that I learn structure and the best means of relating in business contexts. There was a kind of mathematical quality to it and this reduced my anxiety because I saw the tasks as problems to be solved.  In business communication, it does happen that there is no single “right or wrong” approach, but the basic structure remains in place and acts as a guide to be learned. With English in general, I must admit that the personal factor of it created issues for me. This will likely be the case for some time. The challenge exists because, I think, we are constantly trying to adapt expression that is not well known to us to relate thinking and feeling, and these are usually expressed “without thinking.” Gaining skill in another language is then problematic on many levels. Analysing this today, I do wish that I had more appreciated the reality of the situation. This would have encouraged me to make greater effort, I believe. As I am sure many language instructors know, students may be extremely intelligent, but any inability to express themselves in a language with which they are not completely comfortable undermines the intelligence.  Even this, however, I see as a positive result of the courses’ experience. In spite of the challenges, I was led to consider other elements of learning and how we behave in general, and I think this is a critical part of any specific education.

In general terms, my reflection leads me to what I think of as an inevitable conclusion. That is, I do not believe there is any way of knowing learning processes as existing apart from the nature and life of the student. I saw this in others, as well as myself. In every assignment or interaction, we translate what we are told through all the experiences, ideas, and values we have developed as individuals. This then leads to an endless range of learning itself. The student sharing my class may have a more receptive mind and character, and then be more involved in the processes of the specific learning and gain more from it. As this happens my own background and thinking, in hypothetical terms, may limit what I take in even as I believe that I am fully committed to learning. All of this then makes me consider that even the best teacher or instruction may only achieve what the student allows. I realize that this is not original thinking but I also believe that it is a reality students themselves need to understand. In a sense, we all enable our own limitations as we rely on what we have known to evaluate what is new. This is as true of English study as it is of philosophy or the sciences. I then think that some attention to this, which would empower greater learning, should be made in all education as it begins. Learning itself, and at any level, is a kind of interactive process existing internally. As the new scenario is taken in and knowledge is gained, the student also “learns” how they actually process information under different circumstances and how they assign specific value to it (Taylor).  That at least is the emphasis I believe would be valuable as programmes begin.

In specific regard to myself, I have definitely learned that, for better or worse, conflict will usually be in place as I learn. It is not extreme conflict and it is in place mainly in how my mind “wrestles with” what is set in front of me. My nature seems to go to questioning, however, and even when the material is not meant to invite debate at all. I believe I should work on my willingness to accept certain instruction as only going to norms and realities in the specific fields I study. In other words, the accepting attitude I had toward business communication would serve me in general English learning, if I can only learn as well to value it for itself, and for how my accepting of its rules and usage will work to my advantage. I certainly feel that I gained a great deal from the DBS programme, and much of this is owed to the quality of the instruction. At the same time, I also see that the challenges I faced were often only of my own making, intentional or otherwise.

It is then clear that the above goes to my personal action plan, and I should mention that this extends beyond strictly academic efforts.  Most importantly, I believe I have learned that nothing is as meaningful as how I actually approach it. As noted, I had personal conflict to a degree regarding these courses, and this was due to my lack of focus early on. By that I mean, focus on understanding my own ambitions, abilities, and a better sense of the work ahead of me. This is a point of view I hope to use in everything I do, and because internal awareness and preparation is the best way of promoting success in any effort. I also believe that this initial focus, applied correctly, will save me from engaging in what is not right for me, and in terms of education, career, and personal matters.

Works Cited

Taylor, Beverley J. Reflective Practice For Healthcare Professionals: A Practical Guide, 3^rd Ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press, 2010. Print.

Tharby, Andy. “4 ways to use a stimulus to develop thinking.” Reflecting English. 6 Nov. 2013. Web. Nov. 2015. <https://reflectingenglish.wordpress.com/2013/11/06/4-ways-to-use-astimulus-to-develop-thinking/>