The use of reflection and inquiry in an online clinical post-conference

Abstract

An important goal of nursing education is to produce graduates who are problem solvers and competent clinical practitioners able to practice in a very complicated health care environment; reflection and inquiry are two ways to accomplish this goal. This qualitative study explored how eight senior baccalaureate nursing students developed in their ability to utilize reflection and inquiry at higher stages over time through the use of the online clinical post-conference conducted as an asynchronous discussion board. Transcripts of participant postings were examined weekly to determine the stage of reflection and inquiry displayed and a comparison was done to determine if the stages increased over time. Boud's model of the reflective process and the practical inquiry model of Garrison, Anderson, and Archer provided the theoretical framework for this study.

Findings from this study demonstrated that participants developed in their ability to utilize reflection and inquiry at higher stages over time by engaging in the online clinical post-conference and that the online clinical post-conference was an effective venue that encouraged the use of reflection and inquiry. The social aspect of the online clinical post-conference (reading others' posts, having others read and comment on their posts, and asking each other questions) was seen as promoting learning from peers.

Findings of this study could be used by nurse educators to change their pedagogy to produce nurses who learn from experiences and are lifelong learners. Nurse faculty should consider incorporating the use of reflection, inquiry, and the online clinical post-conference in all clinical courses.