Reflective practice groups in a mental health inpatient setting
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Reflective practice groups in a mental health inpatient setting

Kelly Fenton Clinical psychologist, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, England
Katherine Kidd Trainee clinical psychologist, University of Leicester, England

Background Reflective practice is vital to be a competent healthcare practitioner: reflective writing is mandatory for nurses’ professional revalidation.

Aim To explore the experiences of nursing staff in a mental rehabilitation service taking part in reflective practice groups (RPGs).

Method Nine staff members were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. Interviews were transcribed using thematic analysis.

Findings Six themes were identified: emotional benefits of the group; new perspectives and knowledge; relationships are affected by the groups; factors affecting variability of group usefulness; barriers to group usefulness; and group structure.

Conclusion Reflective practice was valued by the nursing team and led to some positive changes in practice. This initial evaluation should be used to inform a larger research project looking at RPGs in more detail.

Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2019.e1333

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

kelly.fenton@leicspart.nhs.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Fenton K, Kidd K (2019) Reflective practice groups in a mental health inpatient setting. Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2019.e1333

Published online: 26 March 2019

Want to read more?

Already subscribed? Log in

OR

Unlock full access to RCNi Plus today

Save over 50% on your first 3 months

Your subscription package includes:
  • Unlimited online access to all 10 RCNi Journals and their archives
  • Customisable dashboard featuring 200+ topics
  • RCNi Learning featuring 180+ RCN accredited learning modules
  • RCNi Portfolio to build evidence for revalidation
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
Subscribe
RCN student member? Try Nursing Standard Student

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now

Or