Understanding reflection from the perspective of baccalaureate nursing students

Across the nation, nurse educators are seeking to meet the needs of students with diverse learning characteristics within increasingly complex academic and clinical environments. One teaching-learning strategy that has been used is reflection; however, there is a notable lack of consensus among educators and researchers about the specific nature of reflection. The purpose of this study was to describe reflection from the perspective of baccalaureate nursing students. A review of the literature provided the context for the study, and was organized into four sections: Historical Perspectives, Models and Definitions of Reflection; Reflection in Nursing Practice; Reflection in Nursing Education; and Reflection in Other Disciplines. Using a qualitative descriptive design within a naturalistic paradigm, undergraduate nursing students currently at the junior or senior level in three generic baccalaureate programs were individually interviewed to answer to the question: "What is the nature of reflection for undergraduate nursing students?"