Today reflection is used regularly in nursing education to explore the application of theory to practice Hatlevik (2012) and also to ascertain knowledge arising from practice (Kim 1999). Reflection and thinking skills are commonly embedded as learning outcomes in nursing curricula (NMBI 2015). The ability to reflect and think critically are important skills for student nurses to acquire during their education in order to support effective patient care and evidence-based practice. While Smith (2011) acknowledges the importance of reflection for health and social care professionals including nursing medicine and social workers she adds that the language of critical thinking is difficult and moreover the terms are used interchangeably and can be interpreted differently depending on the context. This extends earlier arguments in the literature about the examination of reflection and critical thinking as isolated concepts (Kuiper and Pesut 2004). These arguments support the observation by Finlay (2008: 2) that ‘reflective practice is both complex and situated’.
