Were you aware that reflection is something pathologists do all the time?

Like any habit, you will find that reflection can be such a subconscious activity that it can be hard to bring it to conscious awareness in order to capture it or write it down – for appraisal or any other reason. It can be difficult for you to record your reflection in a way that feels as natural as the fact of reflection itself.

Another difficulty you may find is the feeling that you have to record all your reflections – which feels like having to record every thought about patient care and practice that you have every day. This would clearly be disproportionate and unrealistic.

You can write a reflective note on anything where you learned something related to your job, for example, internet research, reading an article or discussing something with a colleague. Documented reflection should be brief and to the point as far as possible, capturing the key learning points which have influenced, or will influence, a pathologist’s practice. Thinking about any changes which can be made as a result of this reflection can be recorded in bullet points, a couple of sentences, or a short paragraph. You should not include sensitive or confidential information when writing reflective notes.

Please find more information about reflection from the GMC here.

You can claim 1 CPD credit per reflective note, up to a maximum of 50 credits per year and this should be entered via your online CPD portfolio.   

Please check out our handy guide to help you claim your CPD credits.  

 

If you have any queries please email: [email protected].