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Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

What is the gibbs' reflective cycle.

The Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle is a Tool that helps professionals Grow and Learn from their past Experiences .

To do this, it proposes to analyze the Situations in which someone wants to Improve.

  • Drawing Conclusions that allow us to do things better in the future.

It consists of  6 Repetitive Steps (a cycle):

  • Description .
  • Evaluation .
  • Conclusion .
  • Action Plan .

This cycle must be repeated until Obtaining the Desired Results .

The Six Steps of Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

1. Description : Describe in detail the Situation in which you want to improve .

  • A Negotiation, A Decision you made, a Discussion with your employees, etc.

2. Feelings : Reflect on How you Felt in that Situation, How you Coped with it.

  • Did you feel Insecure? Did you feel Determined? Did you Hesitate?

3. Evaluation : Evaluate the Experience and its Outcome , Objectively.

  • What Consequences did it have, What worked, What did not, etc.

4. Analysis : Analyze the Reasons that explain the Result of this Situation.

  • Why something worked or didn’t work. Why you Made that Decision, etc.

5. Conclusion : Get the Lessons from this Analysis; How to do things better.

  • What could have been done better? What could be done in a different way?

6. Action Plan : Develop and Implement a Plan to do things better.

  • Applying the Conclusions obtained in this Cycle.

Repeat the Cycle until Reaching the Desired Results .

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle Template

Now, before sharing some examples , we want to explain one important thing:

  • How to use this Cycle .

We know that it can get a bit Confusing (Feelings, Action Plan, etc).

That is why we’ll offer you a Guideline that you can Follow .

  • It can be used for your Personal Analysis or, in Coaching Situations.

How to use the Gibbs Reflective Cycle

Description : Details are important, as is the Context of any Situation.

  • The Place and People Involved.
  • What Interactions happened.

Feelings : They Can give us a Clue as to what we need to Improve .

  • If we feel Insecure, it is usually because we do not know the Subject well enough.
  • What made you feel Uncomfortable?
  • What made you feel Determined?

Evaluation : Here, you should not try to find Reasons , only Facts .

  • What worked, What didn’t work, and under What Circumstances.
  • The Outcome: What happened After the Situation?

Analysis : Now it is the time to find the Whys .

  • Why is the Reason something Worked? The Root Cause.
  • Potential Root causes causing you a Problem.

Conclusions : Time to “Connect the Dots” and obtain Solid Conclusions .

  • What Solid Conclusions have you Obtained?
  • What Could have been done better?

Action Plan : Now, you have to put things into Practice .

  • Set Specific, Measurable, Realistic and Time-Related Goals.
  • Use Objective Metrics.

Let’s see some examples:

Gibbs Reflective Cycle examples

Now, let’s Imagine that you have recently been Promoted to Manager .

You are very happy about it, but you do not feel very Comfortable when you face your employees .

  • Sometimes you have to impose yourself, so that what you say is done.

Also, it is something you would like to Improve on .

That is Why you decided to use Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle .

Let’s see How you use it:

Description - Gibbs Reflective Cycle example

The Situation in which you want to Improve :

  • It is You and your Employees (no matter Who).
  • You are In front of them alone or in a collective meeting.
  • You Want things to be done in a New way.
  • You Tell them how they have to do things from now on .

Feelings - Gibbs Reflective Cycle example

After thinking Carefully about it, you Discover that you Felt :

  • Anxious about Compelling People to do Something.
  • Insecure about you Authority.
  • Determined about the Need of doing the Things in a New Way.

Evaluation - Gibbs Reflective Cycle example

You then Evaluate what happens in these Situations :

  • You Compel your employees to do what you say.
  • They obey you.
  • Those who know you best Respond much better to your Commands .
  • Those who don’t know you are more Reluctant to change .

Analysis - Gibbs Reflective Cycle example

Now, you start thinking about the Whys :

  • This makes you Feel Insecure.
  • They don’t make you Feel Anxious or Insecure .
  • That and , the fact that you are New in the Position .

Conclusion - Gibbs Reflective Cycle example

You Obtain important Conclusions from this Analysis :

  • Or People that don’t know your Skills when making decisions.

This People are Reluctant to “obey” you, and make you Feel Insecure and Anxious.

  • So they will Trust you more.
  • And they will Trust your Authority more.

Action Plan - Gibbs Reflective Cycle example

Finally, you decide to Develop an Action Plan :

  • Starting with those who know you least.
  • Comparing the Previous Results with the Current ones.

You Estimate that you will need 2 months to have met with all your employees.

  • And decide if you need to repeat this Cycle again.

The Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle is a Tool that helps professionals Grow and Learn from their past Experiences.

Consists of 6 Repetitive Steps that must be repeated until getting the desired Results:

  • Description : Describe in detail the Situation in which you want to improve.
  • Feelings : Reflect on How you Felt in that Situation, How you Coped with it.
  • Evaluation : Evaluate the Experience and its Outcome, Objectively.
  • Analysis : Analyze the Reasons that explain the Result of this Situation.
  • Conclusion : Get the Lessons from this Analysis; How to do things better.
  • Action Plan : Develop and Implement a Plan to do things better.
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Gibbs Reflective Cycle Example

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  • Undergraduate 1st
  • Undergraduate 2:1

Critically reflect on an encounter with a service user in a health care setting

This essay aims to critically reflect on an encounter with a service user in a health care setting. The Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle will be used as this is a popular model of reflection. Reflection is associated with learning from experience. It is viewed as an important approach for professionals who embrace lifelong learning (Jasper, 2013). In general terms, reflective practice is the process of learning through and from an experience or activity to gain new understandings of self and/or practice (Bout et al., 1985; Jasper, 2013). This method is viewed as a way of promoting the personal and professional development of qualified and independent professionals, eventually stimulating both personal and professional growth (Jasper, 2013). Dating back to 1988, the Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle encompasses six stages of reflection which enable the reflector to think through all the phases of an activity or experience (Gibbs, 1998). The model is unique because it includes knowledge, actions, emotions and suggests that experiences are repeated, which is different from Kolb’s reflective model (Kolb, 1984) and thus, the model is wider and a more flexible approach in examining a situation in a critical light to enable future changes (Zeichner and Liston, 1996).

1. Description

The incident I will be reflecting on occurred whilst I was placed on the oncology ward during my first year of qualified nursing. We had an elderly service user on the ward, who had been admitted due to stomach cancer. Upon his arrival, we read his notes which highlighted that he had significant learning difficulties, meaning that he also had problems with verbal communication. The main areas of reflection are how both myself and the other nurses used communication to calm the patient and show compassion, as well as how we adapted our care to address their individual needs. A nurse came onto the ward with three members of the public, who were viewing the ward as part of a job advertising process. When the nurse entered the patients bay, she informed the members of the public that the service users in that bay were currently receiving radiotherapy treatment. Upon hearing the nurse’s words, the service user became overtly distressed and began crying, shrieking and hitting his head backwards against his pillow –it took time; however, another nurse managed to calm him down by talking in a soothing manner.

2. Feelings

Prior to the incident occurring, I was mindful that the nurse was showing the three members of the public around the oncology ward, as part of a job advertising process. At the time of the incident, I had only been working on the oncology ward for six months so still felt slightly unsure of my position within the team. Ultimately, I did not feel confident or experienced enough to deal with this situation independently. I think that my increased level of anxiety meant that I struggled to intervene, however it is still clear that both my colleagues and myself should have intervened more quickly to ensure that the patient was dealt with effectively. Moreover, I was very surprised when the nurse failed to take into consideration the individual needs of the service user during the visit of the ward, as the distress caused to both the service user and the members of the public was very unnecessary.

3. Evaluation

In hindsight, the experience had both good and bad elements which have led to an increased understanding of the service user experience and my role as a nurse practitioner within the oncology team. My role was to give physical examinations and evaluate the service user’s health, prescribe and administer medication, recommend diagnostic and laboratory tests/read the results, manage treatment side effects, and provide support to patients – this includes acting in their best interests. I feel that I did not fulfil the latter responsibility completely. This duty to protect service user’s full confidentiality and ensuring that the nurse who was showing the members of the public around the ward was aware of the service user’s communication difficulties and resulting anxiety was not fulfilled. Our failure to act as a team, by sharing information and stepping in before a situation escalated, shows that there was a low level of group cohesiveness (Rutkowski, Gruder and Romer, 1983).

4. Analysis

According to the Nursing Times Clinical (2004), people with learning difficulties often have a struggle with adapting to new situations, which means that there is a potential for problematic behaviour when dealing with something outside of their comfort zone. Nevertheless, as suggested by the Nursing Times Clinical (2004), healthcare staff should be aware of how to effectively interact with people who have a learning disability and this can be aided through regular and valuable reflection. Prior to admission into the hospital, it is advised that professionals find out about the patient's communication and their likes and dislikes; address any potential fears either through discussion or by allowing the patient to visit the ward to meet the nursing staff (Nursing Times Clinical, 2004). Moreover, the day to day communication towards patients with learning difficulties should involve patient-centred/holistic care in addressing patient needs, which incorporates both verbal and non-verbal forms of communication. Therefore, professionals should make eye contact, look and listen, allocate more time for the patient, be interactive and communicative, remain patient and in some cases, enable any professionals who may have had experience with people with a learning difficulty to care for the patient (Nursing Times Clinical, 2004).

If you need assistance with writing your reflective practice, our professional Reflective Practice is here to help!

MENCAP states that one of the most common problems when accessing healthcare for people with learning disabilities is poor communication (n.d). This can be aided by offering the service user an advocate to communicate on their behalf and by providing information in a variety of ways including visual. They further this with the notion that healthcare professionals should equally value all people, adapt their service so that it meets different needs and understand that each individual will have different needs (MENCAP, n.d). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2015) further this in 'The Code', which states that all registered nurses and midwives must abide by the professional standards which are to: prioritise people, practise effectively, preserve safety and promote professionalism and trust. Therefore, the incident whereby another nurse did not take into consideration the individual needs of the patient does not abide by the professional code of conduct; ultimately, they did not recognise when the patient was anxious or in distress and respond compassionately, paying attention to promoting the wellbeing of the service user and making use of a range of verbal and non-verbal communication methods (NMC, 2015). Compassion is one of the '6cs' introduced in 2012 - which are the values and behaviours that are viewed as the quality markers of a health and care service - these being: care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment (Department of Health, 2012). The 6Cs carry equal weight and should be a part of all service delivery - ensuring that patients are always placed at the heart of the provision (DoH, 2012).

5. Conclusion

From this experience, I am now more mindful of the importance of being assertive and exert professionalism in practice (and not feel as though I cannot do something because of my position within the team or length of experience) if similar situations were to arise in the future. The insight I have gained from this experience means that I am now more aware of the implications of not acting immediately and the importance of acting in the best interests of the patient, even when this may take courage. Strong working relationships between healthcare professionals should also be given a greater emphasis within the oncology ward, so to increase levels of group cohesiveness (Rutkowski, Gruder and Romer, 1983).

Action Plan

In the future, I aim to be more proactive in dealing with a situation face on regardless of my role within the team or level of experience; this includes dealing with a stressed service user, ensuring that information is passed on to the relevant staff and intervening when I believe that is a risk to a service user’s health or mental wellbeing. Moreover, I will address the needs and alter how I approach a patient with learning difficulties in the future by ensuring that I use the different methods of communication and undertake some independent research on their specific needs; the information of which I can use in my nursing practice.

I will not assume that other members of staff will always be aware or mindful of the individual needs and/or triggers of a service user, and I will not presume that other members of staff will always act in a wholly professional way. I will continue to undertake regular professional reflective practice, using the on-going model proposed by Gibbs (1988). I also aim to consistently and confidently implement the principles and values as set out by the National League for Nursing, relating to the individual needs of service users, these being:

  • To respect the dignity and moral wholeness of every person without conditions or limitation.
  • To affirm the uniqueness of and differences among people, their ideas, values and ethnicities. (National League for Nursing, 2017, n.d).

These are furthered by the National Health Service (NHS), which was created out of the ideal that quality healthcare should be available to all and should meet the individual needs of everyone.

Reference List

Boud, D., Keogh, R. and Walker, D. (1985) Promoting reflection in learning: a model. In D. Boud, R. Keogh and D. Walker (eds.) Reflection: turning experience into learning. London: Kogan Page.

Department of Health (DoH). (2012) Compassion in Practice. London: Department of Health.

Gibbs G (1988) Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit. Oxford Polytechnic: Oxford.

Jasper, M. (2013) Beginning Reflective Practice. 2nd edition. Andover: Cengage.

Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

MENCAP. (n.d) Communicating with people with a learning disability. Online. Available at: https://www.mencap.org.uk/sites/default/files/2016-12/Communicating%20with%20people_updated%20(1).pdf

National Health Service (NHS). (2015) Principles and values that guide the NHS. Online. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/about/Pages/nhscoreprinciples.aspx

National League for Nursing. (2017) Core Values. Online. Available at: http://www.nln.org/about/core-values

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). (2015) The Code. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Nursing Times Clinical. (2004) Managing the needs of people who have a learning disability, Nursing Times 100 (10) pp. 28-29.

Oxford Brookes University. (2017) Reflective writing: About Gibbs reflective cycle. Online. Available at: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/upgrade/study-skills/reflective-writing-gibbs/

Rutkowski, G. K., Gruder, C. L., & Romer, D. (1983). Group cohesiveness, social norms, and bystander intervention, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44(3), pp.545-552.

Zeichner, K. and Liston, D. (1996) Reflective Teaching: an introduction. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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Reflection Toolkit

Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

One of the most famous cyclical models of reflection leading you through six stages exploring an experience: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan.

Gibbs' Reflective Cycle was developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988 to give structure to learning from experiences.  It offers a framework for examining experiences, and given its cyclic nature lends itself particularly well to repeated experiences, allowing you to learn and plan from things that either went well or didn’t go well. It covers 6 stages:

  • Description of the experience
  • Feelings and thoughts about the experience
  • Evaluation of the experience, both good and bad
  • Analysis to make sense of the situation
  • Conclusion about what you learned and what you could have done differently
  • Action plan for how you would deal with similar situations in the future, or general changes you might find appropriate.

Below is further information on:

  • The model – each stage is given a fuller description, guiding questions to ask yourself and an example of how this might look in a reflection
  • Different depths of reflection – an example of reflecting more briefly using this model

This is just one model of reflection. Test it out and see how it works for you. If you find that only a few of the questions are helpful for you, focus on those. However, by thinking about each stage you are more likely to engage critically with your learning experience.

A circular diagram showing the 6 stages of Gibbs' Reflective cycle

This model is a good way to work through an experience. This can be either a stand-alone experience or a situation you go through frequently, for example meetings with a team you have to collaborate with. Gibbs originally advocated its use in repeated situations, but the stages and principles apply equally well for single experiences too. If done with a stand-alone experience, the action plan may become more general and look at how you can apply your conclusions in the future.

For each of the stages of the model a number of helpful questions are outlined below. You don’t have to answer all of them but they can guide you about what sort of things make sense to include in that stage. You might have other prompts that work better for you.

Description

Here you have a chance to describe the situation in detail. The main points to include here concern what happened. Your feelings and conclusions will come later.

Helpful questions:

  • What happened?
  • When and where did it happen?
  • Who was present?
  • What did you and the other people do?
  • What was the outcome of the situation?
  • Why were you there?
  • What did you want to happen?

Example of 'Description'

For an assessed written group-work assignment, my group (3 others from my course) and I decided to divide the different sections between us so that we only had to research one element each. We expected we could just piece the assignment together in the afternoon the day before the deadline, meaning that we didn’t have to schedule time to sit and write it together. However, when we sat down it was clear the sections weren’t written in the same writing style. We therefore had to rewrite most of the assignment to make it a coherent piece of work.  We had given ourselves enough time before the deadline to individually write our own sections, however we did not plan a great deal of time to rewrite if something were to go wrong. Therefore, two members of the group had to drop their plans that evening so the assignment would be finished in time for the deadline.

Here you can explore any feelings or thoughts that you had during the experience and how they may have impacted the experience.

  • What were you feeling during the situation?
  • What were you feeling before and after the situation?
  • What do you think other people were feeling about the situation?
  • What do you think other people feel about the situation now?
  • What were you thinking during the situation?
  • What do you think about the situation now?

Example of 'Feelings'

Before we came together and realised we still had a lot of work to do, I was quite happy and thought we had been smart when we divided the work between us. When we realised we couldn’t hand in the assignment like it was, I got quite frustrated. I was certain it was going to work, and therefore I had little motivation to actually do the rewriting. Given that a couple of people from the group had to cancel their plans I ended up feeling quite guilty, which actually helped me to work harder in the evening and get the work done faster. Looking back, I’m feeling satisfied that we decided to put in the work.

Here you have a chance to evaluate what worked and what didn’t work in the situation. Try to be as objective and honest as possible. To get the most out of your reflection focus on both the positive and the negative aspects of the situation, even if it was primarily one or the other.

  • What was good and bad about the experience?
  • What went well?
  • What didn’t go so well?
  • What did you and other people contribute to the situation (positively or negatively)?

Example of 'Evaluation'

The things that were good and worked well was the fact that each group member produced good quality work for the agreed deadline. Moreover, the fact that two people from the group cancelled plans motivated us to work harder in the evening. That contributed positively to the group’s work ethic. The things that clearly didn’t work was that we assumed we wrote in the same way, and therefore the overall time plan of the group failed.

The analysis step is where you have a chance to make sense of what happened. Up until now you have focused on details around what happened in the situation. Now you have a chance to extract meaning from it. You want to target the different aspects that went well or poorly and ask yourself why. If you are looking to include academic literature, this is the natural place to include it.

  • Why did things go well?
  • Why didn’t it go well?
  • What sense can I make of the situation?
  • What knowledge – my own or others (for example academic literature) can help me understand the situation?

Example of 'Analysis'

I think the reason that our initial division of work went well was because each person had a say in what part of the assignment they wanted to work on, and we divided according to people’s self-identified strengths. I have experienced working this way before and discovered when I’m working by myself I enjoy working in areas that match my strengths. It seems natural to me that this is also the case in groups.

I think we thought that this approach would save us time when piecing together the sections in the end, and therefore we didn’t think it through. In reality, it ended up costing us far more time than expected and we also had to stress and rush through the rewrite.  I think the fact we hadn’t planned how we were writing and structuring the sections led us to this situation.

I searched through some literature on group work and found two things that help me understand the situation. Belbin’s (e.g. 2010) team roles suggests that each person has certain strengths and weaknesses they bring to a group. While we didn’t think about our team members in the same way Belbin does, effective team work and work delegation seems to come from using people’s different strengths, which we did.

Another theory that might help explain why we didn’t predict the plan wouldn’t work is ‘Groupthink’ (e.g. Janis, 1991). Groupthink is where people in a group won’t raise different opinions to a dominant opinion or decision, because they don’t want to seem like an outsider. I think if we had challenged our assumptions about our plan - by actually being critical, we would probably have foreseen that it wouldn’t work. Some characteristics of groupthink that were in our group were: ‘collective rationalisation’ – we kept telling each other that it would work; and probably ‘illusion of invulnerability’ – we are all good students, so of course we couldn’t do anything wrong.

I think being aware of groupthink in the future will be helpful in group work, when trying to make decisions.

Conclusions

In this section you can make conclusions about what happened. This is where you summarise your learning and highlight what changes to your actions could improve the outcome in the future. It should be a natural response to the previous sections.

  • What did I learn from this situation?
  • How could this have been a more positive situation for everyone involved?
  • What skills do I need to develop for me to handle a situation like this better?
  • What else could I have done?

Example of a 'Conclusion'

I learned that when a group wants to divide work, we must plan how we want each section to look and feel – having done this would likely have made it possible to put the sections together and submit without much or any rewriting. Moreover, I will continue to have people self-identify their strengths and possibly even suggest using the ‘Belbin team roles’-framework with longer projects. Lastly, I learned that we sometimes have to challenge the decisions we seem to agree on in the group to ensure that we are not agreeing just because of groupthink.

Action plan

At this step you plan for what you would do differently in a similar or related situation in the future. It can also be extremely helpful to think about how you will help yourself to act differently – such that you don’t only plan what you will do differently, but also how you will make sure it happens. Sometimes just the realisation is enough, but other times reminders might be helpful.

  • If I had to do the same thing again, what would I do differently?
  • How will I develop the required skills I need?
  • How can I make sure that I can act differently next time?

Example of 'Action Plan'

When I’m working with a group next time, I will talk to them about what strengths they have. This is easy to do and remember in a first meeting, and also potentially works as an ice-breaker if we don’t know each other well. Next, if we decide to divide work, I will insist that we plan out what we expect from it beforehand. Potentially I would suggest writing the introduction or first section together first, so that we have a reference for when we are writing our own parts. I’m confident this current experience will be enough to remind me to suggest this if anyone says we should divide up the work in the future. Lastly, I will ask if we can challenge our initial decisions so that we are confident we are making informed decisions to avoid groupthink. If I have any concerns, I will tell the group. I think by remembering I want the best result possible will make me be able to disagree even when it feels uncomfortable.

Different depths of reflection

Depending on the context you are doing the reflection in, you might want use different levels of details. Here is the same scenario, which was used in the example above, however it is presented much more briefly.

In a group work assignment, we divided sections according to people’s strengths. When we tried to piece the assignment together it was written in different styles and therefore we had to spend time rewriting it.

 

I thought our plan would work and felt good about it. When we had to rewrite it, I felt frustrated.

The process of dividing sections went well. However, it didn’t work not having foreseen/planned rewriting the sections for coherence and writing styles.

Dividing work according to individual strengths is useful. Belbin’s team roles (2010) would suggest something similar. I have done it before and it seems to work well.

The reason piecing work together didn’t work was we had no plan for what it needed to look like. We were so focused on finishing quickly that no one would raise a concern. The last part can be explained by ‘groupthink’ (e.g. Jarvis, 1991), where members of a group make a suboptimal decision because individuals are afraid of challenging the consensus.

I learned that using people’s strengths is efficient. Moreover, planning how we want the work to look, before we go off on our own is helpful. Lastly, I will remember the dangers of groupthink, and what the theory suggests to look out for.

I will use Belbin’s team roles to divide group work in the future. Moreover, I will suggest writing one section together before we do our own work, so we can mirror that in our own writing. Finally, I will speak my mind when I have concerns, by remembering it can benefit the outcome.

Adapted from

Gibbs G (1988). Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit. Oxford Polytechnic: Oxford.

Gibbs Reflective Cycle - 6 Stage Model Comprehensive Guide

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Reflective practice involves engaging in a thoughtful examination of your actions, feelings, and responses to experiences. This process enhances self-awareness and promotes continuous personal and professional growth. Reflective practice encourages critical thinking, improving decision-making and problem-solving abilities. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the Gibbs reflective cycle and how you can use it for personal and professional reflection and development.

What is the Gibbs Reflective Cycle?

Professor Graham Gibbs introduced this model in his 1988 book, ‘Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods.' The Gibbs Reflective Cycle provides a systematic method for reflecting on experiences and drawing valuable lessons. It comprises six stages: Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, and Action Plan, giving individuals a structured approach to reflect, analyze, and learn from their past experiences. Each stage aims to delve deeply into different aspects of an experience, from the initial description to devising actionable strategies based on the reflection.

The Six Stages of Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle provides a step-by-step, structured approach to reflective practice, ensuring valuable lessons are drawn from past experiences. Reflecting through the six stages—Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, and Action Plan—facilitates personal and professional growth.

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1. Description: The First Step in Reflection

The description stage is crucial as it sets the foundation for the entire reflective process. Here, the focus is on objectively recounting the experience without any judgments or analysis. Key questions to ask include:

What happened?

When and where did it happen?

Who was involved?

What was the outcome?

This step ensures a clear, unbiased account of the event, making it easier to delve deeper into the following stages.

2. Feelings: Dive into Your Emotional Response

The feelings stage allows you to explore your emotional reactions to the experience. Consider both your initial and subsequent emotional responses, as well as those of others involved. Reflect on:

What were your thoughts during the event?

How did you feel before, during, and after the event?

How might others have felt?

Acknowledging these emotions provides a deeper understanding of your responses and helps maintain emotional awareness in similar future scenarios.

3. Evaluation: Objectively Assessing the Situation

During the evaluation stage, objectively analyze the positives and negatives of the experience. Useful questions include:

What went well during the experience?

What did not go well?

What was your role, and how did you contribute?

This stage encourages a balanced view, acknowledging both achievements and areas needing improvement.

4. Analysis: Delving Deeper into the Experience

The analysis stage involves understanding why things happened the way they did. It requires connecting theories or professional knowledge to the event. Key questions and activities include:

Why did the outcomes occur as they did?

What influenced the positive and negative aspects?

Refer to relevant academic literature or other resources to gain deeper insight.

This comprehensive analysis helps identify the underlying factors affecting the experience, fostering a deeper understanding.

5. Conclusion: Drawing Learnings from Your Experience

In the Conclusion stage, summarize the lessons learned from the experience. Reflect on:

What did you learn about yourself?

What skills or knowledge did you gain?

What could have been done differently?

This stage is about crystallizing the insights gleaned from the previous stages, preparing you for future situations.

6. Action Plan: Preparing for Future Application

The final stage is the action plan , where you outline specific steps and strategies for applying what you’ve learned to future scenarios. Consider the following:

What will you do differently next time?

How will you develop the skills you need?

What preventive strategies can you implement to avoid past mistakes?

You can use an action plan template to develop an action plan during this stage.

By methodically tracing through these six stages, the Gibbs Reflective Cycle ensures a thorough and productive reflective practice process, applicable across various industries such as healthcare, education, and business.

Application of Gibbs' Reflective Cycle in Real-World Scenarios

Gibbs Reflective Cycle offers a structured approach to reflection, which can be immensely beneficial across various professions. By evaluating past experiences, professionals can derive actionable insights and foster continuous improvement. Below, we explore the application of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle in healthcare, education, and business sectors to showcase its versatility and effectiveness.

Healthcare professionals deal with a myriad of challenging situations on a daily basis. Reflecting on these experiences using the Gibbs Reflective Cycle can enhance patient care and professional development. For instance, a nurse could use the cycle to reflect on a case where a patient’s condition deteriorated unexpectedly.

Teachers can also benefit from integrating the Gibbs Reflective Cycle into their practice. For example, reflecting on a challenging classroom experience can help improve teaching strategies.

HR professionals can usethe Gibbs Reflective Cycle to enhance their training and development programs. Consider an HR manager reflecting on a recently conducted leadership development workshop.

By applying this reflective process, HR professionals can continuously refine their training and development initiatives, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of employees and align with organizational goals.

Integrating visual tools like Creately can further enhance the application of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle. Using collaborative mind maps can make the reflection process more organized and effective.

Embracing Gibbs Cycle in Your Organization

Integrating reflective practices.

Integrating the Gibbs reflective cycle into your organization can enhance team development and organizational growth. By encouraging employees to use this cycle, you foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning. Start by providing training sessions that explain the six stages: Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, and Action Plan. Use tools like Creately’s visual workspace to create templates and diagrams that aid in understanding and implementing each stage. Regularly scheduled reflection meetings can also help reinforce the practice.

Benefits for Team Development

The Gibbs reflective cycle offers numerous benefits for team development. Firstly, it encourages a structured approach to critical thinking and problem-solving. Teams can systematically analyze their actions and decisions, leading to more informed and effective outcomes. Additionally, it promotes open communication and emotional intelligence as team members share their feelings and thoughts about various experiences.

Fostering Continuous Learning

Creating a culture of reflective practice with Gibbs reflective cycle helps in fostering continuous learning within your organization. This model not only improves personal and professional growth by systematically analyzing past events but also assists in identifying areas for improvement.

Teams that regularly reflect on their experiences are more likely to adapt and evolve, maintaining a competitive edge in their industry. The structured approach guarantees that valuable lessons are captured and utilized to enhance future performance.

Incorporating the Gibbs reflective cycle into your organization offers a structured and disciplined method for analyzing past experiences, planning future actions, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

What is the Difference Between Kolb’s and Gibbs' Reflective Cycle?

Overview of kolb’s reflective cycle.

Kolb’s Reflective Cycle, conceptualized by David Kolb in 1984, emphasizes experiential learning and follows a four-stage model: Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization, and Active Experimentation. The cycle advocates that learning through experience is a continuous process where immediate or concrete experiences provide the basis for observations and reflections. Through this reflection, individuals can conceptualize new ideas and apply them in future situations, thus perpetuating a cycle of learning and growth.

Comparing Kolb and Gibbs Reflective Cycle

While both Kolb’s and Gibbs' reflective cycles are rooted in reflective practice and aim to leverage experiences for learning, they differ in their approaches and applications:

Stage Differences: Kolb’s model comprises four stages, whereas Gibbs' model includes six detailed stages: Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, and Action Plan. Gibbs' structure provides a more granular approach to reflection.

Focus: Kolb emphasizes the experiential learning process, fostering continuous improvement based on hands-on experiences. In contrast, Gibbs offers a more structured reflection, ideal for critical analysis and deriving actionable insights.

Applicability: Kolb’s model is widely used in academic settings and training environments to promote hands-on learning. Gibbs' framework is versatile across sectors like healthcare, education, and corporate environments, providing a robust structure for in-depth reflection.

When to Use Each Model

Choosing between Kolb’s and Gibbs' reflective cycles depends on the context and objectives of the reflective practice:

If the goal is to integrate experiences with theoretical concepts and enhance hands-on skills, Kolb’s Reflective Cycle is preferable. It works well in educational and training settings where experiential learning is crucial.

For a more detailed, structured reflection that dissects emotional and cognitive responses, making it suitable for professional development and complex problem-solving scenarios, Gibbs' Reflective Cycle is the better choice.

Gibbs Reflective Cycle Pros and Cons

Advantages of gibbs reflective cycle.

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle offers numerous advantages that make it an invaluable tool for personal and professional growth:

Structured Framework: The clear, step-by-step process helps individuals systematically reflect on their experiences, ensuring no crucial aspect is overlooked.

Versatility: This model is adaptable across various fields, including healthcare, education, and business, making it a go-to framework for diverse professionals.

Emotional Resilience: By facilitating the exploration of both positive and negative emotions, the Gibbs Reflective Cycle enhances emotional intelligence and resilience.

Actionable Insights: It aids in deriving concrete action plans from reflections, leading to continual improvements in practices and behaviors.

Development of Critical Thinking: The focus on analysis and evaluation promotes critical thinking skills and encourages deeper insights.

Enhanced Communication: Reflective practice using this model can improve interpersonal communication by fostering empathy and better self-awareness.

Limitations and Challenges

Despite its advantages, the Gibbs Reflective Cycle is not without its limitations:

Time-Consuming: Conducting a thorough reflection process can be time-intensive, which may pose a challenge for busy professionals.

Requires Honest Self-Assessment: Effective reflection necessitates a high degree of honesty and self-awareness, which can be difficult to achieve without external feedback.

Limited External Input: The cycle primarily relies on self-assessment, potentially overlooking external perspectives that could provide additional insights.

Necessitates Self-Motivation: Individuals must remain self-motivated and disciplined to consistently engage in reflective practice.

Potential for Over-Analysis: There is a risk of over-analyzing situations, leading to unnecessary complexity and stress.

Tips to Use the Gibbs Reflective Cycle Effectively

To harness the full potential of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle while mitigating its challenges, consider these strategies:

Set Aside Dedicated Time: Allocate specific times for reflection to ensure it becomes a regular part of your routine rather than an afterthought.

Seek External Feedback: Complement your reflections with external input from mentors, peers, or supervisors to gain a well-rounded view of your experiences.

Utilize Digital Tools: Platforms like Creately offer visual tools that can help map out each stage of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, making the process more organized and engaging.

Maintain a Reflection Journal: Document your reflections regularly, which can help track your progress and identify recurring patterns or areas for improvement.

Break Down the Cycle: Instead of attempting the entire cycle in one sitting, break it down into manageable parts to avoid overwhelming yourself.

By implementing these strategies, you can maximize the benefits of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle while navigating its inherent challenges, ultimately fostering a more reflective and growth-oriented mindset.

The Value of Reflective Practice

Reflective practice is an essential component of both personal and professional development. By systematically analyzing past experiences, individuals can derive valuable insights, make informed decisions, and foster continuous improvement. Adopting structured reflection models like the Gibbs Reflective Cycle enables a disciplined approach that enhances learning and growth.

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle plays a key role in transforming everyday experiences into opportunities for self-improvement. It encourages users to dissect their experiences through a structured six-stage process, leading to actionable insights and concrete plans for the future. Whether you are a student, educator, healthcare professional, or business strategist, implementing the Gibbs Reflective Cycle can significantly improve your reflective practice.

Adopting this cycle in an organizational setting can also promote a culture of continuous learning and development. Tools like Creately’s visual workspace can be particularly beneficial in this context. Creately offers templates to navigate each stage of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle comprehensively, from Description to Action Plan, making the reflection process more visual and organized.

Ultimately, embracing the principles of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle can lead to enriched personal growth, enhanced professional effectiveness, and a robust framework for lifelong learning. By cultivating reflective practices using structured models, individuals and organizations can unlock their full potential and achieve more informed and thoughtful outcomes in their respective fields.

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Niagara Institute

How To Lead a Gibbs Reflective Cycle Exercise (+Template)

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When was the last time you or your team stepped back and learned from an experience or situation at work? For many who are fighting to meet tight deadlines and deliver on pressing projects, taking time to learn from experience and reflect on situations falls by the wayside. 

However, new research shows that is a mistake, as taking time to reflect on scenarios at work improves performance in the long run. Harvard Business School Professor Francesca Gino explains why: "When we stop, reflect, and think about learning, we feel a greater sense of self-efficacy. We're more motivated, and we perform better afterward." To make reflection an intentional activity for your team, you’ll want to run a Gibbs Reflective Cycle exercise to help you make reflection an intentional activity. In this article, we’ll review the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, the corresponding model, and how to run the exercise, as well as provide you with a template you can use with your own team.

What is the Gibbs Reflective Cycle?

  • What is the Gibbs Model of Reflection?
  • How To Lead a Gibbs Reflective Cycle Exercise
  • Gibbs Reflective Cycle Template

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle is a systematic process that individuals and teams can use to reflect upon and learn from their experiences at work. Originally put forth by Professor Graham Gibbs in his 1988 book, Learn by Doing , the Gibbs Reflective Cycle is a step-by-step approach to analyzing and understanding the complexities of workplace situations.

Gibbs' model is similar to the Start-Stop-Continue retrospective, which focuses on identifying actions to start, stop, or keep doing . The purpose of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle is to gain valuable insights and improve decision-making in the future.

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What is the Gibbs Model of Reflection? What Are the Six Stages? 

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle centers on a model that consists of six stages, known as the Gibbs Model of Reflection. The model outlines the process by which individuals and teams follow to learn from different experiences at work. Here are the six stages and a brief description of each: 

  • Description
  • Action Plan 

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle - Niagara Institute

1. Description

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle starts by objectively describing the situation or experience that is to be evaluated and reflected upon. In this stage, you will provide details regarding the context and individuals involved, as well as any relevant background information.

2. Feelings

The second step in the Gibbs Reflective Cycle is to explore your emotions during the experience in question. Here, you will note the positive and negative feelings you had during the experience. Identifying and acknowledging emotions is critical to gaining a deeper understanding of the situation. This process, often referred to as emotional agility , helps you navigate your emotions effectively, allowing for more adaptive responses.

3. Evaluation 

At this stage of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, you break down the experience into two areas - what went well and what could have been improved. It is in this stage that you will assess the strengths and weaknesses of your approach, considering both your actions and the outcomes.

4. Analysis

Now, it’s time to dig deeper into the situation to determine the root cause of the underlying factors contributing to the outcomes. Here is where you’ll begin to make sense of what happened by taking the details of what happened (steps one to three) and the meaning behind it.

5. Conclusion

Equipped with your analysis of the situation, you will want to summarize the key learnings from your reflection. Here, you will identify what you learned from this experience and the insights you will apply to similar situations in the future.

6. Action Plan

The last step of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle is to create an action plan based on your analysis and conclusions outlining the specific steps to be followed to improve performance or address any skill gaps. In this final reflection step, you will want to set measurable goals and define actionable strategies, such as a training plan , to help you implement the lesson learned and grow as an individual or team.

Gibbs Reflective Cycle Example

Below is an example of each stage of Gibbs' Reflective Cycle, using it to reflect on a project meeting that didn't go as planned.

  • Description: what happened?

We had a project meeting to finalize the timeline and assign tasks. But it went overtime, we didn't make key decisions, and everyone seemed frustrated and disengaged .

  • Feelings: what were you thinking and feeling?

I felt anxious because we weren’t making decisions, and frustrated because the meeting agenda wasn't followed. I also noticed others seemed checked out.

  • Evaluation: what was good and bad about the experience?

Good: Some team members shared valuable insights, and we had a good initial discussion about project goals.

Bad: The meeting lacked structure, key decisions weren't made, and the atmosphere was tense and unproductive.

  • Analysis: what sense can you make of the situation?

The meeting was unproductive because there was no clear agenda or time management . Team members were probably frustrated because they didn’t understand their roles or the meeting’s objectives. Poor communication and facilitation were major issues.

  • Conclusion: what else could you have done?

I could have prepared a detailed agenda and shared it with the team beforehand. Setting clear and realistic goals for the meeting and allocating time for each item might have kept us on track. Encouraging everyone to participate could have also helped.

  • Action plan: if it happened again, what would you do?

For future meetings, I will:

  • Create and share a detailed agenda in advance.
  • Set specific goals for what we need to achieve.
  • Allocate time for each agenda item.
  • Encourage everyone to participate and share their opinions.
  • Follow up with a summary and clear action items.

Reflecting on this using Gibbs Reflective Cycle helps me see what went wrong and how to improve future meetings to make them more productive and engaging.

Instructions: How To Lead a Gibbs Reflective Cycle Exercise to Learn from Experience

Gibbs Reflective Cycle Template from Niagara Institute

Step 1: Pick the Situation and Detail What Happened

You will likely already have an idea of the situation in which you want your team to learn from experience. Situations often include when something goes wrong, a mistake is made , negative feedback is received, there is a conflict , a timeline isn’t met, or a goal is not achieved. Once the situation is determined, ask your team a series of questions to help describe the situation in detail. Here is a list of example questions you might ask:

  • When did this happen?
  • Who was involved?
  • What happened?
  • What was the team’s/individual’s response?
  • What was the response of the other people involved?
  • What was the outcome of this situation?

Step 2: Explore Feelings and Reactions

The next step is to explore the feelings and reactions related to the situation. The goal is to bring awareness to how certain feelings may have impacted the experience. Here is a list of example questions you might ask to encourage this level of reflection: 

  • What were your/the team’s feelings during the situation?
  • What were your/the team’s feelings before and after the situation?
  • What do you think other people were feeling about the situation?
  • What do you think they feel about the situation now?
  • What were you thinking during the situation?
  • What do you think about the situation now that some time has passed?

Step 3: Evaluate What Worked and What Didn’t

Once the situation has been clearly defined and feelings have been explored, it’s time to evaluate the situation by looking at the positives and negatives. While it may be hard, it is important that you and your team are objective and honest in your evaluation. Here are a few example questions you might ask during this step: 

  • What worked? What was good about the experience?
  • What didn’t work? What was bad about the experience?
  • What positive aspects did you, the team, and others contribute to the situation?
  • What negative aspects did you, the team, and others contribute to the situation?
  • Was the situation resolved in the end?

Step 4: Determine the Root Cause of the Situation

Next, you will want to identify the root cause of the situation or experience. You should draw upon theory or literature to help explain what happened. The Niagara Institute has a robust library of articles on teamwork, leadership, communication, and conflict management, to name a few. Here are a few questions to ask to help your team get to the bottom of the root cause: 

  • Why did things go well/badly?
  • Could you/the team respond in a different way?
  • What could have been done differently to improve the situation?
  • Is there any theory or literature that can explain what happened?

Step 5: Summarize What Happened and What Was Learned

Once that is complete, you and your team will need to come to a conclusion regarding what happened and what you have learned from it. Encourage your team to review the situation again by assessing the information you’ve gathered and tracked from the previous steps. To get them to do so, ask the following types of questions: 

  • What was learned from this situation?
  • What could have been done differently to make this a more positive experience for everyone involved?
  • What can you/the team now do better?
  • What skills (individual or team) are needed to ensure a better outcome next time?
  • Are there any new processes that should be implemented to ensure a better outcome?

Step 6: Create An Action Plan

The final step is to create an action plan that will help ensure similar situations are avoided or handled more effectively in the future. You’ll want to address any skill gaps, process improvements, or behavioral changes that need to be made. Doing so will show your leaders and those you lead that you’re proactive in making changes to ensure the outcome of a similar situation in the future will be different. Here are a few questions you may ask at this point: 

  • What skills or behaviors need to be developed?
  • What plans, policies, or procedures need to be implemented?
  • How will you/your team hold each other accountable to ensure the outcome is different next time?

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Applying Gibbs’ Model to Real-Life Experiences Essay

  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment

Action Plan

This event was an unpleasant experience for the patient who expected to get relief from the pain he felt. First, the buddy nurse’s approach to the patient was unreasonable because the patient was in pain, and it was only natural to be agitated. However, I listened to the patient and also avoided confrontation by dragging my buddy nurse away with me. This saved the situation from getting worse although the confrontation that happened was harmful to the patient (Webb, 2011).

My buddy nurse should have stayed calm and listened to the patient’s concerns even if they were offensive. It would have been better if my buddy nurse exercised self-control and stopped the urge to snap back at the patient. While leaving, it was not right for him to make tide remarks to the patient. He should have excused himself to the patient with a promise that he would be back with a solution. The reaction that I gave to the patient was encouraging because I gave him an option of a stronger treatment, which was subject to discussion. Listening to the customer also gave hope that I empathized with his situation (Roussel, Swansburg & Swansburg, 2006). It is also necessary that I should have made a personalized and confidential service to the patient by showing up alone and not with a colleague. This way the patient would feel that he had been assisted because he would be dealing with the nurse who had earlier assisted him. Finishing up with the other patient first may have caused the delay which agitated the patient. It is advisable for a person to make a faster response to avoid cases in which patients get impatient and yell (Williams& Davis, 2005; Koutoukidis, Lawrencem & Tabbner, 2008).

Healthcare forms part of a patient’s healing process, and healthcare professionals should communicate effectively to build therapeutic relationships with the patients (Van, 1997). For instance, talking to the customer nicely and showing empathy would not only work as the pain killer but would give the patient hope. Making the patient angry makes the pain unbearable and may even worsen the situation. Using persuasive language and listening to the patient as well as offering a faster response develops a strong nurse-patient relationship. This improves the healing process. Active communication with the patient also involves the patient in health care and gives them control over their condition and the treatment that they get. In the above scenario, engaging the patient to enlighten him that he had been taking an overdose would make him responsible and prevent any similar future occurrence. He would feel that he had been saved from consuming more drugs than necessary, and this would encourage him to consult in the future. The situation would have been turned around to a powerful healing process by building a healthy relationship that would make the patient realize that holding back the medication was meant to help him and not punish him (Bach & Grant, 2008; White, L., & Rittenhouse Books, 2005).

If a similar event occurs in the future, there are changes that should be made to ensure that the patient is not treated unfairly like it happened. First, I would address the patient with the therapeutic service in mind. I would respond to the call with the aim of improving the patient’s situation, by the way, I talk and respond to his questions and concerns. My buddy friend added to the patient’s misery by snapping back and not giving the patient an opportunity to express his concerns (Rosdahl & Kowalski, 2008). This would be avoided by requesting my colleague to allow me to handle the situation. This could also be improved by establishing a uniform approach in which colleagues would allow others to handle their cases. Intervention should only be allowed when a request is made. This way the probability of harassment by a third party would be minimal. The notion that communicating with the customer is part of the therapeutic process and should be built to ensure that any intervention made is positive (Webb, 2011).

Health care has changed in nature from the treatment of acute illnesses to helping patients to manage chronic conditions. In this case, the patient may not have been healed, considering that it was a situation he was managing even while at home. The patient can be encouraged to adopt an attitude of self-care by informing him that he had been taking an overdose. This would make the patient more responsible for his health care and also establish a good relationship with his nurse (Mitchell & Haroun, 2012). This would promote the quality of his life even if his medical condition is chronic. The patient’s expectation, which is to be free of pain, would be achieved by providing an option that gives him a long-term solution. Overdosing to kill the pain would only be done for a short period while changing the form of medication would correct the past mistake and offer a longer-term solution. Educating the customer on the dangers of taking more dosage than required is involving and makes the process simpler and effective. When patients are aware of the treatment that they receive they learn and assist the health care providers in managing their situation (Dickson, Hargie & Morrow, 2003).

Patient-centered care gives the patient an opportunity to receive services that revolve around him/her rather than fitting into the services availed in the hospital. When they are viewed as active participants in the care offered to them, they feel acknowledged. This can be enhanced by listening to patients and offering services that fit their requirements. For instance, my patient could have been assisted better by proposing a further review by the Acute Pain Service rather than administering the usual PRN medication. The process should have begun by getting feedback on how the patient had been reacting from the PRN he used. Probably, the issue of overdose would have been raised and an alternative offered. This would avoid the confrontation because the patient would be aware that he had been overdosing. Therefore, the patient should be initiating the process by explaining his/her concerns. Recommendations should be based on the patients’ interests rather than what is available in the facility (Chapman, 2009).

Multidisciplinary teams help health care providers to coordinate their roles and expertise to offer patients quality services. The members of the team should understand their role. For instance, my buddy nurse may have treated the patient nastily because he was not his patient. This should not have been the case because teamwork requires them to respect the role of others. He should have achieved this by staying out of the discussion or contributing positively. In the future, such a scenario can be avoided by working at providing integrated health care in which nurses work collaboratively. This way there would be no difference in the way nurses treat a patient who may have been attended by a different nurse (Nurs, 2001).

To ensure that patients get quality services, nurses should be friendly and accept the needs of their patients. The patients should also be allowed to feel that the health care providers are willing to spent time with them. Allowing the patient to participate in the discussion of their health by asking for opinions and offering advice makes the patients feel part of the healing process (Nurs, 2001; O’Toole, 2012). The treatment service should also be tailored to them by addressing them by their names and remembering their situation. Sharing information about similar experiences and giving them hope builds a close relationship. Disagreements with the patients should be treated as a form of discussions without a formal objection which may make them objective. The services provided should offer continuity such that each patient has a health care provider (Martin, 2010; Antai-Otong, 2007). This way, progress can be monitored while a relationship builds between the nurse and the patient. It is also part of the therapeutic process. Serving an individual patient will help build a solid relationship in the future. This will also include basing the approach from the patient’s point of view to ensure that the patients needs come first before the services available can be offered. This will eliminate disagreements between healthcare providers and patients (Mackenzie & O’Toole, 2011; Jasper, 2003; Seago, nd).

Antai-Otong, D. (2007). Nurse-client communication: A life span approach . Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Bach, S. & Grant, A. (2008). Communication and interpersonal skills for nurses . Exeter: Learning Matters.

Chapman, K. B. (2009). Improving Communication among Nurses, Patients, and Physicians. American Journal of Nursing . 109(11), 21-25.

Dickson, D., Hargie, O., & Morrow, N. C. (2003). Communication skills training for health professionals . Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes

Jasper, M. (2003). Beginning Reflective Practice – Foundations in Nursing and Health Care. Cheltenham. Nelson Thornes.

Koutoukidis, G., Lawrence, K., & Tabbner, A. R. (2008). Tabbner’s nursing care: Theory and practice . Chatswood, N.S.W: Elsevier Australia.

Mackenzie, L., & O’Toole, G. (2011). Occupation analysis in practice . Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.

Martin, A. (2010). Non-verbal communication between nurses and people with an intellectual disability: a review of the literature. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities . 14(4), 303-314.

Mitchell, D., & Haroun, L. (2012). Introduction to health care . Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning.

Nurs, E. J. O. (2001).Communication between nurses and simulated patients with cancer: evaluation of a communication training programme. Discussion . 5(3), 140-150.

O’Toole, G. (2012). Communication. Core interpersonal skills for health professionals . Sydney: Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier.

Rosdahl, C. B., & Kowalski, M. T. (2008). Textbook of basic nursing . Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Roussel, L., Swansburg, R. J., & Swansburg, R. C. (2006). Management and leadership for nurse administrators . Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett.

Seago, J. A. (n.d.). Professional Communication . Web.

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  • Participating in a Practice-Based Research Network
  • Analysis and Conceptualisation of Reflection Models
  • Gibbs’s Reflective Cycle and Borton’s Model of Reflection
  • The Buddy System Reducing Burnout Among Nurses
  • The Topic of Diagnostic Measures
  • A Critique of the Study: Childbearing
  • Hypoparathyroid Disease: Review
  • Catheter-Associated Infections: Systematic Review
  • Self-Examination and Knowledge of Breast Cancer Among Female Students
  • Turning Patients Every 2 Hours to Prevent Pressure Ulcers
  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, May 3). Applying Gibbs’ Model to Real-Life Experiences. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gibbs-reflective-cycle-essay/

"Applying Gibbs’ Model to Real-Life Experiences." IvyPanda , 3 May 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/gibbs-reflective-cycle-essay/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Applying Gibbs’ Model to Real-Life Experiences'. 3 May.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Applying Gibbs’ Model to Real-Life Experiences." May 3, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gibbs-reflective-cycle-essay/.

1. IvyPanda . "Applying Gibbs’ Model to Real-Life Experiences." May 3, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gibbs-reflective-cycle-essay/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Applying Gibbs’ Model to Real-Life Experiences." May 3, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gibbs-reflective-cycle-essay/.

IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. Gibb's Reflective Cycle: Analysis

    Gibb's Reflective Cycle: Analysis Essay

  2. Gibbs' Reflective Cycle explained with lots of Examples.

    The Gibbs' Reflective Cycle is a Tool that helps professionals Grow and Learn from their past Experiences. To do this, it proposes to analyze the Situations in which someone wants to Improve. Drawing Conclusions that allow us to do things better in the future. It consists of 6 Repetitive Steps (a cycle): Description. Feelings.

  3. Sample Essay Using Gibbs' Reflective Model

    Sample Essay Using Gibbs' Reflective Model

  4. PDF Using Gibbs Example of reflective writing in a healthcare assignment (3)

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  5. Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

    Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

  6. Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

    Gibbs' Reflective Cycle is an evidence-based self-reflection tool that can help people to examine their experiences and identify new measures for improving them and acquiring additional ideas (see Figure 1). This framework has become essential in the fields of nursing and healthcare delivery.

  7. PDF There are six stages in Gibbs' model, and each

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  8. Communication in Nursing Practice: Gibbs' Reflective Cycle Essay

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    In this video, we explained Gibbs' Reflective Cycle - a structured framework for reflective practice that is widely used in healthcare, education, and social...

  10. PDF Gibbs' reflective cycle

    Gibbs' reflective cycle The 6 stages.

  11. Gibbs Reflective Cycle

    The Gibbs Reflective Cycle provides a step-by-step, structured approach to reflective practice, ensuring valuable lessons are drawn from past experiences. Reflecting through the six stages—Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, and Action Plan—facilitates personal and professional growth.

  12. PDF Reflection based on Gibbs reflective cycle (Example 1)

    Reflection based on Gibbs reflective cycle (Example 1)

  13. How To Lead a Gibbs Reflective Cycle Exercise (+Template)

    Step 2: Explore Feelings and Reactions. The next step is to explore the feelings and reactions related to the situation. The goal is to bring awareness to how certain feelings may have impacted the experience. Here is a list of example questions you might ask to encourage this level of reflection:

  14. Reflecting on Individual Professional Practice with Gibbs

    Reflecting on Individual Professional Practice with Gibbs. For the purpose of this essay, I will use Gibbs (1988) Reflective Learning Cycle to reflect on an aspect of individual professional practice, which requires development in preparation for my role as a Registered Nurse. Gibbs (1988) Reflective Learning Cycle encourages a clear ...

  15. Gibb's Reflective Cycle: COVID-19 Scenario Presentation

    Using Gibbs' reflective cycle; It has six stages; Description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, and conclusion; Sixth stage - plan of action. This presentation is a critical reflection on a Covid-19 incident that I have experienced during my nursing practice using Gibbs' reflective cycle. This cycle has six stages (1) including description ...

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  17. Reflective practice Gibbs Model essay

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  18. Gibbs' Reflective Cycle in Healthcare

    Introduction. Healthcare givers utilize Gibbs' reflective cycle to develop a learning structure from experience. It was created in 1988 by Graham Gibbs and has been very critical in the field of medicine (Ezezika & Johnston, 2022). Repeated experiences and encounters with the patients in the hospital enable nurses to be familiar with ...

  19. Reflection on Personal Development and Self-Awareness

    The Voyage. Introduction. The title of this essay is "The Voyage" . It's a reflective essay, and I am using the Gibbs Reflective Cycle (Gibbs, 1988) as a template for this exercise.It's a critical reflection on the importance of personal development and self-awareness, which are necessary if one is successful in becoming, and remaining a councillor.

  20. Incorporating Gibbs Reflective Cycle in a Group Setting

    Incorporating Gibbs Reflective Cycle in a Group Setting. This incident that I would like to analyze using the Gibbs' (1988) reflective cycle happened a few weeks ago. Our group was composed of seven members and meetings were held online using the social media platform. This group was considered as a closed group as we have decided not to take ...

  21. Applying Gibbs' Model to Real-Life Experiences

    However, I listened to the patient and also avoided confrontation by dragging my buddy nurse away with me. This saved the situation from getting worse although the confrontation that happened was harmful to the patient (Webb, 2011). Get a custom essay on Applying Gibbs' Model to Real-Life Experiences. 181 writers online.