The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, in collaboration with Wiley-Blackwell, has published the International Textbook of Reflective Practice in Nursing, edited by Dawn Freshwater (UK), Beverley J. Taylor (Australia) and Gwen Sherwood (USA).
The International Textbook of Reflective Practice in Nursing provides a definitive synthesis of the current international literature and activity surrounding nursing reflective practice and is the first to offer a global meta-analysis of reflective practice.
“The International Textbook of Reflective Practice in Nursing provides practical guidance on applying reflective practice to education, practice and research in nursing,” said honor society President Carol J. Huston, RN, MSN, DPA, FAAN. “The international contributors adeptly demonstrate how the practice of reflection is linked to a nurse’s level of self-awareness, an essential skill for nurses in all arenas.”
The book’s contributors are experienced writers and practitioners from diverse specialities, including critical care, mental health, community teaching and research, and they are known internationally for their contributions to nursing.
“The practice of reflection offers a way of accessing deeply embedded personal knowledge,” said editor Freshwater. “Our goal in this textbook is to enable nurses, through reflective practice, to evaluate, critique, develop and monitor their own professional practice to continuously improve patient care. We need to use all the evidence we have — from research, experience, the arts and critical reflection — to consider how to act in the best interests of our patients.”
Key features of the International Textbook of Reflective Practice in Nursing include:
· Examining the contribution of reflective practice to nursing from a global perspective
· Emphasizing links between reflective practice and education, research and clinical practice
· Exploring definitions and differences among reflective practice, reflection and reflexivity
· Considering the role of reflection in clinical supervision and research studies
· Addressing the role of narrative and dialogue in reflective practice
· An extensive bibliography for areas of particular interest.
The 244-page soft cover textbook is a product of the honor society’s Scholarship of Reflective Practice Task Force.
“The International Textbook of Reflective Practice in Nursing is a reader-friendly, multi-faceted discourse on reflective practice, including clinical vignettes that ground theoretical concepts,” said Jeff Burnham, honor society editor-in-chief. “The length and style of the book make it attractive to nurses working in all disciplines and specialties.”
About the Editors
Dawn Freshwater, RN, PhD, BA (Hons), RNT, FRCN, is professor and dean of the School of Healthcare at Leeds University, United Kingdom. Her 25-year nursing career has included roles as practitioner, research and educator. She has developed, implemented and evaluated reflective practice and clinical supervision in a variety of global health care settings and is author of several books and papers about reflection in research and clinical practice. Freshwater is a psychotherapist and counselor and editor of the Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. Her interests lie in the transformational nature of critical reflection and reflexivity and its potential for mediating between and across disciplines and world views.
Beverly J. Taylor, RN, PhD, Med, RM, FCN, holds the Foundational Chair in Nursing at Southern Cross University, New South Wales, Australia. She is a registered nurse and midwife and has worked in a variety of practice, teaching and research roles for more than three decades. She is author of Reflective Practice: A Guide for Nurses and Midwives (McGraw-Hill Education, 2000).
Gwen D. Sherwood, RN, PhD, FAAN, is professor and associate dean for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing. Her work focuses on transforming health care environments by expanding relational capacity of health care providers. She serves as honor society vice president and is past chair of the honor society’s Scholarship of Reflective Practice Task Force. Sherwood is past president of the International Association for Human Caring and chair of the International Network of Doctoral Education Research Interest Group on Work Environments. She works globally to advance nursing education and leadership capacity.
The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to support the learning, knowledge, and professional development of nurses committed to making a difference in health worldwide. Founded in 1922, the honor society has inducted more than 400,000 members in 114 countries. Members include practicing nurses, instructors, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and others. The honor society's 463 chapters are located at 571 institutions of higher education throughout Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, the United States and Wales. More information about the honor society can be found online at www.nursingsociety.org.