Reflective Practice & CPD in Medical Radiation Practice

Learning Outcomes & Rationale for Reflective Practice

• Understand that clinical problem-solving is inseparable from reflective practice.
• Goal: help students evolve into competent, registered health professionals across radiography, radiation therapy, and nuclear medicine.
• Reflective practice is:
  • Mandated by professional bodies (Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia – MRPBA).
  • A life-long, iterative skill set, refined continuously throughout a career.
• Stepping-stone approach in 1st year: build the “reflective muscle” gradually—analogous to progressing from lifting no weights to 100\ \text{kg}.

Professional Registration, APRA & CPD

• All students are automatically registered with AHPRA as student medical-radiation practitioners on program entry.
• After graduation, you transition to a fully qualified practitioner with a public registration number searchable on AHPRA’s website (shows name, scope and workplace).
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is compulsory to maintain registration:
  • Must log sufficient CPD hours within each triennium (t = 3\ \text{years}).
  • Simply stating “I attended a conference” is NOT acceptable evidence.
  • Reflective documentation of learning outcomes from each CPD activity is the key compliance requirement.
• CPD seen as opportunity: technology, best practice & regulations evolve; reflective practice keeps practitioners “in step.”

What Is Reflective Practice?

• “Critical and deliberate inquiry” into one’s professional experience to convert day-to-day actions into structured learning.
• Three repeating components:
  1. Experience – a concrete event in study or clinical work.
  2. Reflection/Analysis – evaluate feelings, actions, outcomes.
  3. Action Plan – the “So what?” and “Now what?” that adjust future behaviour.
• Two temporal modes (Schön):
  • Reflection-in-action – real-time adjustment while task is underway.
  • Reflection-on-action – retrospective analysis after the event.

Typical Reflective Questions (Prompts)

• What exactly happened? Who was involved?
• How did I feel? How did others feel/respond?
• What went well? Why?
• What did not go well? Why?
• Which personal/professional values were at play?
• What alternative actions could I have taken?
• What knowledge/skills/resources do I need?
• Action plan: next time I will …

Common Reflective Models

• Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988)
  1. Description
  2. Feelings
  3. Evaluation
  4. Analysis
  5. Conclusion
  6. Action Plan
• Johns’ Model of Structured Reflection
  • Cue questions covering description, reflection, influencing factors, alternative strategies, learning.
• Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle (experience → reflection → conceptualisation → experiment).
• Key warning: “Narrative only” ≠ reflection. Detailed story must be followed by critical analysis & future steps.

Assessment Within the Course

• You will submit a Reflective Template (downloadable from Brightspace):
  • Populate each prompt; do NOT delete guidance text – simply type in the boxes.
  • Expected length ≈ 1–2 pages of your own writing (normal font).
  • Marks awarded for depth, honesty, criticality, concreteness of action plan.
• Task focus: reflection on group practical/workshop activities.
  • Example issues to interrogate: workload distribution, communication, delegation, timelines.
  • Move beyond finger-pointing; consider your contributions and remedies.

Skills & Domains Enhanced by Reflection

• Technical competence (imaging protocols, radiation dose, treatment setup).
• Patient-centred care & communication.
• Interprofessional teamwork (radiologists, nurses, admin, etc.).
• Cultural safety & ethical practice.
• Sustainability awareness.
• Digital & research literacy.
• Professional identity formation and resilience.

Barriers to Effective Reflection

• Time pressure in busy clinical environments.
• Lack of peer/mentor support or formal debriefing opportunities.
• Emotional discomfort with self-critique.

Mitigation Strategies

• Embed mini-reflections into routine (e.g.
  • Debrief while driving home.
  • 5-minute journaling after shift).
• Seek mentors or reflective discussion groups.
• Use structured models/templates for guidance.

Example Scenario: Vomit-Bag Oversight

• Experience: patient became nauseous; no vomit bag ready → distress.
• Analysis: inadequate preparation & monitoring, communication lapse.
• Action: always place bag on bedrail, proactively check patient status, re-emphasise communication cues.

Example of “Narrative vs. Reflection”

• Narrative only: “Patient late, tech angry, patient cried, exam cancelled.”
• Reflective version adds:
  • Personal feelings (intimidated, upset).
  • Why events unfolded (time pressure, staff stress).
  • Ethical/social dimensions (patient vulnerability).
  • Future plan (initiate greeting, offer reassurance, escalate concerns early).

CPD Logbook Illustration (Mini-Format)

Building the Reflective “Muscle”

• Practice in low-stakes contexts first – e.g., a simple exercise about breakfast:
  • What did you eat / why not?
  • How did that influence energy, mood, concentration?
  • What will you repeat or change tomorrow?
• Transfers readily to high-stakes clinical learning.

Ethical, Cultural & Contextual Dimensions

• Reflection must consider broader factors:
  • Social justice (e.g., response to homeless or IV-drug-user patients).
  • Personal circumstances impacting empathy (e.g., clinician parenting small children and fatigue with paediatrics).
  • Workplace culture & systemic pressures.

Key Takeaways & Action Points

• Reflective practice is a professional obligation and personal development tool.
• It underpins safe, evidence-based, patient-centred care and CPD compliance.
• Effective reflection blends description, critical analysis, and a concrete action plan.
• Use established models (Gibbs, Johns, Kolb) or provided templates for structure.
• Start now: treat every class, lab, placement, or everyday event as raw material for improvement.