Using reflection to address challenges in learning disability nursing.

Why you should read this article: • To revisit your understanding of reflective practice and explore some of the challenges of using reflective practice in clinical settings • To identify steps that might enhance your reflective practice • To contribute towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD (UK readers) • To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers). Nurses working in learning disability care settings are encouraged to engage in reflective practice. This process is envisaged as likely to improve care insights, to enhance circumstances for service users and to increase nurses' confidence as they draw on experience. However, some authors have argued that reflective practice can be difficult in clinical settings, noting challenges such as bias blind spots, overestimation of the healthcare practitioner's ability to evaluate their own care contributions, and ambiguous clinical contexts. To revisit the process of reflective practice and to review its associated challenges, this article uses a case study involving the hospital admission of a man with a moderate learning disability for a bowel resection following diagnosis of bowel cancer. The author explores what reflection entails practically based on the experience of the nurses involved in this case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]