Reflections Through the Looking‐glass: the story of aCourse of Writing as a Reflexive Practitioner

Abstract

Writing as a reflexive practitioner, a marriage of the accepted praxis of reflective practice and the craft of creative writing, can enable dynamic learning from practice. Professionals are under increased pressure: roles have become more complex, demand has increased, staffing levels have decreased and constant accountability is essential. Stress levels are unsurprisingly higher. The examination of practice can improve understanding, knowledge, skills and therefore delivery. Writing as a reflective practitioner can lead to professional development, decrease stress by enabling problems to be discussed and dealt with, and can also support the building of team work. This paper offers a discussion of this, the background of reflective practice and professional development, and a description of the reflexive writing and group process, through the example of a course for primary health care professionals.