Learning from reflective practice and metacognition – an anaesthetist’s perspective

Abstract

Within medicine, the concept of reflection is becoming a fashionable component of lifelong learning and revalidation. It remains poorly practised and misunderstood with scant guidance available on the benefits, methodology or founding principles. Using the intrinsically unsafe state of anaesthesia as a clinical example, the stages of reflection are discussed in context. Components of metacognition (‘thinking about thinking’) are also clinically contextualised. Barriers to reflection and metacognitive practice are discussed, emphasising the need for medical regulators to deliver clarity on the processes they propose clinicians to use to reflect. Opportunities to promote reflective practice from clinicians’ existing working patterns are proposed.

Keywords:

• reflective practice
• metacognition
• anaesthesia
• lifelong learning
• continuing medical education