East meets West in reflective practice

Proactive personality and critical thinking in Chinese medical students: The moderating effects of psychological safety and academic self-efficacy

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify the relationship among proactive personality, psychological safety, academic self-efficacy and critical thinking, and to further explore whether psychological safety and academic self-efficacy could be a moderator in the association between proactive personality and critical thinking among Chinese medical students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The cross-sectional study was carried out from October to December 2020 in China. Totally, 5,920 valid responses were collected at four Chinese medical universities. Critical thinking, proactive personality, psychological safety, academic self-efficacy and demographic factors were assessed through questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to identify interrelationship clusters among variables. Simple slope analyses were performed to explore the moderating effects of psychological safety and academic self-efficacy.

RESULTS

The mean score of critical thinking among medical students was 3.85 ± 0.61. Proactive personality, psychological safety, and academic self-efficacy were shown to be important factors for critical thinking. Psychological safety and academic self-efficacy moderated the association between proactive personality and critical thinking. A simple slope analysis showed that high psychological safety and academic self-efficacy weakened the impact of proactive personality on critical thinking.

CONCLUSION

Most medical students surveyed in China might have relatively high levels of critical thinking. Psychological safety and academic self-efficacy moderated the association between proactive personality and critical thinking. More interventions related to psychological safety and academic self-efficacy will be helpful to improve critical thinking among Chinese medical students.

Using flash cards to engage Indonesian nursing students in reflection on their practice

BACKGROUND

Reflective practice is now widely used as a critical learning tool in undergraduate and postgraduate nursing programs in most developed countries. However in developing countries, reflective practice is in its infancy.

AIM

To introduce reflective practice to postgraduate students in an Indonesian nursing education institution. This paper presents the positive meanings of reflection and reflective practice experienced by the students and the way they used reflection within their practice.

DESIGN

A descriptive qualitative study was conducted to explore the meaning of reflection or reflective practice using flashcards.

METHOD

A clinical reflective practice model taking into consideration Indonesian culture was developed and applied during students' clinical placement. A few weeks post clinical placement, 21 students participated in an evaluation session. The meaning of reflection or reflective practice was explored using flash cards containing images of people and environment with different situations and events. Students were asked to choose a card that represented their viewpoints about reflective practice and share it with the group. Data were digitally captured and analyzed using thematic analysis.

FINDINGS

Reflection provided a positive experience for the students. In their own words, they discussed their journey of using reflection during the clinical placement period. The use of reflection was identified as expanding their view of nursing practice, providing a safe place to explore their experiences and clarity when they encountered challenging situations during their clinical practice. Reflecting on practice experiences resulted in increased self-awareness, and enhanced their learning.

CONCLUSION

The findings indicate that reflective practice can be implemented successfully in Indonesia and may have value for other Eastern countries that share similar cultural characteristics. The use of flash cards assisted the students describe through stories their experiences of participating in this reflective practice program.