In its CPD guide for registrants, the GOC defines reflective practice as “…the process where you think about your experiences to gain insights about your practice and to improve the way you work or the care you give to your patients. Reflection is part of the continuous learning and development expected of you as a professional throughout your career.”

For some time now, reflective practice has been recognised by most universities as an educational tool they can use to enhance their study programmes.

For those of us who are less familiar with it, keeping reflective notes as an aid to our development can seem rather impenetrable. But we shouldn’t feel daunted. Reflection is something we do all the time, every single day, both in our work and in our private lives. It is the way our brains make sense of the world around us.