· 6 min read
Reflective essays are common in nursing, education, social work and business courses. Markers want to see what you learned from an experience, not just what happened. Gibbs' Reflective Cycle (Gibbs, 1988) gives you six stages that turn a story into analysis.
The six stages
- Description: what happened? Keep it short and factual: where, when, who and what.
- Feelings: what were you thinking and feeling at the time?
- Evaluation: what went well and what went badly?
- Analysis: why did it happen that way? Link to theory, research and guidelines.
- Conclusion: what else could you have done, and what did you learn?
- Action plan: what will you do differently next time, and how?
How much to write for each stage
Most students write too much description. In a 1,500-word reflection, aim for roughly:
- Description: 10%
- Feelings: 10%
- Evaluation: 15%
- Analysis: 35 to 40%
- Conclusion: 15%
- Action plan: 10 to 15%
The analysis section is where most of the marks are, because it shows critical thinking.
Example sentences
- Description: "During my second placement on a surgical ward, I was asked to explain a discharge plan to a patient who spoke limited English."
- Feelings: "I felt anxious because I was not confident the patient understood the medication instructions."
- Evaluation: "Using simple language and checking understanding worked well, but I did not use an interpreter."
- Analysis: "Research on health literacy suggests that the teach-back method improves patient understanding..."
- Action plan: "In future I will use teach-back with every patient and book an interpreter when language is a barrier."
Tips for a higher grade
- Write in the first person ("I felt", "I learned"), unless your module says otherwise.
- Keep it confidential: never use real names of patients, students or colleagues.
- Support your analysis with sources, cited in your required style. See our Harvard referencing guide.
- Be honest about mistakes: markers reward real learning, not a perfect story.
Reference
Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic.
Need help structuring a reflection or care plan? See our nursing assignment help.