During my short tenure as both an educator and as a nursing student, I have been encouraged to remain reflective. Reflection, as it was explained to me, provides one with the ability to analyze the past with the intent to improve the future. As an educator, I often reflected on the instructional strategies I had employed to convey abstract scientific theories and concepts to a diverse body of eight graders. As a nursing student, reflection involved the recollection of conversations held and care provided to clients throughout the trajectory of their illness aimed at promoting recovery from disease and improving my clinical practice. While the context for the reflection in these disciplines are polar opposites, the process and outcome are the identical: what could I have said/done to promote a ‘greater’ understanding or to provide a ‘higher’ level of nursing care?
This summer will be a period of a great reflection for me as well. Following nursing boards (affectionately referred to as NCLEX) and a luxurious European vacation, I will begin preparing psychologically (and perhaps physiologically) for the highest level of academic preparation – doctoral education. Yes, I have been selected to join the ranks of less than one percent of Americans; those who bravely pursue a doctoral degree. And despite having initiated some of the curriculum; I realize the first year of doctoral education will be intense yet transformational experience that will consequently lead to the development of a new framework for the ‘next level’ of reflection. The next three to four years will prepare me for a higher level of scientific inquiry and for the eventual role as a nurse scholar.
The doctorate of philosophy, in most disciplines, is characterized as the terminal degree program. Given this definition, one might infer that the possessor of the Doctorate of Philosophy is the reservoir of all knowledge in their respective discipline. I, however, believe that doctoral education culminates in a bearer whom: is inquiring, who can innately design studies, critically interpret findings, draw appropriate conclusions and who is skilled in disseminating findings. Essentially, doctoral education prepares the scholar to initiate the acquisition of knowledge. Thus I will continue to reflect with each paper written; with each journal article read; with each research symposium I attend; and with each presentation I offer….I will remain reflective! Because, in my humble opinion, reflection is necessary to eventually obtain perfection.
