Learning Antenatal Care through Reflective Thinking: A Qualitative Case Study on Nursing Students Skills and Perceptions

Abstract

This qualitative case study research aimed to find out meaningfulness, character of person and experiences in perception of nursing students through learning by reflective thinking during their maternal and newborn nursing practicum. Case study technique was employed. Key informants were 21 nursing students who were training in an antenatal care unit. Data were collected by in-depth interview, focus group discussion, and reflective journal. They were then   analyzed by thematic analysis.      

Research findings revealed the following.   

1. Learning through reflective thinking, in nursing students’ perception, included self- critical thinking practices, critical review of one's own learning to solve problems continuously, leading to understanding oneself into a sustainable learning process.   

2. Characters of person in learning through reflective thinking were leadership, responsibility, and honesty, which led to self-direct and to be able to learn and examine their own learning.  

3. Experiences in learning through reflective thinking were divided into 3 categories, namely: a) self-learning (reflection of your own heart and sustainable learning, taking mistake as a lesson, being proud and accepted), b) learning through nursing practice (pregnant women have two hearts, dare to think or act, being able to do abdominal examination and analysis, and having different ideas about being a mother), and c) learning about nursing profession (being a counselor and advisor, and having professional relationships).

Findings of this study suggest that theory and practice should be applied in both nursing and other disciplines by encouraging students to reflect on their daily thoughts in their practice, in order to create self-learning, self-critical analysis, and continuous and constructive self-criticism that will influence the thinking process and enable sustainable 21^st century learning skills to become a competent nursing graduate.