Placement Pal

Nursing reflection examples

Last updated July 2026

Reflective writing is one of the hardest parts of a nursing placement to start. Below are worked examples using the three models most UK nursing programmes accept — the Gibbs reflective cycle, Rolfe's framework and Driscoll's model. Every scenario is fictional and anonymised: no real patient, colleague or ward is described.

Before you write: keep it anonymous

Never include a patient's name, NHS number, date of birth, address or anything that could identify them. Write “a patient in their 70s admitted with breathlessness” rather than naming anyone, and describe colleagues by role rather than by name. See our professional use guidance for the full confidentiality expectations.

Gibbs reflective cycle example: your first clinical skill

Gibbs has six stages — description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan. It suits events you want to unpick in detail.

Description. During my second week on a medical ward I performed my first supervised venepuncture on an adult patient who had consented to a student taking the sample.

Feelings. I was anxious beforehand, mainly about causing discomfort. Once my practice supervisor talked me through the steps I felt steadier, and relieved afterwards.

Evaluation. The sample was obtained on the first attempt and the patient reported no undue discomfort. Less well: my preparation was slow and I had to go back for a second tube.

Analysis. My technique was sound because I had rehearsed it in the skills lab, but I had not checked the request form carefully enough to know which bottles were needed. The gap was in preparation, not in the skill itself.

Conclusion. Competence in a clinical skill includes the preparation around it, not only the procedure.

Action plan. Before the next venepuncture I will read the request form fully, assemble all equipment before approaching the patient, and ask my supervisor to observe my preparation as well as my technique.

Rolfe framework example: a difficult conversation

Rolfe uses three questions — What? So what? Now what? — and works well when you are short of time.

What? A relative approached me in the corridor asking for an update on their family member. I did not know whether consent to share information was in place, so I said I would find the nurse in charge, and the relative became frustrated with the delay.

So what? I made the right decision on confidentiality but handled it awkwardly. I focused on protecting information and not on acknowledging how worried the relative was, which made a correct action feel unhelpful to them.

Now what? I will keep escalating information requests, but open with empathy first — naming that waiting for news is hard, explaining who I am going to fetch and roughly how long it will take. I have added communication in emotive situations to my next practice supervisor meeting.

Driscoll model example: a medication near miss

Driscoll also uses three prompts — What? So what? Now what? — with more emphasis on learning and future practice.

What? While observing a medication round I noticed the prescription chart showed a dose that did not match the label on the dispensed box. I raised it with the registered nurse before administration and it was corrected.

So what? Speaking up as a student felt uncomfortable because I assumed I had misread it. The nurse thanked me, which reinforced that questioning is expected rather than intrusive. Patient safety depends on people at every level being willing to pause.

Now what? I will continue to check charts against labels independently even when observing, and phrase concerns as a question rather than staying silent. I want to read my trust's incident reporting process so I understand what happens after a near miss is raised.

Which model should you choose?

Check your university's assessment guidance first: some programmes specify a model for particular portfolio pieces.

A structure you can reuse

Placement Pal guides you through Gibbs, Rolfe and Driscoll reflections step by step, checks your writing for identifiable details, and exports the result for supervision. See how it works.