Reflective Practice and Insight for Nurses and Midwives
Reflection is sometimes dismissed as a box-ticking exercise — yet genuine reflective practice is central to good nursing and midwifery, to your CPD, and to how a regulator views a practitioner who has faced a concern. This guide explains what reflection and insight really mean, how they fit your CPD requirements, and how to do them well.
Key takeaways
- Reflective practice means honestly reviewing your decisions and experiences to learn and improve; insight is showing that you understand what happened and why it mattered.
- Reflection is built into CPD: nurses and midwives must complete at least 20 hours a year, and the NMBA standard explicitly requires reflecting on the outcomes of your learning.
- Dual registrants need 20 hours for each registration; nurse practitioners and endorsed practitioners complete an additional 10.
- After a concern, demonstrated insight and remediation are often the most influential part of a response.
- Reflective writing should be genuine and specific, not formulaic.
What do “reflection” and “insight” actually mean?
Reflection is deliberately reviewing what you did, why you did it, what happened, and what you would change — turning everyday practice into learning. Insight is the understanding that reflection produces: recognising honestly what went well or badly, understanding the effect on the people in your care and on public trust, and taking appropriate responsibility. Reflection is the process; insight is the result.
Reflection and your CPD
For nurses and midwives, reflection is not an optional extra — it is written into the CPD you must complete. The NMBA’s registration standard requires enrolled nurses, registered nurses and midwives to complete a minimum of 20 hours of CPD each year (the registration period runs 1 June to 31 May), relevant to your context of practice. The standard expects your CPD cycle to:
- identify your learning needs from an honest self-reflection and evaluation of your practice against the relevant standards;
- set a plan to meet those needs;
- record your participation in the learning; and
- reflect on the outcome — what you gained and how it will change your practice.
If you hold dual registration as a nurse and a midwife, you need 20 hours relevant to each (a single activity can count for both if it is relevant to both). Nurse practitioners and those with a scheduled-medicines or endorsed role must complete an additional 10 hours. Keep your records for five years, as the NMBA can request them at audit or as part of a notification.
How to write a meaningful reflection
- Describe the event briefly and factually.
- Explain your thinking and reasoning at the time.
- Identify honestly what went well and what did not.
- Consider the impact on the person in your care and on others.
- Set out what you have learned and what you will change.
- Note how you will embed that change and review whether it worked.
Keep it specific and honest, and avoid generic statements. A short, candid reflection is worth far more than a long, defensive one.
Insight when a concern arises
If you face a notification, the NMBA looks hard for genuine insight and remediation: do you understand what happened and why it mattered, and what have you changed to prevent it happening again? Demonstrated insight — supported by concrete remediation such as targeted CPD, supervision, audit or changes to your systems — is often the single most influential part of a response. Our guides to NMBA complaints and investigations and to responding to an AHPRA notification explain how to put this into a written response.
Common pitfalls
- Treating reflection as a tick-box exercise.
- Being defensive, or blaming patients or colleagues.
- Writing vaguely instead of about a specific event.
- Only reflecting when you are required to.
- Failing to close the loop — reflecting but never actually changing anything.
Related CPD courses
Build the reflective skills this article describes with CPD designed for Australian practitioners:
CPD courseReflection for Fitness to Practise CPD courseInsight for Fitness to Practise CPD courseRemediation for Fitness to Practise CPD courseEnsuring No Repeat of Misconduct or Mistake in Future PracticeContinue the Nursing & Midwifery Board series
Complaints and Investigations Explained Professional Boundaries for Nurses and MidwivesFrequently asked questions
Is reflective practice mandatory for nurses and midwives?
Reflection is embedded in CPD. The NMBA standard requires you to identify learning needs through self-reflection and to reflect on the outcomes of your learning as part of your annual CPD.
How many CPD hours do nurses and midwives need?
At least 20 hours per year, relevant to your context of practice, across the 1 June to 31 May registration period.
What if I’m registered as both a nurse and a midwife?
You need 20 hours relevant to each registration. A single activity can count towards both where it is relevant to both roles.
Can my reflective notes be used against me?
Reflective documents are primarily for learning. If you are facing a concern, take advice from your indemnity insurer or professional association before submitting written material; honest reflection that shows insight generally helps.
How do I show insight after a complaint?
By honestly acknowledging what happened, understanding its impact, and evidencing concrete remediation — not by minimising or deflecting.
This article is general information for education and CPD purposes. It is not legal advice and does not create a practitioner–adviser relationship. If you have received a notification, seek advice from your professional indemnity insurer, your union or professional association, or an independent lawyer experienced in health practitioner regulation. Healthcare Ethics Courses is an independent education provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of Ahpra or the NMBA; regulator names are used for reference only.