Reflective strategies in the neonatal clinical area.

By nature and history, the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) is technology focused and crisis driven. Working there demands technical competence as well as the emotional aptitude to ensure that infants are cared for in an environment that values their basic humanness. Reflective strategies augment professional caregivers' perception of the emotional experience of working with others. Reflection is an essential skill that enhances the nursing profession. Reflection is a process of creating meaning from interpreting experiences through purposeful thought that guides decision making for taking the next step of action. In an effort to make a major change in our NICU, we incorporated reflective process to prepare us for implementing change. We used reflective practices to enhance the implementation efforts of individualized developmentally supportive care.