What prevents students from turning communication knowledge into practice with patients?
This session focuses on the role of reflective practice as a tool that helps individuals become aware of their own reactions, overcome barriers, and translate knowledge into action in clinical interactions. It explores how developing reflective capacity enables students to better understand themselves, their patients, and complex communication situations, while also fostering empathy and professional identity.
We examine examples from education and research that demonstrate the impact of reflective practice on the quality of clinical communication, as well as approaches to creating a safe space for reflection, mistakes, and feedback – where genuine professional growth can take place.