What is the difference between Gibbs and Driscoll's model of reflection?

If you are pursuing nursing academics, you must have worked on reflective writing tasks. Reflective writing is an essential tool for students' learning, not just in nursing and healthcare but across academic disciplines. According to the Biological and Clinical Sciences Research Journal, a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on 130 BSN students reported an improvement in clinical reasoning for 90% of the students.

When a student reflects deeply on their experience, understanding what happened, what went well or badly, they come to realise their strengths and weaknesses, which leads to continuing development both in educational and professional contexts. This is especially integral in the learning sensitive field of nursing where students have to be mindful of their every practice, documentation, and clinical strategy.

For reflections to be simple, clear, and structured, there are various types of models being used in nursing academics, and this is where Gibbs and Driscoll's models come from. Both of these models are used to understand clinical experiences by students; however, the difference is in the depth and structure, which often confuses nursing students. 

If you are also struggling to understand when to use Gibbs and when Driscoll, consult our comprehensive guide, where we go into details that distinguish one from the other.

Gibbs Model

The Gibbs reflective cycle was developed by Graham Gibbs, which helps students learn from their experiences in a more detailed, structured, and deeper way.

Structure

The structure of the Gibbs model was more like a journal entry, comprising six detailed steps. Each step serves a different purpose in analysing the student’s experience. Let’s discuss in detail:

1. Description – What happened?

In the first step, you just describe the actual event that happened, not here and there. Simply explain what occurred. 

For instance, an event could be. “I gave the patient the wrong medication during my clinical placement”.

2. Feelings – What were you thinking and feeling?

In the second stage, describe the emotions and feelings you had after the mistake or error.

For example, you could describe being in a nervous, confused, or disappointed phase.

3. Evaluation – What was good and bad about the experience?

Here, you judge your experience, communicating what the good and bad aspects of it are.

For example, “I was very focused and attentive to understanding the patient’s condition; however, this error damaged the situation”.

4. Analysis – Why did it happen?

In the analysis stage, think about what caused the error. Why did you do what you did? 

For instance, “I chose the wrong medication because I was not thorough in my review of the chart, and I rushed to avoid being left behind”.

5. Conclusion – What could you have done differently?

Here, reflect on the experience. What could you learn or gain from it? 

For example, “through my mistake, I learned to be calm, thorough, and attentive throughout the clinical routine.”

6. Action Plan – What will you do next time?

As the name suggests, here you decide your plan for future scenarios. What will you do to improve the experience if faced with the same situation in the future?

For instance, “next time I will review the patient’s chart in a calm and focused manner and won’t hesitate to get the support if needed.”

Driscoll’s Model

Unlike Gibbs's, Driscoll’s model is one of the simplest methodologies to reflect on experiences. John Driscoll invented it in the 1990s and 2000s.

Structure

The Driscoll’s model is based on three steps, offering a very straightforward approach to analysing past events. It includes:

1. What? Explain what happened?
   
   

Here, students should describe the event that happened in a clear and exact manner. 

• Discuss what you were involved in.

• What did you do or see?

• Who was in the scenario besides you? 

• Was the experience bad or good? Or both?
  
  

For example, “I was assigned to give medication at 10:00 AM, but I got distracted and made it 30 minutes late”.

2. So what? Why does it matter?

In this stage, students should deeply and comprehensively analyse the experience. Answer the following questions:

• Why was the event significant?

• How did you feel at that time?

• What impact could it have?

• What did you learn?
  
  

For example, “the event was of great significance given the critical requirements of timely medications for the patient’s health. I felt very reckless and disappointed when I did not manage it on time. This directly drew my attention to prioritising tasks.

3. Now what? What will you do to improve it?

The final step prepares students to reflect on the improvements they need and how they can better handle a similar scenario in the future.

• What did you learn from the event? 

• What could you have done better?

• What training or support do you need?

• What will be your approach in the future in this regard?

For instance, “next time I will set an alarm and will stay focused regarding the patient’s task list. If any urgent matter arises, I will hand the task to another nurse or will inform my supervisor about the situation. Plus, I will get the required guidance from senior nurses regarding handling tasks during busy shifts, etc.

When to use Gibbs, when Driscoll

So, reviewing the structure of both models, you must be able to understand now that:

Use Gibbs when you require a detailed, thorough analysis of your experiences. It is ideal for professional development or when you need to generate new perspectives on a nursing scenario, challenging your assumptions. For example, you can use Gibbs to analyse difficult patient interactions to understand how to deal with the situation in the future. This model not only offers practical learning but also makes you more emotionally aware and heightens self-awareness.

The simple and practical approach of Driscoll makes it an effective source for quick reflections on clinical settings or nursing academic issues for students. For instance, students can use it to analyse a mishap during a clinical placement or poor presentation delivery. This shortest route for reflection provides you with the required learning without consuming much time and getting deep, best for busy individuals and those who are interested in only learning the practical aspects of an experience.

If you require further assistance regarding the matter, you can get support from your peers or hire a professional help with nursing assignment writing UK offered by various agencies.

Conclusion:
Considering the importance of reflections in nursing academics, every student should master models or methodologies to do that effectively. When you reflect on an experience, you do not just revise the experience, but rather gain profound learning bits and insights from it, which is highly unlikely to happen when you just pass by it.

These reflections boost your learning about clinical practices, enhance your professional understanding and add to a sense of better patient care and safety; critical aspects of being a competent nurse.

So revise, reflect and rise!