Setting out: reflections of a newly qualified health visitor

摘要

Over the last year I have written two reflective pieces on my experiences as a student and newly qualified health visitor. As I approach the end of my first 12 months of consolidated practice, I have taken some time to consider how my practice has evolved and changed over this period. Taking responsibility for your own caseload can be daunting for even the most confident of newly qualified staff - and ours is a role where you simply cannot avoid reflective practice (Thornbury, 2013). However, it can be easy in the midst of such a steep learning curve to simply reflect on individual instances. I would urge anyone in my position to try to review your wider progress as a practitioner on a regular basis; you will be astounded at how much you are learning and this will, in turn, boost your professional self-esteem in what can be an overwhelming time, even with the greatest level of support (Department of Health (DH), 2012).