Driscoll Model of Reflection: What, So What, Now What (With Worked Example)

The Driscoll Model of Reflection is a three-level reflective practice tool that helps you reflect on your experiences by asking yourself the following questions: What? So what? and Now what? Driscoll proposed this model in 1994, which takes its inspiration from the questions posed by Terry Borton 1970 earlier on the reflective practice tool.

It is predominantly important in nursing and healthcare settings, as well as other professional environments in which the process of learning from experience allows one to make better choices in the future. Instead of describing the experience, the model helps you to examine its importance and what could be done differently in the future.

What Is the Driscoll Model of Reflection?

Driscoll model of reflection involves asking three questions in sequence. The reflection technique was created by John Driscoll for use by healthcare practitioners, and each of the questions is accompanied by trigger questions that make you analyse the experience from different perspectives. It is easy to memorise and use in most experiences, and this makes it popular among students.

The three steps, in order:

• What? Explain what has happened. Questions to consider: What has actually happened? What did you do, and how have others reacted?
• So what? Figure out its importance. Questions to consider: How did it make you feel, both back then and now? What were you thinking about when you acted that way, and what does the outcome teach you?
• Now what? Figure out what comes next. Questions to consider: What will you do differently should this happen again? What else is there for you to learn?

Origins and Dates

The history of the Driscoll model of reflection is not very long, but the dates vary from source to source, which is why it is good to see the timeline in one place.

• 1970: Terry Borton poses the three questions in the book "Reach, Touch and Teach". It incorporates concepts from Gestalt therapy into learning.
• 1994: "Reflective practice for practise," an article written by Driscoll, is published in the journal Senior Nurse. PubMed lists the article as volume 14, issue 1, pages 47-50.
• 2000 and 2007: Nottingham's guide to reflective writing states that Driscoll developed the three questions further in 2000 and 2007 to match the stages of an experiential learning cycle along with the trigger questions. The latter is found in Chapter 2 of the second edition of Practising Clinical Supervision.
• 2001: Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper publish Critical reflection in nursing and the helping professions. It incorporates the same three questions in a framework of its own.

Stages of Driscoll Model of Reflection

Every step of the Driscoll framework, sometimes also called the What, So What, Now What model has its role, and the trigger questions, which are prompts and not a checklist. Select those questions which apply to you and ignore the others.

What? Describe the Experience

The first stage brings you back into the scenario so you can give a factual account of what took place. Remember that the purpose of doing a reflective assignment is not to simply describe an experience but rather to critically analyse it.

Questions that will help trigger your memory:

• What actually occurred, and what was your involvement?
• What did you observe, do and say, and how did others respond?
• What do you believe are the most important aspects of the scenario?
• Is this experience good, bad or both, and why?

So What? Analyse Why It Matters

This is where description turns into reflection. You look at the feelings and assumptions, and this is where description transforms into reflection, and you reflect on the emotions, assumptions and values that informed your actions in relation to what you learned from elsewhere. According to Edinburgh's guide, you should try to include other people's perspectives, references and theories, especially if it will be evaluated.

Helpful trigger questions:

• How did you feel back then and how do you feel now? Did your feelings change, and why?
• Based on what did you make those decisions and actions?
• Were you faced with any values conflict, either personal or professional?
• Did your previous experiences affect your reaction in any way?
• How did other people feel and why?
• What have you learned about yourself through this experience?

Now What? Plan What You Will Do

Stage Five transforms your learning into practice. The questions posed by Driscoll include what will need to be done, what actions you will take should the same situation arise in the future, what you will need to learn first and what will happen if no action is taken. In Edinburgh's tool-kit, advice is to be specific: describe what you will do, how you will do it, and how you will remind yourself, rather than promising to do better in the future.

Questions that could be useful triggers:

• What have you learned from going through this process of reflection?
• What will you do differently if this situation arises again in the future?
• What do you need to know before this can be possible?
• Could you have been better prepared for this situation?

The 2007 Seven-Step Version

In Chapter 2 of the second edition of Practicing Clinical Supervision (pp. 27-50), Driscoll positions the three questions within an experiential learning cycle. The seven-stage 2007 model is outlined in Nottingham's reflective writing guide, where the four actions are interspersed with the three reflective questions.

Steps Involved

1. Action: you encounter an event like an observation, shift, or lecture
2. What?: Describe the event
3. Action: reflect upon some parts of that event.
4. So what?: Analyse the event
5. Action: determine the learning points that are brought about by reflection.
6. Now what?: Propose actions to be done better the next time
7. Action: apply those lessons learned in the next event; hence, the cycle continues.

In the Nottingham model, the three questions of Driscoll reflective cycle are left as they are, while the new element that this model introduces is the action steps that go between the questions. In most cases, developing your essay according to the What? So what? and Now what? questions would be sufficient, while mentioning the seven-step process could be useful for showing why reflection is an ongoing process. The reflective cycle by Kolb operates in a similar fashion.

Driscoll Model of Reflection Example (Nursing Placement)

The following is a Driscoll reflective model example of a fictional case of an adult second-year nursing student in a surgical ward to give you a better understanding of how the model can be applied in a specific situation.

What?
While on my second week working in a surgical ward, I was making morning observations on a male patient who had recently undergone abdominal surgery. When I asked him how he was feeling, he replied that he was okay. However, he was holding his abdomen, and he was not moving around. I noted a low pain scale score and proceeded to do my observations in the next bay. About forty minutes after that, my mentor discovered that the patient was in pain and got him some pain relief medication.

So what?
Given my awareness of time constraints in finishing my observations before handover, I accepted his reply as it was. In retrospect, I based all my assumptions on what he said, ignoring what I saw around me. This kind of practice is inconsistent with the health care environment. In addition, I found myself quite uncomfortable afterwards because my concern about being inefficient became more important to me than his feelings. Studying pain assessment for my module made me realise that patients' self-report scores make only one component of the picture; observation must also form part of the assessment.

Now what?
During my next shift, I will always follow up gently when there appears to be a discrepancy between the patient's words and actions. I will do another pain assessment after each movement or intervention and inform my mentor immediately if I have any doubts. During this week, I will ask my mentor to observe one of my pain assessments and provide feedback, and I will record this in my reflective log.

Points to Note

• The What? paragraph is focused on the story and its facts.
• The So what? paragraph gives the reasons for the student's behavior, acknowledges any discomforts, connects the story to the professional ethics and includes some reading material.
• The Now what? paragraph puts those insights into action and gives specific things a mentor can look for – it is where good intention becomes the plan.

How to Write a Reflective Essay Using the Driscoll Model

Although the Driscoll Model may be a useful framework for developing a reflective essay, the essay needs to flow as one piece. The questions are merely guides and need not appear verbatim within the text of the essay.

The simple outline for the organisation of the essay can be:

• Introduction: Introduce the experience briefly, its relevance for learning and identify the framework of reflection.
• What? Provide the required information to help the reader understand the context. Describe your position in the case, the events and your reaction.
• So what? Conduct the main part of the analysis: Discuss the causes of what occurred, think about various perspectives on the event and relate your experience to the professional theory/knowledge.
• Now what? Describe what you have learned and make realistic plans for how to apply this learning in your future practice.
• Conclusions: Identify the main point which was learnt from the event and discuss how it would influence your future practice.

Strengths and Limitations of the Driscoll Model

The key strength and weakness of the model is the same thing – simplicity. This feature is highlighted by Edinburgh's toolbox. The author states that the model is easy to memorise and applicable to all kinds of fields and experiences; however, answering only the three key questions might not be enough.

Strengths:

• It is simple to remember and easy to use, which is helpful if you have no experience with reflective writing.
• It can be used in nursing, writing classes, and elsewhere, which means you can use it in all modules.
• The prompts provided by the trigger questions give you some guidance if you don't know what to write.
• It is good for conversations. As pointed out by Marc Truyens, Driscoll's model can be used together with another individual. With this, you have someone who will challenge your answers.

Limitations:

• Your responses will always remain descriptive if you hurry through the So what? phase. According to Truyens, the So what? phase is very vague and subject to a wide range of interpretation.
• The process is dependent on you asking the correct questions; hence, it requires you to have some self-awareness.
• The three phases do not distinguish between evaluation, analysis and conclusion like the one proposed by Gibbs.
• According to Driscoll, it is more of a model than a guide on how to reflect, and recommends advancing to other models when one becomes adept at reflecting.

Driscoll vs Gibbs Models of Reflection

Driscoll vs Gibbs is one of the most widely recognised debates when comparing models of reflection. These models both take you from description to action and only differ in how they break down the middle. For the full six-stage breakdown, see our guide on the Gibbs reflective cycle.

How to Cite Driscoll (1994) and Driscoll (2007)

Driscoll model of reflection referencing will depend on which version of the model you are using. The article published in 1994 should be cited for the original version of the three-stage model. The book chapter published in 2007 should be referenced for the second version of the model or if you are making use of the discussion by Driscoll. You can format your own list with our Harvard and APA referencing generators.

In-text citations:

• Harvard: Driscoll (1994) or (Driscoll, 2007, p. 30)
• APA 7: (Driscoll, 1994) or (Driscoll, 2007).

Reference list entries:

• Article, Harvard: Driscoll, J. (1994) 'Reflective practice for practise', Senior Nurse, 14(1), pp. 47-50.
• Article, APA 7: Driscoll, J. (1994). Reflective practice for practise. Senior Nurse, 14(1), 47-50.
• Book, Harvard (as the University of Worcester formats it): Driscoll, J. (2007) Practising clinical supervision: a reflective approach for healthcare professionals. 2nd edn. Bailliere Tindall Elsevier.
• Chapter, APA 7: Driscoll, J. (2007). Supported reflective learning: The essence of clinical supervision? In J. Driscoll (Ed.), Practising clinical supervision: A reflective approach for healthcare professionals (2nd ed., pp. 27-50). Baillière Tindall Elsevier.