Work

Relationship Between Reflective Practice and Caring Behaviors Among Psychiatric Nurses: A Latent Profile Analysis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction: Reflective practice has emerged as a critical competency for psychiatric nurses, enabling them to critically evaluate and adapt their care approaches. Growing evidence suggests that reflective practice may serve as a key driver of high-quality caring behaviors, which are essential for establishing therapeutic relationships and improving outcomes in mental health settings. This study aimed to classify latent profiles of reflective practice among psychiatric nurses and examine their effects on caring behaviors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted to recruit psychiatric nurses from ten mental health treatment centers across ten hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, between January and March 2024. Psychiatric nurses completed an online investigation encompassing the Reflective Practice Questionnaire and the Caring Behaviors Inventory (CBI). Latent profile analysis (LPA) and hierarchical regression analysis were employed to achieve the study objectives. Results: A total of 346 psychiatry nurses were included in this study. The reflective practice of psychiatric nurses was classified into three subgroups in this study: “passive reflective participants” (n=48, 13.9%), “moderately balanced reflective practitioners” (n=175, 50.6%), and “high-achieving reflective leaders” (n=123, 35.5%). The hierarchical regression analysis revealed a significant positive association between distinct profiles of reflective practice and psychiatric nurses’ caring behaviors (ΔR 2 = 0.420, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The identification of three distinct reflective practice profiles (“passive reflective participants”, “moderately balanced reflective practitioners”, and “high-achieving reflective leaders”) provides a nuanced understanding of the reflective practice among psychiatry nurses. Targeted development programs, such as peer mentoring for the “passive” group and the “moderate” group, could be designed based on individual profile membership to optimize caring behaviors in psychiatric nursing. Keywords: psychiatric nurses, reflective practice, caring behaviors, latent profile analysis

Source: Risk Management and Healthcare Policy

DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s574450

Authors: Yanjuan Ren, Jie Li, Xiaomin Lin, Shanxia Luo

Institutions: Sichuan University, West China Hospital of Sichuan University

Language: English

Topic: Reflective Practices in Education

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,836