Simple
Three broad questions make the structure easy to remember.
REFLECTIVE WRITING FOR NURSING STUDENTS
Driscoll Reflective Model for Nursing Students
Learn how to use Driscoll's What? So What? Now What? framework to structure nursing reflection, move beyond description and turn placement experiences into meaningful learning and future action.
Three-question framework · Nursing example · Practical student guidance
UNDERSTANDING THE MODEL
What is Driscoll's reflective model?
Driscoll's reflective framework organises reflection around three broad questions: What? So What? and Now What?
The model is simpler than frameworks with multiple stages, but it still encourages you to move through the key parts of reflective thinking: identifying the experience, exploring its meaning and deciding how the learning will influence future action.
For nursing students, the three-question structure can be useful when you want a clear framework without splitting the reflection into many separate headings.
Flexible
Each question can contain several layers of reflective thinking.
Action-focused
The model ends by asking how learning will shape what happens next.
BEFORE YOU USE DRISCOLL
Check whether your university requires a specific reflective model.
Some nursing assignments specify a particular reflective framework, while others allow you to choose. Always follow your module guidance, assessment brief and marking criteria first.
If Driscoll is permitted, its broad questions can help you organise your thinking without forcing every part of the experience into a separate stage.
CHECK YOUR BRIEF FOR
- Required reflective model
- Word count
- Learning outcomes
- Evidence requirements
- Referencing style
- Confidentiality guidance
THE THREE QUESTIONS
How to use Driscoll's reflective model step by step.
Each question has a different purpose. The strength of the model comes from how deeply you explore each stage rather than simply answering the three questions in a few sentences.
WHAT?
Establish the experience.
Explain what happened, who was involved, your role and the key issue. Keep the description focused so that you leave enough space for the deeper reflective thinking that follows.
Useful prompts:
What happened? What did I notice? What was my role? What was the important issue?
SO WHAT?
Explore why the experience mattered.
This is usually the most analytical part of the reflection. Consider what you were thinking and feeling, what went well or poorly, why the situation was significant and what knowledge helps you understand it.
Useful prompts:
Why was this important? What influenced the situation? What did I learn? What does the evidence suggest?
NOW WHAT?
Turn reflection into action.
Decide how your learning will influence future behaviour, knowledge or development. Be specific about what you will practise, revise, discuss, seek feedback on or approach differently.
Useful prompts:
What will I do differently? What do I need to learn? What will I practise? How will this influence future care?
THE MOST IMPORTANT SHIFT
“So What?” is where description becomes reflection.
Driscoll's framework is simple, but the middle question carries much of the analytical work.
WHAT?
Describe
What happened? What was your role? What was the significant event?
SO WHAT?
Analyse
Why did it matter? What influenced the outcome? What did you learn?
NOW WHAT?
Develop
What will you change, practise, learn or do differently next time?
A useful rule:
spend less time on the story and more time exploring meaning and future action.
WORKED NURSING EXAMPLE
Applying Driscoll to a placement experience.
Imagine that during placement you receive feedback that your patient handover contains the necessary information but is difficult to follow because the information is not presented in a clear order.
WHAT?
What happened?
I gave a patient handover to my supervisor. I included the information I believed was important, but afterwards my supervisor explained that the handover was difficult to follow because the information was not organised clearly.
SO WHAT?
Why did it matter?
I had focused mainly on remembering the facts and assumed that including all the relevant information meant the handover was effective. The feedback helped me recognise that communication also depends on how clearly information is structured for the listener.
I realised that unclear organisation can make important information harder to identify, even when the content itself is accurate.
NOW WHAT?
What will I do next?
Before future handovers, I will organise the key information in a clear sequence and practise using a structured communication framework. I will also ask my supervisor for specific feedback on whether my handovers become easier to follow.
WRITING SUPPORT
Driscoll reflective model sentence starters.
Use these as prompts to develop your own thinking rather than as a fixed template to copy.
WHAT?
“The experience I am reflecting on involved…”
“The main issue during the situation was…”
“My role within the experience was…”
SO WHAT?
“This was significant because…”
“Looking back, I can see that…”
“One factor that influenced the situation was…”
NOW WHAT?
“If a similar situation occurred again, I would…”
“To develop this further, I will…”
“The next step in my learning is…”
ACADEMIC REFLECTION
Where does evidence fit within Driscoll?
If your assignment requires references, evidence is often most useful within the “So What?” stage because this is where you analyse the meaning of the experience.
You may use appropriate literature, theory, nursing knowledge or professional guidance to help explain why something happened or why the learning is important.
USE EVIDENCE WITH PURPOSE
Ask what the source helps you explain.
- Does it deepen your analysis?
- Does it support an important professional point?
- Does it help explain why the experience mattered?
- Does it inform your future development?
CHOOSING A MODEL
Driscoll or Gibbs?
Driscoll uses three broad questions, while Gibbs breaks reflection into six separate stages.
Driscoll can feel more concise and flexible. Gibbs may provide more scaffolding for students who prefer detailed prompts.
Neither framework is automatically better. Your assignment requirements and the depth of your reflection matter more than the number of headings.
SEE THEM SIDE BY SIDE
Compare Gibbs and Driscoll directly.
See the differences in structure and how the same nursing experience can be organised using either framework.
Compare Gibbs vs Driscoll →
COMMON MISTAKES
Five ways Driscoll reflections become too superficial.
Overwriting the “What?” section
Too much description leaves too little space for analysis.
Keeping “So What?” too short
The middle stage should explore significance, meaning and learning.
Listing feelings without analysis
Consider why your response mattered and how it influenced the situation.
Using vague future plans
“I will improve” is weaker than identifying a specific action.
Treating the three questions as three short answers
Strong reflective writing should feel like connected thinking rather than a questionnaire.
CONTINUE YOUR REFLECTIVE WRITING
More NurseNet reflective-writing support.
GIBBS GUIDE
Gibbs Reflective Cycle for Nursing Students
Learn the six stages of Gibbs and see how the model can be applied to nursing reflection.
Explore Gibbs Reflective Cycle →
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
Nursing Reflective Writing Examples
See how common student-nurse experiences can be turned into meaningful reflective learning.
See the reflective examples →
STEP-BY-STEP
How to Write a Nursing Reflection
Follow a practical process from choosing an experience through to analysis and action planning.
Read the nursing reflection guide →
CONTINUE LEARNING WITH NURSENET
Practical support throughout your nursing degree.
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