Fall into Reflection: Harvesting Lessons, Setting Intentions for Nurses

As the crisp air rolls in and leaves begin to turn, fall offers more than just a change in scenery; it invites us to pause, reflect, and reset. For nurses, this season is an opportunity to reflect on the months behind us and look ahead with clarity and purpose.

The first week of fall is the perfect time to “Fall into Reflection” and honor what you’ve learned, recognize how you’ve grown, and set mindful intentions for how you want to finish the year. 

Harvest the Lessons

In a profession that moves fast, it's easy to go from shift to shift without ever stopping to process. Taking time to reflect, especially related to one’s job, can enhance work outcomes such as patient care and interprofessional communication, through advancing work competencies and professionalism (Shin et al., 2022). As you step into the autumn season, take a moment to remember that before there can be renewal, there must be a harvest. 

Begin the process by asking yourself:

• What challenges have shaped me this year?

• What moments made me feel proud, connected, or inspired?

• What hard lessons did I learn that I now carry forward as wisdom?

• In what areas did I grow as a nurse, a leader, or a person?

Personal and Professional Reflection: 

No matter what stage of life you are in, you are most likely juggling multiple things in your personal life while trying to work as a registered professional nurse or nurse practitioner. Finding happiness, satisfaction, and fulfillment in both requires reflection and lifelong learning. 

By connecting theory and research to answer the question “why,” the nurse can begin to critically reflect and evaluate clinical situations or problems based on evidence and not speculation, thus improving their problem-solving ability (Shin et al., 2022). When nurses are committed to asking why and continually engaging in lifelong learning, opportunities for growth can occur, both personally and professionally. This advancement of clinical and leadership skills can improve job satisfaction in a demanding profession, reduce compassion fatigue, and enrich the work environment.

Whether reflecting on a personal or professional situation, Atkins & Murphy (1993) list five essential skills involved in this process. 

1. Self-Awareness - consciously acknowledge the situation/problem

2. Description - outline the event with detailed information, including thoughts and feelings

3. Critical Analysis - utilizing what is already known but now through detailed examination, challenge assumptions, and explore other possible answers

4. Synthesis - by combining the information from the analysis phase, create a new, more complex understanding of the problem/situation

5. Evaluation - through the previous 4 phases, the new understanding demonstrates learning has occurred, and it provides viable insight previously not apparent to the problem/situation

Change is not always easy, and critical reflection takes time and effort. But by taking the time to reflect and embrace the change, the rewards will overshadow the scary or negative. If you need help with this process, you can always talk with a trusted colleague or family/friend. There are also personal and professional coaches available that can be found by researching online. Embree (2022) recommends reaching out to a Professional Development Specialist (PDS) rather than continually using current leadership to help define and advance career goals. The PDS, through dialogue, specific assessment tools, and other means, will help guide and direct potential goals and paths for career advancement/fulfillment. 

In a study by Ryan et al. (2025), early career nurses note that professional growth and lifelong learning are key to job satisfaction. Three areas to help achieve this that can apply to all nurses are:

1. Effective support systems

2. Mentorship

3. Continuous Professional Development

Whether you’ve been navigating staff changes, clinical demands, or personal milestones, take a moment to write these reflections down. Using the following chart may help organize your thoughts: 

Self Awareness	Description	Critical analysis	Synthesis	Evaluation

Growth doesn’t always look like achievement; it often appears as endurance, a new perspective, or a commitment to clinical/personal excellence.

Set Intentions with Purpose

Once you've gathered your insights, consider what you'd like to cultivate in the final months of the year. Intentions are defined as what one intends to do, bring about, or how to act in certain situations (Merriam-Webster, 2025). Intentions move beyond standard goal setting and are utilized to facilitate self-regulation when confronted with obstacles such as procrastination, distractions, or lack of motivation due to energy depletion in the pursuit of change (Seo et al., 2018). Intentions aren’t about fixing yourself—they’re about aligning with what matters most.

Try setting intentions in these areas:

 Professional Leadership

• “I intend to lead with empathy and presence.”

• “I will seize opportunities to mentor and uplift newer nurses.”

• “I’ll model integrity, acting with honesty and accountability in all situations.”

 Personal Wellness

• “I intend to listen to my body and rest without guilt.”

• “I will create space for quiet, mindful moments every day.”

• “I’ll protect time for the people and activities that rejuvenate me.”

 Emotional Growth

• “I intend to respond with grace instead of reactivity.”

• “I will acknowledge my wins—no matter how small.”

• “I’ll allow myself to let go of what I can’t control.”

Writing your intentions and viewing them daily will solidify and keep ever-present the commitment you are making to yourself, your colleagues, and your patients. Place your written intentions somewhere you’ll see them, such as a journal, a sticky note on your badge reel, or the front of your planner. Let them ground you as the season shifts.

Why This Matters in Nursing

Nursing leadership isn’t always about grand gestures, but rather about the willingness to reflect, acknowledge both the struggles and the strengths you face, and to lead yourself well so you can better lead others.

By taking time to reflect and set intentions:

• You build self-awareness, a core trait of emotionally intelligent leadership.

• You create a more straightforward path, diminishing any uncertainty.

• You allow yourself the grace to let go of what’s not serving you and grow into what will.

Final Thought: Let the Leaves Teach You

Just as leaves fall from the trees, releasing what they no longer need, so can you. Let this fall be an invitation to shed, to sift, and to start again—with intention and purpose.

You don’t need to do more; notice and reflect more, and realign with what’s already within you.

Your Turn:

What has been your biggest lesson learned so far this year as a nurse or leader? What intention(s) are you setting for the season ahead? Share your reflection in the comments. Your words might be just what someone else needs to hear.

References

Atkins, S., & Murphy, K. (1993). Reflection: A review of the literature. Journal of advanced nursing, 18(8), 1188–1192. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1993.18081188.x

Embree J. L. (2022). Teaching nurses how to create a personal and professional development plan. Journal of continuing education in nursing, 53(10), 438–441. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20220907-04

Merriam-Webster, 2025. Retrieved from https://INTENTION Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Ryan, L., Stratton-Maher, D., Elliott, J., Tulleners, T., Roderick, G., Jayasinghe, T., Buckley, J., Newman, J.-M., Nutter, H., Southern, J., Beccaria, L., Sheridan, G., Gleeson, D., Wang, H., Sharma, S., Tan, J.-Y., Ng, L., Peck, B., Wang, T., & Terry, D. (2025). Embracing growth, adaptability, challenges, and lifelong learning: A qualitative study examining the lived experience of early career nurses. Nursing Reports, 15(6), 214. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15060214

Seo, E., Patall, E. A., Henderson, M. D., & Steingut, R. R. (2018). The effects of goal origin and implementation intentions on goal commitment, effort, and performance. The Journal of Experimental Education, 86(3), 386-401.

Shin, S., Hong, E., Do, J., Lee, M. S., Jung, Y., & Lee, I. (2022). Development of critical reflection competency scale for clinical nurses. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 3483. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063483