Exploring the Mobilization of Nursing Knowledge Through Reflective Practice: A Qualitative Study Using the Explicitation Interview

Abstract To cope with the singularity and complexity of care situations, nursing students must draw on a wide range of knowledge while demonstrating reflexivity. This qualitative descriptive study with a cross-sectional design aimed to explore how Moroccan nursing students mobilize nursing knowledge—based on Lechasseur’s typology—through reflection on care situations they had personally experienced. Vermersch’s explicitation interview method was used both to structure the students’ reflective process and as a tool for data collection. A total of eleven undergraduate nursing students were recruited through convenience sampling. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, supported by the RQDA (R package for Qualitative Data Analysis). The findings revealed that students mobilized multiple forms of knowledge, with intrapersonal, practical, and contextual knowledge playing a prominent role in their clinical reasoning and actions. Engaging in reflective clarification of care actions appeared to enhance students’ awareness of the knowledge they had mobilized, which may serve as a valuable resource in future clinical situations. These results have important implications for nursing education stakeholders—including educators, clinical supervisors, tutors, and administrators. Training approaches centered on the analysis of care situations support the development of reflective practitioners, which is essential for building professional competence. Keywords: Nursing knowledge, Reflective practice, Explicitation interview, Nursing students, Qualitative research.