Reflection is an important concept in nursing education, and is regularly used to explore the application of theory to practice and ascertain knowledge arising from practice. The ability to think critically is an essential skill for students to acquire during their education to support effective patient care and evidence-based practice. Today, reflection and thinking skills are commonly embedded in nursing curricula as learning outcomes. This study explored the relationship between reflection and reflective practice as a teaching strategy on the thinking skills of postgraduate nursing students. The study also investigated how students reflected on situations in everyday practice and the factors that motivated them to learn and the approaches they used when studying and learning. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used. Participants (n=210) completed four self-reported questionnaires to measure their reflective abilities, motivation, thinking skills and approaches to learning. Data were analysed using descriptive and correlation analyses including multiple regression to explore multivariate relationships between the dependent variable thinking skills and the combined sets of independent variables for reflection, motivation and approaches to learning. A model was created that explained the relationship among the independent variables and their individual and distinct contribution to the model and specifically the predication of thinking skills as postulated in the hypotheses. The model showed that self-efficacy and habitual action were statistically significant and made a unique contribution to the model as predictors of postgraduate nurses’ thinking skills. The findings provide new insights to inform teaching practice and enhance learning experiences for postgraduate students.