Using narrative in nursing care: A method to enhance nurses’ education

55^th World Advanced Nursing and Nursing Practice Congress

March 13-14, 2019 Singapore

Andrea Smorti, Franca Tani and Chiara Fioretti

University of Florence, Italy

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

Statement of the problem: The present work aims at highlighting two possible strategies to enhance nurse caring through narrative methods. The use of narrative as a tool to improve patientsâ?? elaboration of the illness is the base of the psychological support in many medical fields as Narrative Medicine has recently demonstrated. Because diagnosis of illness and illness in itself determine a biographic disruption in the patient, narrative constitutes a useful tool in nursing care because the patients and their relatives can better understand their experiences and this can reduce possible negative effects coming from painful events.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Two main strategies employed in the studies are: The first strategy, used in pediatric field, consists in the repetition of narratives. Patients and their relatives are encouraged to narrate their experience with illness different times in different days. The second strategy, used in oncologic field, consists in autobiographic interview with nurses and clinicians and then in requesting them to reflect on it.

Findings: Narratives become more coherent and cohesive and patients and relatives can give a sense to their experience. If narrative occurs in an empathic listening relationship the memory of the event changes and the narrators finds in their experience positive and acceptable aspects.

Conclusion & Significance: Overall these two strategies confirm the efficacy of narrative as an instrument the staff can use for a better comprehension of the patient and for helping the patient to develop a better self-comprehension.

Biography :

Andrea Smorti has a master's degree in Philosophy from University of Florence and a Specialization Diploma in Psychology from University of Siena. He has published more than 100 papers in reputed journals. His main area of interest is to investigate how narrating can change memory of experience especially in illness context.

E-mail: andrea.smorti@unifi.it