New Perspectives in Science Education
Narrative medicine in nursing education: an experimental approach in the academic course.
Sabrina Grigolo, Gradenigo Hospital SIPEMASSIF (Italy)
Abstract
Sabrina Grigolo, Professor at Università del Piemonte Orientale (IT)
Introduction
We use the term “narrative medicine” to explain that medicine which is practiced with the narrative skills of recognizing, absorbing, interpreting and being moved by the stories of illness. As a new frame for health care, narrative medicine offers that hope our health care system, now divided in many sectors, can become more effective than it has been in treating the disease by recognizing and respecting those patients afflicted by it and in helping those who care for the sick.
The therapeutic education of people affected by chronic diseases requests for the healthcare professional workers a different skill finalized to exploit the stories of patients in the health project and pathway.
Materials and methods
Narrative medicine is a methodology used to collect the stories of people and families through the application of educational therapeutic pact “family – healthcare”.
A narrative description form has been filled in by students attending the course “Community nursing and therapeutic education” – University of “Piemonte Orientale”. 21 students have described their experiences using the narrative description form.
Conclusions
The students have appreciated the use of narrative approach to healthcare because, thanks to this form, their experiences have been emphasized in the healthcare processes.
How they describe, what they feel or think on health care models is connected to an integrated approach “patients-healthcare workers” in order to implement efficiently the daily care activities. Today the healthcare professional workers have to collaborate with the patients and families to optimize the resources offered by the healthcare system.
From the teacher point of view, the experiences descriptions forms have been finalized to analyze the quality of care supplied by the students. The way of teaching the therapeutic education subjects have to request a different approach for the lesson plan.
Bibliography
Narrative Medicine: Honoring the stories of illness, Oxford University Press, 2008
