Abstract

In our continuously changing world of healthcare delivery, acute care nurses are required to learn new things daily. They are told these new required learnings will enhance their practice and foster their ability to provide excellent service partnered with strong patient care outcomes. However, these teachings can become heavy with research updates, anatomy, and physiology reviews, and bedside care considerations diluting the patient-centered care approach we strive for as well as the nurse's enjoyment in learning. Compounding this, acute care nurses rarely learn of their patient's long term outcomes, depriving them of valuable feedback that allows formulation of personal satisfaction and pride in their daily practice. By applying the method of storytelling to educational programming, the personal story of a former patient was woven into the lecture on disease and treatment allowing nurses to observe firsthand the miracles they play a role in. The story was comprehensive and encompassed nursing practice across the continuum from the pre-hospital setting through rehabilitation. Nurses who attended the program submitted positive feedback regarding the storytelling methodology and reported a greater understanding of the patient and family perspectives on illness, nursing care, and recovery. They commented on how hearing what happened after discharge was valuable and inspiring leading to a deeper appreciation for the various phases of nursing care and how each is essential to patient outcomes. This methodology can be used reconnect nurses to their initial reasons for pursuing nursing as a career linking that nurse back to the human side of nursing and refocusing on patient-centered care.

Author Details

Leanna Bonczkowski, MS, RN-BC; Karen Torres, MSN, RN-BC

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Poster

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

N/A

Research Approach

N/A

Keywords:

Acute Care Nurses, Storytelling

Conference Name

2017 ANPD Annual Convention

Conference Host

Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD)

Conference Location

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Conference Year

2017

Rights Holder

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All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

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Stories that Inspire: Engaging Learners Through Storytelling

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

In our continuously changing world of healthcare delivery, acute care nurses are required to learn new things daily. They are told these new required learnings will enhance their practice and foster their ability to provide excellent service partnered with strong patient care outcomes. However, these teachings can become heavy with research updates, anatomy, and physiology reviews, and bedside care considerations diluting the patient-centered care approach we strive for as well as the nurse's enjoyment in learning. Compounding this, acute care nurses rarely learn of their patient's long term outcomes, depriving them of valuable feedback that allows formulation of personal satisfaction and pride in their daily practice. By applying the method of storytelling to educational programming, the personal story of a former patient was woven into the lecture on disease and treatment allowing nurses to observe firsthand the miracles they play a role in. The story was comprehensive and encompassed nursing practice across the continuum from the pre-hospital setting through rehabilitation. Nurses who attended the program submitted positive feedback regarding the storytelling methodology and reported a greater understanding of the patient and family perspectives on illness, nursing care, and recovery. They commented on how hearing what happened after discharge was valuable and inspiring leading to a deeper appreciation for the various phases of nursing care and how each is essential to patient outcomes. This methodology can be used reconnect nurses to their initial reasons for pursuing nursing as a career linking that nurse back to the human side of nursing and refocusing on patient-centered care.