Transformation of story to practice: an innovative approach to long-term care.
The negative effects of institutionalization in a long-term care facility include depersonalization, decreased self-concept and self-esteem, and decreased psychological well being. To modify these effects, an innovative narrative approach to long-term care in the format of story telling and listening is proposed. Narrative practice, in the format of story telling and listening, leads to an ethics-based care that prioritizes the resident's personal meanings, values staff-patient relationships, and permits the resident to define quality care. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the functions of storytelling can be applied in the long-term care setting using the themes that emerge in the life story of a particular resident. These themes, findings of a phenomenological study, were incorporated into the resident's care plan by staff and, consequently, quality of care improved. Recognizing the value of story and incorporating the themes that emerge into a personalized care plan transforms nursing practice.
Heliker
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School of Nursing, University of Texas at Galveston, USA. dheliker@utmb.edu
D000368:Aged; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology*; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D008568:Memory; D008603:Mental Health; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012649:Self Concept; D012650:Self Disclosure