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.