Understanding adolescent voice as a guide for nursing practice and research

Recognizing adolescents as unique individuals increases the potential for trust and openness and provides a foundation for giving them voice. Giving voice to adolescents by listening to their stories of what really matters may enable prudent health choices in the midst of complicated life challenges. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of adolescent voice as a means of improving health care for teens and as a basis for further research. Freire's philosophical perspective guided thinking and Story Theory provided structure for gathering the health story of an adolescent. Freire proposes dialogue as a conversation between equal partners, which can be liberating. Story Theory proposes story gathering through intentional dialogue to learn what really matters to the person sharing the story. The convergence of Freire's philosophy and the adolescent story results in a definition of adolescent voice: the power to express self through dialogue with a nonjudgmental listener who gives and receives feedback. Adolescence is a time of growth and change, and a time when adolescents often make risky choices. Paying attention to adolescent voice could promote positive interactions with health-care providers, leading to safer decision-making. Recognizing adolescents as unique individuals and listening to their stories increases the potential for trust and openness with health-care providers. Giving voice to what really matters to them may assist adolescents in making positive health choices in the midst of complicated life challenges. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of adolescent voice as a means of improving health care for teens and as a basis for further research.