The use of story as a teaching strategy: When educating students in geriatric oncology

Story is a creative teaching strategy that can highlight the unique and complex needs of older adults diagnosed with cancer. Story as a means for delivering educational content can enhance recall and memory of details discussed in lecture. The purpose of this article is to describe the use of story as a teaching strategy and to offer suggestions on using story in educating undergraduate nursing students. To construct an effective story, a teaching point must be identified to be the "lesson learned." The story must be constructed around the teaching point and be relevant to the lecture material. Other suggestions for effective use of story are to rehearse, be succinct, and to inject humor if possible. The central goal of using story is to have an impact on nursing students so they will incorporate geriatric best practices throughout their career.