Nursing and Playwriting Students Collaborative: Elevating Reflective Practice

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Humanities
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Reflection is crucial for nursing development and ethical practice.
• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for nursing students and frontline nurses.
• Traditional methods of reflection may not fully capture complex experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the use of dramatic writing to promote the esthetic pattern of knowing in nursing.
• To enhance narrative competence and empathy among nursing students and playwrights.
• To foster reflection-on-action by dramatizing real-world nursing experiences during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A pilot collaboration between a nursing college and a dramatic writing department.
• Playwrights conducted interviews with nursing students and frontline nurses.
• Two short plays were created based on these interviews, focusing on pandemic experiences.

Main Results:

• The project facilitated the dramatic presentation of nursing experiences during COVID-19.
• It aimed to enhance empathy and narrative skills for both nurses and playwrights.
• The initiative promoted reflection-on-action through artistic expression.

Conclusions:

• Dramatic writing offers a novel approach to nursing education and professional development.
• This method can enhance understanding of complex ethical and emotional aspects of nursing care.
• Further research can explore the long-term impact of such creative collaborations on nursing practice.