Integrating narrative care into the reform of long-term geriatric care practice: An exploration

To explore the integration of narrative care into a geriatric long-term care practice curriculum and to provide a reference for further incorporation of narrative care into similar curricula.

The curriculum design for geriatric long-term care practice was reformed by incorporating narrative care elements. The study focused on undergraduate nursing students from the 2023 cohort at a tertiary hospital in Nanjing. After the reform, student satisfaction and evaluations of the curriculum and instructors were assessed and compared with the final examination scores of students from the 2022 cohort. Additionally, the attitudes of 51 students toward elderly care were evaluated before and after the implementation of the Elderly Nursing Attitude Scale.

The final exam scores of the 51 students in the 2022 and 2023 cohorts were 76.81 ± 3.56 and 79.42 ± 2.70, respectively. A significant difference in test scores was observed between the two cohorts (t = 3.624, P < 0.01). Overall, student satisfaction with the course was 100%. The students' attitudes toward elderly care showed significant improvement after the course implementation (t = 8.268, P < 0.01).

Integrating narrative care into the geriatric long-term care curriculum enhances students' understanding of theoretical concepts, improves their attitudes toward elderly care, and fosters respect and compassion for the elderly. This approach helps shape nursing professionals with a strong sense of professional identity and responsibility.