Exploring nurses' storied accounts of practice

The learning opportunities presented in nurses' storied accounts of practice are explored. This exploration is achieved through analysis and discussion of three nurse's stories documented in the literature, and uses Benner's (1991) narratives of learning theme as the conceptual framework. The narrative of learning sub themes: being open to experience, liberation, and disillusionment are examined. This examination suggests nurses stories can be used to: discover nursing knowledge, develop shared understandings of what it is to be a nurse, examine nursing's culture and ethics, document interactions for research, teaching and learning, and identify and preserve the practice of nursing. Whereas edited stories from the literature only begin to demonstrate the possibilities for learning that stories offer, through them alternative ways of learning about nursing, exploring nursing practice and developing nursing knowledge are presented.