Abstract:For us, narrative care is grounded in pragmatist philosophy and focused on experience. Narrative care is not merely about acknowledging or listening to people's experiences, but draws attention to practical consequences. We conceptualize care itself as an intrinsically narrative endeavour. In this article, we build on Lugones' understanding of playfulness, particularly to her call to remain attentive to a sense of uncertainty, and an openness to surprise. Playfulness cultivates a generative sense of curiosity … Show more
“…Meeting with others in relationships of narrative care allows for the active creation of shared worlds. It is in meeting with others, coming alongside others, that playfulness (Lugones, 1987) in narrative care becomes evident (Blix et al, 2021). We draw on Lugones as we see playfulness as giving “meaning to our activity” that includes uncertainty that isthe openness to surprise.…”
Section: Thinking With Paradoxes: Turning To Narrative Carementioning
confidence: 99%
“…Meeting with others in relationships of narrative care allows for the active creation of shared worlds. It is in meeting with others, coming alongside others, that playfulness (Lugones, 1987) in narrative care becomes evident (Blix et al, 2021).…”
Section: Thinking With Paradoxes: Turning To Narrative Carementioning
confidence: 99%
“…For us, narrative care is an active, embodied, relational, dynamic, and dialogic cocomposition of experiences. It is a way of making sense of the world together (Blix et al, 2021). Elsewhere, we have written about narrative care, both as a way to engage with people in ways that are marked by relational ethics and concerns for equity and social justice (Blix et al, 2019), and as an intervention in care settings (Berendonk et al, 2020).…”
During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, public health has issued three interrelated dominant narratives through social media and news outlets: First, to care for others, we must keep physically distant; second, we live in the same world and experience the same pandemic; and third, we will return to normal at some point. These narratives create complexities as they collide with the authors' everyday lives as nurses, educators, and women. This collision creates three paradoxes for us: (a) learning to care by creating physical distance, (b) a sense of togetherness erases inequities, and (c) returning to normal is possible. To inquire into these three paradoxes, we draw on our experiences with Ingrid, an older adult who requires in-home physical care, and Matthew, a man with multiple disabilities including severe oral dyspraxia and developmental delays. We outline how narrative care is a counterstory to the dominant narratives and enables us to find ways to live our lives within the paradoxes. Narrative care allows us, through attention to embodiment, liminality, and imagination, to create forward looking stories. Understanding narrative care within these paradoxes allows us to offer more complex understandings of the ways narrative care can be embodied in our, and others', lives.
“…Meeting with others in relationships of narrative care allows for the active creation of shared worlds. It is in meeting with others, coming alongside others, that playfulness (Lugones, 1987) in narrative care becomes evident (Blix et al, 2021). We draw on Lugones as we see playfulness as giving “meaning to our activity” that includes uncertainty that isthe openness to surprise.…”
Section: Thinking With Paradoxes: Turning To Narrative Carementioning
confidence: 99%
“…Meeting with others in relationships of narrative care allows for the active creation of shared worlds. It is in meeting with others, coming alongside others, that playfulness (Lugones, 1987) in narrative care becomes evident (Blix et al, 2021).…”
Section: Thinking With Paradoxes: Turning To Narrative Carementioning
confidence: 99%
“…For us, narrative care is an active, embodied, relational, dynamic, and dialogic cocomposition of experiences. It is a way of making sense of the world together (Blix et al, 2021). Elsewhere, we have written about narrative care, both as a way to engage with people in ways that are marked by relational ethics and concerns for equity and social justice (Blix et al, 2019), and as an intervention in care settings (Berendonk et al, 2020).…”
During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, public health has issued three interrelated dominant narratives through social media and news outlets: First, to care for others, we must keep physically distant; second, we live in the same world and experience the same pandemic; and third, we will return to normal at some point. These narratives create complexities as they collide with the authors' everyday lives as nurses, educators, and women. This collision creates three paradoxes for us: (a) learning to care by creating physical distance, (b) a sense of togetherness erases inequities, and (c) returning to normal is possible. To inquire into these three paradoxes, we draw on our experiences with Ingrid, an older adult who requires in-home physical care, and Matthew, a man with multiple disabilities including severe oral dyspraxia and developmental delays. We outline how narrative care is a counterstory to the dominant narratives and enables us to find ways to live our lives within the paradoxes. Narrative care allows us, through attention to embodiment, liminality, and imagination, to create forward looking stories. Understanding narrative care within these paradoxes allows us to offer more complex understandings of the ways narrative care can be embodied in our, and others', lives.
“…A life story narrative provides nurses with an opportunity to look through the eyes of the other person, and, in this way, nurses share the patient's experiences. Blix et al (2021) put forward the claim that care itself can be understood as a narrative endeavor, where the nurse is an active partner engaged in dialogue with the older person while being open to narrative expressions in everyday life and actively engaging in storytelling activities. Sharing stories can also enable the older person to develop his/her own perspective upon his/her life.…”
Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore the significance of performing a life story interview for gerontological nursing students. Method: The study had a qualitative exploratory design, focusing on hermeneutical understanding using thematic analysis. Seven nurses in older people nursing were interviewed. Findings: Two main themes emerged from the analysis: “Engaging fellowship” and “Understanding the importance of life stories.” The participants experienced increased engagement and fellowship with their patients after the life story interview; the change in their perspective was characterized by renewed interest, connection, and recognition of the individual person. The participants also gained a deeper understanding of the significance of listening to an older person's life story narrative, and this was expressed through them gaining an understanding of people's actions, achieving an altered mindset, gaining a greater generational understanding, and integrating a life story focus in their everyday professional life. Conclusion: Knowledge of human life and stories makes older people's situations easier to understand; this insight affects how we as nurses think about others. Seeing each patient as an individual and unique person and being aware of this in daily care is essential for nursing.
“…Digital manipulation also enhanced flexibility [ 47 ], since the photos do not need to be glued to the surface, and the composition can always be changed, replaced or even deleted. This flexible, creative and playful approach is essential when exploring the life stories of older adults, because it creates opportunities of retelling and reliving experiences in the continual dynamic process of meaning making [ 56 , 57 ].…”
Creative arts therapies (CAT) provide a safe and creative environment for older adults to process life experiences and maintain personal growth while aging. There is a growing need to make creative arts therapies more accessible to the aging population, as many have limited access to these services. This need has been catalyzed by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tele-CAT offers a possible solution. This study explored the experiences of older adults who participated in an online creative process of digital photocollage based on CAT. Twenty-four Italian and Israeli community-dwelling older adults aged 78 to 92 participated in this research through Zoom teleconferencing software. Transcriptions of the sessions and the art produced through the photocollage were qualitatively analyzed through Thematic Analysis. The findings show that the projective stimuli of digital photographs supported older adults’ narratives and engaged them in a more embodied emotional experience. Participant experiences involved artistic enjoyment within a positive and safe interaction with therapists. The creation of digital photocollages allowed the participants to process their life experiences and create an integrative view of their life, a vital developmental task in late life. These results point to the advantages and challenges of tele-CAT for older adults.
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