Viewing the complexities of nursing student professional identity formation: using reflexive photography across learning spaces

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to report on how reflexive photography can enhance communication of the complexities involved in student professional identity formation. A cohort of pre-registration nursing students were situated within a major teaching hospital for the duration of their tertiary degree. Three of these students participated in the combined data collection methods of (i) photo elicitation (photographs), (ii) photo feedback (analytical, reflective captioning) (collectively, 'Visual Participatory Methods' 'VPM'), and (iii) a follow-up individual, semi-structured interview. The strength of using VPM were that place-based memories became more vivid and evoked emotions. Discussions were more in-depth and insightful by using photographic depictions and accompanied reflections. Such pairings can be valuable when investigating the role of places in professional identity formation. The findings of this study support the argument for a more integrated and consistent, sociocultural approach to learning and teaching for nursing students.