Students' perceptions of digital narratives of compassionate care

Abstract

This study set out to explore the learning that occurred from listening to narratives of compassionate care, and to identify students' preferred story formats and other potential uses of such stories. Four short stories in different media formats were used. Data was gathered from an evaluation questionnaire and thematic analysis undertaken; this generated two themes: ‘Learning from the stories’ and ‘Students perceptions of the value of different media formats and other potential uses’. Sub-themes related to the narratives themselves emerged from first theme these included: person-centredness, compassion, relatives, effective mentor support and ‘the world of the student nurse’. There was evidence of the stories acting as a trigger for reflection and discussion although sometimes, cognitive dissonance arose. Audiofiles suitable for use as podcasts, with and without music, and digital stories all proved to be effective digital narratives for this type of learning activity. Students suggested such stories would be also useful for preparing them for practice placements and training of mentors.  In conclusion, digital narratives can promote effective reflective thinking and discussion about compassionate care. The findings support many aspects of narrative pedagogy previously reported but add to this by providing insight into student nurses' learning from peer experiences.