No abstract

No abstract

Accessible summary Digital stories provide a creative way for people to tell their stories using an amalgamation of voice, image and music, and can be used to engage nurses with others' experiences in the classroom setting. Seven people with early‐stage dementia and one carer participated in making their own stories during a digital storytelling workshop. These participants experienced particular and varied challenges relating to telling a story and engaging with the technical process of digital storytelling. They were supported in overcoming these challenges through person‐centred relationships with facilitators, allowing them to negotiate the help required. During the workshop a number of positive changes were observed in the participants: increased confidence, improved speech, a sense of purpose and increased connection. Abstract Care and compassion are key features of the NHS Constitution. Recent reports have identified a lack of compassion in the care and treatment of older people. Nurses draw on aesthetic knowledge, developed through engagement with the experience of others, when providing compassionate care. Patient Voices reflective digital stories are used in healthcare education to facilitate student engagement with the patient experience. Digital stories were made with seven people with early‐stage dementia as part of a learning package for student nurses. In this paper the authors reflect on their experience and observations from facilitating the 4‐day digital story‐making workshop. Social theories of dementia provide a theoretical framework for understanding these reflections. Despite considerable challenges in developing a story, and anxiety about using the technology, reading and speaking, all participants engaged in creating their own digital stories. Positive changes in the participants' interactions were observed. These improvements appeared to be the product of the person‐centred facilitation and the creative process which supported self‐expression and a sense of identity. Nurses working in this way could facilitate ability of the person with dementia to participate in their care, and improve their sense of well‐being by supporting self‐expression.

Stories are powerful aids to reflection. Thus, the use of stories may be a pathway to enhanced reflective practice and clinical reasoning skills. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether and how digital storytelling can contribute to occupational therapy (OT) students' learning through reflections on experiences from placement education. A cohort of OT students (n = 57) participated in a 2-day workshop to create digital stories. Data were generated through a questionnaire with a response rate of 100% of students who completed the workshop (n = 34). Quantitative analysis methods were used to reveal a level of agreement in the questionnaire statements, and qualitative content analysis was performed for the open-ended questions.The results show that the students learned through reflection on placement experiences in the digital storytelling process as they emphasized reflection as a main outcome. They highlighted the importance of sharing thoughts and reflections with peers. The students confirmed that this happens through the creative process and the use of multimodality in poetic reflection, but they were less convinced by the use of the narrative approach as a dramatic structure. The students experienced reflection and sharing as important elements in the digital storytelling process. However, investigations are needed into the use of a narrative approach to enhance reflection with larger cohorts as well as more thematic analyses.

No abstract