Disconfirming Beliefs: The Use of Poetry to Know the Lived Experience of Student Nurses in Mental Health Clinicals

Abstract

An aesthetic pattern of knowing involves moving beyond classifications and knowing the whole individual. Students are taught to provide holistic care to patients, but instructors evaluate students primarily from a scientific, empirical perspective. To add balance between the art and the science of nursing practice, students were assigned to write an original poem about their clinical experience in mental health nursing. This article reports a qualitative analysis of those poems to expand the instructors' knowledge of the student experience. Five themes and one consistent pattern were identified. Insights and implications of student poetry writing are explored.

Arts-based methods in health research: A systematic review of the literature

“…The various art forms that are currently used in arts-based methods in health research include visual arts (Broadbent, Petrie, Ellis, Ying & Gamble, 2004;Guillemin, 2004;Jacobs & Harley, 2008), literary arts Kidd & Tusaie, 2004), and performance arts (Colantonio et al, 2008;Gray et al, 2003;Kontos & Naglie, 2007).…”

“…Photo voice and photo elicitation methods were explicitly identified in 21 studies. The other art form used as a data generating technique was writing poetry (Furman, Collins, Langer & Bruce, 2006;Kidd & Tusaie, 2004).…”

Reflections on the use of poetry in nurse education: Speaking a credible language of care

“…Using poetry in a reflective practice context is significant as it specifically functions to draw attention to the nuances of patient care and the reactions to those experiences and aims to enhance the reflective mindset of the student, (Kidd and Tusaie, 2004;Raingruber, 2009;Wright, 2006). However, drawing attention to intense emotions that can be evoked in poetry should be managed carefully in reflective practice.…”

Poetry as research: Advancing scholarship and the development of poetry therapy as a profession

“…Kidd and Tusaie (2004) use poetry to document the experiences of students in mental health nursing. In their study, poetry was used to help students become more empathic, yet also as data for analysis.…”