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In an effort to find ways to minimize racial and cultural barriers in health care, a study published in the journal Creative Nursing explored the practice of storytelling to create a better understanding between cultures. Storytelling between nurse and patient can create a deeper understanding of transcultural differences and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes.

In her study titled “Diversity, Inclusion, and Storying: Connecting Across Cultures to Give Meaning to Patients’ Whole Health,” Tammy Sinkfield-Morey, DNP, RN, PHN, CCRN, explored the intentional use of storytelling by six nurses in a project called Story Care. The six nurses selected as Story Care representatives were working in a small urban not-for-profit pediatric specialty healthcare facility where they were asked to nurture trust, understanding, and new insights into the nurse-patient relationship. The goals of the project were to:

  • Enhance patient and family satisfaction
  • Enliven nurse–patient interactions to foster a genuine trusting relationship
  • Create engagement that promotes mutuality within the nurse–patient experience
  • Enable an environment that actualizes awareness of self and others
  • Encourage opportunities for recognizing the need to know more

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The nurses were asked to keep a brief record of their interactions with patients and their results included an array of emotional and enlightening accounts. Study participants experienced nurse-patient interactions that conveyed appreciation for the nurse’s presence, stories that raised consciousness about biases and prejudice, and stories that discovered more similarities than differences between cultures.

Continued storytelling between nurse and patient offers the promise of consciousness of cultural needs and the opportunity to build more trusting relationships in the health care environment. Knowing stories of inequalities in health care among diverse populations can cultivate consciousness and trust within nurse-patient relationships.

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See also
Saint Louis University Receives $1.5 Million Grant to Increase Diversity in Nursing
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