Witnessing is essential because it is a practical means of establishing meaning and patterns of human interaction. Supporting and validating the client’s story has been fundamentally and centrally reliant on narrative nursing and bearing witness. The use of storytelling by nurses to convert skills into practice bridges the gap between education and practical training for new nurses committed to providing excessive assistance to patients who value human dignity. Through storytelling, nurses can comprehend the culture that reveals the essence of their profession, thereby guiding their practice and research, which is essential for understanding the client’s story.
Nurses create relationships with patients that enable them to comprehend their viewpoints, determining their health state and the severity of sickness. By knowing the patient’s health and illness status in the context of their life, nurses aid patients in their health journeys (Fitzpatrick, 2019). Nurses cultivate meaningful contacts with patients that promote patient healing. Prioritizing patient care is essential to establishing a holistic connection with nurses. Nurses create substantial and powerful relationships with their coworkers that increase teamwork and cooperation, which are crucial for impacting patients’ healing journeys (Cody, 2007). The development of meaningful relationships is essential to nurses’ professionalism, enabling them to gain excellent patient care experience.
The notions of narrative nursing and bearing witness have been operationalized in my nursing practice. Developing an open environment that invites patients to share their stories can aid nurses in understanding the patient’s perspectives (Fitzpatrick et al., 2019). This can be accomplished through active listening, asking open-ended questions, and providing a safe space for patients to express their emotions (McNally, 2007). This can be accomplished by offering emotional support, resources, and, referrals. For example, for a patient with a history of trauma, the nurse can collaborate with a therapist to create a trauma-informed care plan that addresses the patient’s specific needs and goals. A nurse and a social worker can provide the patient with resources and support to address any financial or social difficulties affecting their health.
The notions of narrative nursing and bearing witness are linked, yet they differ significantly. Narrative nursing emphasizes understanding the patient’s individual story, including their past experiences, present circumstances, and future ambitions. The primary objective of narrative nursing is to provide individualized care that focuses on the patient’s unique needs and objectives (Bearskin et al., 2020). Bearing witness involves actively listening to and recognizing the patient’s story without passing judgment. It is a method of listening to the patient’s story, responding to it, and confirming their experiences. The primary purpose of bearing witness is to support the patient’s healing (Bearskin et al., 2020). Both principles are essential to nursing practice and can complement one another to offer patients comprehensive care.
The primary difference between narrative nursing and bearing witness is the emphasis and concentration. The primary focus of narrative nursing is understanding the patient’s individual story, including their past experiences, present circumstances, and future ambitions (Strandås & Bondas, 2018). For example, If a patient has a history of trauma, for instance, a nurse utilizing the narrative nursing approach would seek to understand the impact of the trauma on the patient’s health and build a care plan that addresses the patient’s unique needs and goals connected to the trauma. In contrast, bearing witness focuses on actively listening to and recognizing the patient’s story without judgment. The objective is to affirm the patient’s experiences and facilitate recovery (Strandås & Bondas, 2018). For instance, if a patient is nervous about an upcoming surgery, a nurse employing the bearing witness approach would actively listen and acknowledge the patient’s anxiety, validate their feelings, and offer support and resources to ease it.
In conclusion, narrative and bearing witness are crucial components of professional nursing practice. Some concepts, such as creating an environment that encourages patients to share their tales, can assist nurses in comprehending the patient’s perspective and experiences. However, there are discrepancies between the concepts of narrative and bearing witness. Narrative nursing aims to comprehend the patient’s unique tale, whereas bearing witness is to actively listen to and acknowledge the patient’s story without judgment.
References
Bearskin, R. L. B., Kennedy, A., & Joseph, C. (2020). Bearing witness to Indigenous health nursing. Witness: The Canadian Journal of Critical Nursing Discourse, 2(1), 1–8. Web.
Cody, W. K. (2007). Bearing witness to suffering: participating in cotranscendence. International Journal of Human Caring, 11(2), 17–21. Web.
Fitzpatrick, J. J., Rivera, R. R., Walsh, L., & Byers, O. M. (2019). Narrative nursing: Inspiring a shared vision among clinical nurses. Nurse Leader, 17(2), 131–134. Web.
McNally, M. G. (2007). The four-step model. In Handbook of transport modelling. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Web.
Strandås, M., & Bondas, T. (2018). The nurse–patient relationship as a story of health enhancement in community care: A meta‐ethnography. Journal of advanced nursing, 74(1), 11-22. Web.