The experience of spinal cord injury: using Frank's narrative types to enhance physiotherapy undergraduates’ understanding (original) (raw)
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2018
The start of our journey Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI), due to their disabling nature and complexity, lead to severe consequences in quality of life (QoL) of both the individuals and their carers(WHO & International Spinal Cord Society, 2013). People with SCI suffer from various issues comprehending the loss of the motor-sensory and the autonomic neurologic functions that result in loss of mobility, bowel, bladder and sexual independence(Alexander et al., 2009). Thus, the achievement of self-care behaviours is essential to people with SCI, lifetime, especially given the decrease in the length of stay in rehabilitation(National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, 2016) Between 250000 to 500000 people, nowadays, suffer a SCI annually: traumatic injuries are the majority, especially in developing countries, where working and roads safety programs are lacking(Lenehan et al., 2012). At the same time in developed countries, recent studies highlight an increase in the age of SCI onset and a progressive increment in the proportion of non-traumatic SCI, attributable to the ageing population(WHO & International Spinal Cord Society, 2013). It is esteemed that the direct and indirect costs of SCI exceed up to 20 times those related to other
The story models of physiotherapy students’ professional development. Narrative research
European Journal of Physiotherapy, 2014
ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to investigate students’ narratives about their professional development process. This research brings new kind of knowledge to continuing learning, developing education and planning the curriculum in physiotherapy education. The European Qualification Framework (EQF) defines learning competences in education; qualitative research has a narrative approach. The material consists of eight voluntarily participating physiotherapy students’ portfolios written during their whole study time. The longitudinal data describes them as learners and their development process. The major findings are four main episodes in professional development: the previous studies, a new way of learning, understanding the physiotherapy and becoming professional in physiotherapy. Three story models were found: the story of the development of an autonomous learner, the story of the development in becoming a member of the physiotherapy community and the story of the development of a critical developer. In conclusion, four steps in the physiotherapy students’ professional development were formed. The model helps understand the students’ concepts about their professional development. Students need theoretical knowledge and practical skills to build their professional development. Reflecting learning and instructed practice are important for professional development in healthcare. Learning is connected to action, context and culture where information is collected and used.
Using narrative perspectives in the clinical setting of physiotherapy. Why and how
2018
The aim of this chapter is to show the potential of narrative approaches in the practice of critical physiotherapy. By combining a narrative approach with gender perspectives, we focus on the significance of social context and gender for how illness stories may develop in the clinical encounter. The empirical data are drawn from interviews with 10 men undergoing a rehabilitation program for chronic pain in Norway. The findings highlight how the men’s stories usually present pain in terms of a localized physical disruption caused by forces outside the men’s influence and control. Their stories adhere to a traditional norm of masculinity which highlights the importance of staying independent and in control. However, the men’s stories also refer to changes at work, worries about sick children, divorce and loss of contact using narr at ive per spec t ive s in t he cl in ic al se t t ing 357 with children: in other words, social disruptions and relational and emotional distress. In the m...
Rehabilitation as a fight: A narrative case study of the first year after a spinal cord injury
2009
From a case study, complexities and ambiguities characterising the rehabilitation process following a spinal cord injury were revealed. The process of rehabilitation from spinal cord injury is characterized by many different and often conflicting emotions such as despair and hope, depression and optimism, and disappointment. Supporting the patient calls for a detailed understanding of this process. In this study of the first year after a spinal cord injury, one case was especially illustrative. Through a narrative approach the complexity of the rehabilitation process and its core elements were conveyed. Data analysis was based on Ricoeur’s theory. The findings were that fight was a core component of the rehabilitation process. Revealing four kinds of fights we discovered a constructive fight with one self and a fight together with other people in contrast to a devastating fight against other people and a fight against oneself stemming from a conflict. The conclusion was that rehabilitation could be seen as a fight where the staff played an important role stimulating and supporting. If they engaged in the patient’s fight the patient’s well-being processes towards life. Otherwise, the staff were another burden.
Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice
Purpose: Narrative medicine in healthcare education is used to promote a deeper understanding of the illness experience to promote compassionate, patient-centered care. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore first year physical therapy students’ perceived learning after completing a first-person illness narrative assignment within a required Whole Person Care course prior to clinical experience. Method: Fifty-nine first-year doctor of physical therapy students completed an illness narrative assignment of a known individual with an illness experience from the first-person perspective. Data from students’ reflections on completing the illness narrative assignment were analyzed. Themes organically emerged from the open-ended prompt “What do you feel you learned writing the illness narrative?” Results: Four primary themes of perceived student learning emerged: deeper understanding of oneself, cognizance of values, understanding the illness experience of others, and recogni...
Exploring the Challenges of Physiotherapy Clinical Education: A Qualitative Study
Iranian Rehabilitation Journal, 2017
Clinical education is an important component of physiotherapy education. The students' and clinical educators' viewpoints about different aspects of education are being analyzed worldwide for the promotion of educational services. The aim of this study was to identify the challenges of clinical education based on the experiences of physiotherapy students and educators. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using content analysis method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews using a purposeful sampling method with a maximum variation based on some factors like first-hand experience, expertise, and their willingness to participate in this research. Data collection was continued until the point of data saturation was attained. The participants included 17 senior physiotherapy students and nine clinical educators with over three years of experience. Results: After verbatim transcription of the interviews and data analysis, 360 initial or open codes were extracted. The related codes were derived from the students' and clinical educators' experiences and challenges and were categorized into three concepts: A. Personal and professional characteristics of physiotherapy students; B. Personal and professional characteristics of clinical educators; and C. Inefficient educational system. Discussion: Clinical education efficiency requires a common understanding of the long-term complications involved in addressing the existing barriers. Understanding these challenges can equip the policy makers and educational planners of physiotherapy departments with valuable information for improvement in the quality of physiotherapy clinical education and preventing oversight of clinical education and programs. Thus, the study emphasized the need for comprehensive management for policy makers and educational planners and recommended further research.
Men, spinal cord injury, memories and the narrative performance of pain
This article draws upon data generated from life history interviews with a small group of men who had experienced spinal cord injury (SCI) through playing sport and defined themselves as disabled. By focusing on the initial acute phase of rehabilitation following SCI their autobiographical memories of pain are explored in relation to the narratives constructed by the participants some years after the event had taken place. Attention is given to the themes of unspeakable pain, naming pain, welcomed pain, hidden pain and locked in pain. The analysis highlights the contextual nature of this phenomenon and the narrative resources that are drawn upon by individuals to give meaning to pain over time. CTaDySloOr_aAnd_3F4r7a0n8ci5s.sgm
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to develop an evidence-based resource for knowing and communicating the complexities involved for both males and females in implementing and sustaining a physically active lifestyle shortly after spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Synthesizing a set of qualitative and quantitative studies with over 500 spinal cord injured people, the article represents research utilizing the genre of ethnographic creative non-fiction. This genre of representation holds enormous potential for researchers in terms of disseminating their findings to diverse audiences beyond the academy, and having real impact. Results: The ethnographic creative non-fictions show together for the first time the barriers, determinants, benefits, trajectories, emotions, fears, preferred methods and messengers for delivering important physical activity information to men and women with a SCI. Conclusion: The article contributes to knowledge by showing the embodied complexities involved when in rehabilitation for both males and females in implementing and sustaining a physically active lifestyle shortly after SCI. It also makes a contribution to practice by providing researchers, health care professionals and disability user-groups with a theory and evidence based resource to assist in informing, teaching and enabling people living with SCI to initiate and maintain a physically active lifestyle. Stories may be a highly effective tool to communicate with and to influence spinal cord injured people's activity.
One woman's story about her everyday life after a spinal cord injury
Disability & Rehabilitation, 2010
Purpose. The aim was to describe and offer an explanation for how one woman viewed her everyday life after a spinal cord injury (SCI). Method. Data were collected by conducting three interviews with one woman with a SCI. Open-ended questions were used with the intention of capturing the woman's own story. The narrative approach inspired by Polkinghorne was used to describe the woman's experiences of her everyday life after the SCI.