Health humanities in nursing training: A multiple case experiment at undergraduate level

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a health humanities seminar with a group of fourth year undergraduate nursing students. Thirteen participants analyzed stills and excepts from fictional narrative films which focused on the nurse-patient relationship using strategies derived from narrative medicine, and psychology of cinema. Alterations in participants’ attitude of patient-centered care, using the PPOS (Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale), and thematic content analysis of responses to an open question on the nurse's ideal interaction with the patient were evaluated. Results suggest that the seminar increased an attitude of patient-centered care in some of the participants, pointing to the potential of introducing health humanities training in nursing higher education, along with the need to consider personal and contextual characteristics that might mediate its impact.