STORYTELLING EXTENSION PROJECT AT THE HOSPITAL: DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCES

Abstract

Background: Colleges and universities have invested in extension projects as a learning scenario focused on the training of citizen professionals, who are more involved and engaged in their training process. These projects allow participating students the contact and experience with the social reality and development of competencies that favor a better professional performance in real scenarios. Methodology: Experience report. Results and discussion: The project arose from the desire of students and tutors of the courses of Psychology, Pharmacy and Medicine, who realized the need to offer a storytelling activity that enabled the minimization of the effects brought about by hospitalization, offering leisure and cultural activity to patients, as well as the development of competence for the students involved. This project happened in distinct wards of a reference hospital in Recife, Pernambuco. It has made it possible for students to exercise their role as citizens by offering a humanized strategy by telling stories to patients in different age groups. In addition, it enabled the development of professional competence such as: planning and decision making, at the time that will be decided what to do each trip to the wards, the books that will be taken; interpersonal communication, when they need to approach the patient, family and nursing professionals, when they will tell the story; problem solving, when unexpected situations arise, such as refusal to participate, or unexpected cries; autonomy, when directed the actual account and creativity when narrating history and arouse the interest of patients, ethical attitude, approach to the participants and ability to work in a team. Project tutors were mediators of this process through monthly follow-up meetings. Conclusion: This project in the hospital space led to the development of skills in students, who at first did not realize it. It was evident that these students assumed the role of protagonists of their academic formation, as well as, they were active in the construction and execution of the project, in the role of citizens, concerned with reducing the suffering inherent to the hospitalization process and the illness.