How narrative can improve practice

This unique, practical book for healthcare trainees, practitioners and educators explores the ideas and practice of narrative that lie at the very heart of clinical medicine. It shows how narrative can be used effectively to help convey concepts such as prognosis, and to prepare patients and their relatives for difficult and painful news.

Throughout our lives, story is the medium each of us uses to make sense of our environment and relationships. Stories provide meaning and context, enriching our experiences and equipping us with a framework to navigate our existence.

This unique, practical book for healthcare trainees, practitioners and educators explores the ideas and practice of narrative and storytelling that lie at the very heart of clinical medicine and the patient ‘experience’ of care. It shows how story and narrative can be used effectively to help convey concepts such as prognosis and the effect of illness upon life, and to prepare patients and their relatives for difficult and painful news.

Offering a particular insight into communication by and between healthcare professionals, and how it can be refocused and improved, this updated and expanded second edition remains an invaluable teaching aid for educators working in both small and large formats, and for under- and postgraduate students.