[Sharon]

Do you think nurses learn by sharing stories? Have you ever shared or heard a story that had an impact on someone else or yourself? Share a story on the online discussion forum that had an impact on your nursing practice. It can be a story someone has shared with you or one you shared with others. (you may use pseudonyms to retain confidentiality).

[Jaswinder]

Yes, I believe nurses learn from sharing stories with each others because real situations helps them to apply in practice what they learned. By listening to experiences of others nurses can reflect, learn new skills and get better understanding of patient care.
One of the stories in hospital during my clinical that impacted me , a patient seemed very quiet and nervous after being brought to the hospital. A nurse noticed and decided to sit with patient to talk. Nurse asked the reason of nervousness patient shared that it is her first time being admitted to the hospital and she didn’t understand what was going on. After listening her concerns, nurse explained the situation and her care plan , she seemed calm and relax.
Through this story I realized that listen patient’s concerns and being kind can really help patient feel better. I learned that being a nurse is not about getting tasks done even it is also about building trust and giving emotional support to the patients.

[Cheryl]

I can totally relate to this scenario! Time and time again we hear from clients that they just wish someone would listen to them and take that time and give them that attention. Not always with the intent to resolve situations as they are sometimes not something we can fix, but to just know they are heard. It goes a long way in communication and with helping clients feel at ease for sure!

[Shea]

Hello,
I enjoyed reading your post. I agree that sharing stories helps nurses learn from real experiences. Your example shows how important it is to take time to listen to patients and understand their concerns. It’s a good reminder that nursing is not only about assessments and medication administration but also about supporting patients and families emotionally.

[Cheryl]

I believe that nurses can learn immensely from shared stories and experiences. Learning how others may have dealt with a similar situation that you find yourself in can bring different perspective and better strategies that you may not have explored. I listened to a family share a story about a negative experience many years ago from a client in hospital. Their story involved lack of transparency and communication and it caused the family a lot of stress and uncertainty around what to expect when the client returned home from hospital. They wished the care team was more forthcoming with what was going on with client and what their options were clearly if returning home became too much. In hearing this, I ensure that I am always transparent with clients and families even if it is difficult information to convey. I try to explain all steps in a process so that there are no “surprises.”

[Thea]

Hello Cheryl,
Your post does a great job showing how shared stories can shape nursing practice. Hearing about the family’s experience highlights why transparency and clear communication matter in healthcare. When families are informed and included, they often feel less anxious and more prepared for what’s ahead. I appreciate how you took that lesson and now explain processes and stay honest with clients and families. This shows reflective practice and patient-centred care. Stories like yours help nurses learn from both good and difficult experiences and get better at supporting patients and their families.

[Shea]

Yes, I believe nurses learn a lot by sharing stories. In nursing, many situations are challenging, and hearing about others experiences can help nurses understand how to handle similar situations. I remember a coworker once sharing a story about a resident. The resident was often refusing care, and staff were becoming frustrated. My coworker explained how she took extra time to sit with the resident, talk with her, and learn about her past and what made her comfortable. After building that trust, the resident became much more cooperative with care. Hearing this story reminded me how important patience and communication are in nursing. It impacted my practice by encouraging me to slow down, listen more, and try to understand the person behind the patient.

[Emmaline]

Yes Shea, sometimes even an extra 15 minutes with a resident can make a big difference, especially for those with dementia. They often need that extra one-on-one time, encouragement, and gentle re-approaching. Hearing stories from colleagues who use different techniques—such as singing to residents or showing them a family photo album—can be very helpful. These approaches can make residents more comfortable with accepting care and even taking their medications. Sharing experiences and stories among nurses is very important because it helps others learn effective ways to handle difficult situations.

[Marion Catherine]

Of all the stories spoken and observations of nurses who function in the fullness of their skills and abilities, the very first story I heard still rings in my ears today. It was at the first-year nursing students’ orientation day when one of the Nursing Professors took to the podium and said these words, “Nursing will change you”.

I was open for the challenge! I was not, however, prepared for the ways I would be changed. The day-to-day experiences, both minor and significant, constantly feed my evolution as a nurse growing into her own practice standards. Sometimes frustrated by what appeared to be fractures in teamwork and co-operation on the unit, I began to feel ineffective as a nurse and as a team player. Then one morning during the morning med pass, I had an epiphany! If I wanted to see a more effective team, then I had to be the change I wanted to see. In this case, that means taking on a more participatory role than a defeated one. From that point onward, I modeled the behaviour I wish to see on the unit and encourage the team to seek out support and assistance from all members of the team.

I am most satisfied that my positive attitude has been restored and my nursing practice enhanced as I take a leadership role in directing my nursing practice standards. Knowing that nursing will change me has been the single most important piece of information I could have received because it allows me to reflect on my practice and make improvements. This way I am more focused on improving rather than on what isn’t working. I feel so much happier with this approach! I remain grateful to that Nursing Professor.

[Emmaline]

I believe nurses learn a lot through sharing stories. I remember a nurse sharing an experience from her practice where one of her patients requested MAID. She explained that she did not feel comfortable being directly involved in the process, but she was still able to support the patient by providing comfort care and emotional support while maintaining compassionate care.

Hearing her story made me realize that as a nurse there may be situations you are not personally comfortable with. However, there are still many ways to show up for a resident or patient without judgment, by continuing to offer care, empathy, and compassion.

[Sarah]

Hi Emmaline,
Thank you for sharing your story. This post really helped me to remember that when other nurses share stories of situations they’ve been in, it informs and helps us to deal with similar situations in the future. We may not do things the same way and our situation might be a little different but we keep that story in our mind to guide us in our decision making.

[Jaswinder]

This reflection shows how important it is for nurses to show empathy when things are difficult. Some nurses may not feel comfortable with every part of care. What’s important is that nurses are present there for patient to provide support and be kind and respectful. Your example shows how nurses can be both skilled and caring even if their beliefs are challenged.

[Thea]

Stories are a strong tool for communication and learning in nursing. They let us see experiences from different points of view and help us connect with others on an emotional level. Leadership literature says that stories—whether firsthand, secondhand, or widely shared—help people remember lessons and apply them in real situations. By sharing stories, nurses can reflect on what they have gone through, including their mistakes and successes.

A story that made a difference in my nursing practice happened while I was working in long-term care. A senior nurse told me about a resident who seemed upset and uncooperative during care. Instead of thinking the resident was just being difficult, the nurse talked with them and found out they were in pain but could not say so easily. This story stuck with me because it showed me that behaviour often means something more. Since then, I try to look past a resident’s actions and consider what needs they might be expressing. This approach has helped me become a more patient, observant, and caring nurse.

[Angusami]

Hello Thea
Thanks for sharing your experience. Stories and/or tips could be a strongest factor in communication or managing issues at the workplace. As you mentioned, meaningful tips always provide opportunities for us to learn and improve our nursing practice.

[Samantha]

I like how you mentioned that you took someone else’s lived experiences and made them your own. I think the ability to absorb someone else’s lessons and be able to put it in practice can make you a great nurse. Because nursing and health care has an infinite amount of different care scenarios that are impossible to experience and learn first hand, we must listen and learn from team mates, co workers,leaders and mentors.

[Angusami]

Our staff members shared few stories along the way. They provided tips to manage behavior episodes of a particular resident that includes providing the opportunity for the resident to self-soothe by relocating to another common place inside the unit with staff supervision, giving them the favorite tool box – contains their most-liked items and initiating a conversation about their favorite sports event. Most likely, the resident would settle to dealing with the contents of the box and participate in the talk you started, provided all their immediate needs are fulfilled. It was so helpful in managing /de-escalating behavioral episodes. There is a huge difference in the resident’s behavior observed over the period of time when all of our staff are consistent in using the same meaningful intervention which provided a positive response.

[Erin]

Angusami, I have learned so many non-pharmacological interventions from other nurses and PSW’s from the stories they have shared about their experiences. It is amazing what we learn from others working experiences and stories that we do not learn in a classroom or clinical.

[Tammy]

hi all
I believe that nurses can learn immensely from shared stories and experiences, many of us have different jobs, backgrounds and education. Learning how others may have dealt with a similar situation and events, can help bring yourself in can bring different perspective and better strategies that you may not have examinded. I have one particular story, one of our residents needed to be evaluated in the ER due to medical issues but also reponsive behaviours. After the fact, his family reached out to say that they felt communication and understanding was lacking in that situation. It took a long time to develop a solid relationship and trust again. we also had to meet then again as a time to evaluate how things could have gone differently and our communication could have improved overall.

[Vanessa]

Nurses learn in powerful ways through listening and sharing stories, because those real experiences carry lessons that textbooks can’t always capture. Hearing another nurses story offers insight into different intervention, new approaches, and the subtle judgement calls that shape good practice. Sharing stories also creates space for self reflection, helping nurses process what they have been through and understand how they want to grow. I especially value telling stories to new nurses because it helps them prepare for first time situation that can feel overwhelming like providing end of life care to patient who is dying. In moment like that, stories become more than teaching tools, they help express emotion, normalize the weight of the work, and remind nurses that they are not alone as they learn to cope with the realities of the profession.

[Aysha]

Hi Vanessa,
I feel the same way as you. In nursing we learn from each other and we share to offer utmost comfort to our residents/ clients. We communicate differently and stories/experiences helps us to transform the image of the information and team members can connect easily. In addition, offering information to co-workers may feel little bossy sometimes whereas sharing stories serves the same purpose.

[Leah]

Nurses can absolutely learn through sharing stories. In nursing school our professors would always share stories related to what we were learning. One story in particular when starting our mental health placement, our clinical professor told us a story how when they were working in the ER, they went to assess a patient and this patient was confused and started to attack my professor. There were no personal alarms at this hospital and thankfully someone came to assist and helped them. Our clinical professor shared this story not to scare us, but to be aware of our surroundings no matter where we are working. There was an incident the day after they shared this story where my classmates and I had to use our personal alarms to safely get patient help right away. Luckily we were not alone and because of this story we were able to safely help this patient and protect ourselves.

I’ve carried this story with me almost 10 years later and when I used to teach clinical students I would share this story with them too.

[Katrina]

Responsive behaviours can be very unpredictable, especially in an ER setting where only minimal health history information is obtained. It is great that your clinical professor was able to share you that story, to prepare new nurses for real world practices. Sharing stories makes it more relatable and real, it also helps nurses to use our critical thinking and to be empathic with one another. I think that when clinical professors shares stories that it helps bridge the gap between textbook knowledge and clinical practice.

[Susan]

I have a strong story in my early career that I will always remember, I was a new charge nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit and we had a very sick babe who needed some changes that the resident physician was not making. In the shift I did not take the initiative to go above the resident’s head to the staff physician, although that was what I wanted to do for the whole 12 hour night. Near the end of the shift I reached out to the staff physician and shared my concerns. He told me to trust my instincts and never hesitate to reach out to a physician or management if I feel that something needs to be done, he validated that I had strong clinical skills that should have been respected by the resident at that time.
Since that time, I have never felt that I couldn’t speak up or voice my opinion, I am confident in my skills and knowledge, and that I am always willing to learn more. That story was a rough one for me, but really has helped make me the nurse that I am today.

[Sharon]

I agree with you Shea.
Yes, I believe nurses learn a lot by sharing stories. In nursing, many situations are challenging, and hearing about others experiences can help nurses understand how to handle similar situations. I shared a story with an agency nurse which turned out to be extremely helpful to her. I was a new nurse working a shift as nurse in charge overseeing clients and a team of PSW’s. During the shift one of the clients accidentally dislodged his G-tube. I know this was an urgent matter that requires immediate action to prevent the stoma from closing. I had no idea what to do, where to begin as this was my very first experience witnessing this and so I started to panic. I approached the PSW’s and thank goodness one of them had some experience handling G tubes and would walk me through the process. I shared this story with an agency nurse at shift change who went on to have the same experience with a different client the following week. Had I not shared my story she would not be able to navigate re-inserting the clients G-tube successfully.

[Sarah]

Story telling can be such a good way for nurses to learn. In my role I provide GPA training to others in my organization. In GPA there are many opportunities for sharing and storytelling telling. One that stands out to me is in the section where we discuss the 7 A’s of Dementia which can be a bit dry. At one point I worked with another trainer who had a great story to explain agnosia; she had a resident one time who was getting ready for bed and put her curlers in her hair so that her hair would be set in the morning. When the nurse went in to check her she had rolled her hair up in cheetos instead of her rollers. This is a really cute story that gives a clear example of agnosia that I still use to this day.

[Brittany]

I work in dementia care and absolutely love this story about the Cheetos. Thanks for sharing!

[Katrina]

Yes, absolutely I believe nurses learn by sharing stories because it brings reality into educating. When I was a new grad, I was doing home care and the patient had dementia. Just before I was about to take the resident for lunch. The resident was sitting on the couch with no pants on, while the couch cushion was on the resident’s lap. The resident was convinced that the couch cushion was the resident’s own pants and while resident was also using racial and fowl language. I did everything I could to provide emotional/mental support, provide reassurance, provide health teaching, reapproached multiple times, but nothing worked. I remembered crying coming home, saying to myself that I am not good enough. When I see new grads struggling, I tell them that story to reassure them that their value doesn’t depend on the outcome.

[Vanessa]

Telling to stories to new grads is so helpful during their early career. When I was new grad I learned by listening to seasoned nurses. I enjoy sharing stories new grads, but I also like to hear stories from nurses who have been working longer than I.

[Margaret]

Absolutely, Vanessa. Sharing our experiences with new graduates can help them see that we’ve all been in their shoes. It reassures them that, with time and practice, they will grow more confident and skilled in their practice.

[Freda]

Katrina it is so nice of you to share your story. I am sure every nurse has a story from their novice years that left them feeling like they aren’t cut out for the profession. These are the stories that need to be shared so novice nurses can find comfort in knowing they are not alone. This weeks reading speaks to firsthand experiential stories being particularly powerful if one is in a position where they are coaching or mentoring.

[Leah]

Nursing can be stressful at times, so it’s great that you share this story to remind new grads that they are good enough and to not give up hope.

[Brittany]

I definitely believe that nurses learn by sharing stories. Story sharing increases the meaningfulness of teamwork and allows you to reflect on experiences and learn from one another. I have heard many impactful stories over the years, but there is one in particular that has always stayed with me.
I was working on a secure dementia unit in long-term care many years ago, and had a patient I recognized from my time working on an acute care unit in the hospital. During my time in the hospital, I was in a ward room cleaning the bathroom after providing morning care. This man approached me and cornered me in the bathroom. He grabbed my arms and tried to hold them down at my side. I was pregnant at the time and felt very scared for both my safety and the safety of my unborn baby. I managed to break free and pull the call bell to get help from my coworkers.
Years later, I encountered the same patient again while working in long-term care, and I was pregnant again at the time. He was very lucid and actually remembered me from the incident at the hospital. He apologized and expressed that he was very sorry for his behaviour. He shared that he had recently lost his wife, and that I reminded him of her because we looked alike. He explained that he had been trying to dance with me, which is why he grabbed my arms.
Looking back, I can understand his perspective more clearly. This experience taught me that we cannot always jump to conclusions about a person’s actions. We may not fully understand what someone is going through unless we take the time to slow down, ask questions, and consider their perspective.

[Sarena]

I think we all benefit from sharing stories, it helps us process situations, what worked well, what didn’t work. The stories we share stick more than progress notes. When nurses share real experiences, it turns information into something memorable and actionable. Helping the whole team provide better care.
I had a new nurse thats was struggling with a resident who refuses medications. By sharing that I had the same issue with him. I found if I offer meds with pudding and give him time, he’s more willing.
What we share passes on practical, real-life strategies that build confidence in new staff.

[Freda]

I believe that sharing stories is a great way to support learning. Any story that speaks of a nurse’s personal experience in moving from novice to experienced is always worth sharing. It can provide references and connections for others to learn from. One story I often share is my own personal growth in interacting with a physician in my early nursing practice. The first few weeks as a nurse in an LTC home can be such a whirlwind of learning and often time management hasn’t been mastered. The doctor seemed to habitually walk in for his rounds just before shift change. His body language made it clear he was in a hurry. I remember he didn’t introduce himself, went to the doctor’s book and hit the floor running. Before I knew it, he was writing doctors’ orders and was out the door. Shift change would happen and I would be there after my shift getting the orders processed and sent. Over the first several weeks there were a few occasions when I had to call for verification of an order. This became quite stressful for me, and I soon became anxious about his visits and when I had to call him. Then one day he came in, presenting in his hurried mannerism and again he was heading out the door. The difference on this day was he didn’t assess one of the residents that was requiring it. It was then I followed him out the door and into the parking lot. I found the courage to let him know I am a new nurse, and I look to him for knowledge, guidance and feedback that can support my learning and ultimately better care of the residents. I respectfully let him know he missed seeing one of the residents and asked if he could come back. He acknowledged my request, came back into the home and assessed the resident. At the nurses’ station he approached me and apologized for his behavior. He said his family practice is very busy, and he didn’t realize he was presenting himself in a manner that indicated he didn’t have time. The next week when he came in, he greeted me by name, asked if I had any big concerns and then went to see the residents in his doctor’s book. From then on, the relationship grew, I gained experience and he took time to explain things if needed as well as take my input. I believe it supported both of us in our practice growth.

[Jamie]

I think that a great deal of learning in nursing stems from the stories of first hand or secondhand experiences of our mentors and coworkers. There is so much to be learned in nursing that surpasses anything taught in school.

When you are actually doing the job for the first time you will feel like you know nothing, because its all different in the real world. You end up relying on having a mentor who can show you the ropes and share their experiences and lessons with you.

I can recall when I was still in school my mentor in a LTC placement told me about a patient that they had had in the past. The patient was labelled as being very loud and confrontational.
My mentor had asked around about this patient and everyone had very negative opinion of him. He was “very demanding” asking for things all the time.
My mentor had gone to meet this patient to see if there was anything bothering him or if she could help him feel better there.

When she reviewed his chart she saw that this patient was blind and partially deaf.

She assessed this clients set up in their room and saw that nothing was set up within reaching distance for this patient. The patient had all of his stuff still packed up in bags across the room.

This patient was blind and couldn’t find his stuff when he needed it and he was partially deaf which led to having to shout louder to hear himself when asking for help.

My mentor took it upon herself to unpack his things and set everything up that he would need frequently onto his bedside table.

My mentor guided him to where everything was and made sure that his call bell was also within reach so that he didn’t feel that he needed to yell for help.
That was the last day that that client was labelled as difficult or demanding.

What I got from that story was to never take others opinions of people to heart without doing your own digging first. Reviewing past histories, current medical conditions and meeting with a patient face to face without letting others’ opinions pollute your mind in so important in order to provide the best care for patients and the happier the patients are the happier nurses will be.

[Alexis]

Hi jamie!
wow, what a great story. I really enjoyed reading that. That is so true, nursing is taught in the field and hands on through our mentors from their experiences and guidance. Exactly what no course can teach us. so well said, it is crazy how much of nursing relies on teamwork even from the very beginning. There is a lot of power in that story, we should never label someone from the interpretations of others. I think that story also shows how important it is to frequently reflect on the care provided to each patient, all the staff members just believed the last staff member who said “demanding”. nobody reflect on why that could be which i think is so important in nursing.

[Chantelle]

Yes I do believe nurses learn by sharing stories because real experiences help connect knowledge to practice. I once heard a story from a colleague about a resident who showed subtle signs of decline that were initially overlooked. The nurse stated having closer attention to small changes, like decrease appetite, and confusion, lead to early intervention and better outcomes. This story had an impact on my practice because it reminded me to be more observant and not dismiss small changes in a patient’s condition. Stories like this, make learning more meaningful and help nurses apply lessons in real life situations.

[Lisa]

Nurses definitely use stories to help others learn. I work on a dementia unit, when you are a new nurse or PSW each high risk resident has a sheet in a folder in the nursing station expressing how to avoid triggers that can lead to responsive behaviours. As the nurse on that unit if I notice a new employee I will provide them with previous stories of certain residents and how to best approach/re-approach that resident when needed. Staff are thankful for these stories/knowledge as it helps our days run smoother.

[Margaret]

Yes, I believe nurses learn a lot through storytelling. Real-life experiences help connect theory to practice and stay with us longer. One experience that impacted me was when a resident was reported as “not feeling well.” It seemed minor at first, but further assessment showed subtle changes. It taught me not to overlook vague complaints, especially in older adults. Since then, I pay closer attention to small changes and take concerns more seriously. Stories like these help us grow and improve our practice.

[Shannon]

I agree with you on your statement. Especially working in Long Term Care. When you work full time on a unit and you see these residents every day. Noticing subtle changes can help them with any symptoms they are experiencing to hopefully stop from becoming fatal and give them some positive quality of life.

[Alexis]

Yes, I strongly believe nurses learn by story sharing. A large part of nursing is teamwork and learning from others and I think a big part of that comes from hearing stories. In nursing school, I remember many professors would share their firsthand stories and it would help significantly to make connections with the material we were learning in the classroom and in clinical settings. I think sharing stories helps us to learn different perspectives of different scenarios and helps us to reflect on how we act in those situations. I think collaboration is what makes a nursing team so strong. Sharing ideas, sharing stories to help you learn and grow as a nurse. In nursing, I believe no day is the same and you truly never know what the day will bring. By listening to other people’s experiences in the nursing profession, it can help you be prepared and have perspectives if you were ever placed in those situations.
A story that had a strong impact on me was a second-hand story while I was in college. In my last semester we had lost the privileges to the glucometer machine, our class asked the professor why, she explained that a student was to complete a glucometer check and was to administer insulin with the preceptor. However, the clinical group ran out of time and could not complete the task and then had left at 1 when clinical was over. The patient ended up having extremely high sugars when the nurse realized well after 1 pm. This showed me how truly important it is as a nurse, when you say you are going to do something, how crucial it is to follow through. Nursing is a very fast paced career and requires organization and commitment. It also shows how communication is key in nursing, if something happens and you cannot complete a task or something you committed to, you must communicate that to your peers. I realized that day too, how one little missed thing can make such a huge impact on a patients life. In addition, now years later in my career whenever I have clinical students I ensure I have a detailed list of things we are going to do and check them off to ensure they are completed, I also double check all my students work and communicate to the floor staff to ensure all tasks are completed. Lastly, if I’m working as a floor nurse and a clinical group has one of my patients, I don’t assume all tasks are completed I check and follow up in a timely manner. This shows that one single story can affect you and your every day not just in the moment but also for years to come and in many ways

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[Marilyn]

I do believe that we all can learn by sharing stories. Look at my previous post in Lesson 1 about the immunizations.

I also work with parenting groups where we all can share stories of what happened with our kids and how we responded and perhaps could have done better. We use this time to learn from each other better or more appropriate parenting skills. On the other hand, I have alot of parents that dont want to come to our parenting groups because they feel like we are judging them and dont realize that they have skills to offer as well.

[Adeline]

Working in healthcare has made me see life in a different way. The stories we share during shift reports have brought clarity to how I view life. For instance, when I come into my shift and receive a report about a resident who did not sleep well due to poor health, I begin to think about how I can support them to have a better day. Experiences like this give me a deeper understanding of what life truly means. Helping seniors every day with different comorbidities has helped reshape my career and strengthened my commitment to providing safe, high-quality care to older adults—not only at work, but also in my interactions with family and acquaintances.

[Shannon]

I believe nurses especially RPN’S learn from hands on experience and that includes by watching and listening. I remember when I was a student that the teacher was talking about her days working as a community nurse. She loves her job but it had its challenges. I will always remember her telling a story about providing care to an elderly client in his home when his son came home and would clean his gun on the table. Also drugs that she would see other family members use or have around the house. This has always stuck with me as a caution if I were ever to do home care. I hope that nurses do not have to deal with these situations. I have used this story in my practice to not judge others but to be aware of my surroundings and look out for my safety and others.
Also we learn by stories in the media involving unsafe practices by nurses.
Due to several insulin related issues we have to safely dispose of any extra insulin by two nurses at work.

[Stephanie]

I agree so much. I have never personally done home care but I remember a story of a teacher I had in school as well that was telling us that she was doing a PICC dressing change in a patients home and the patient had chickens running around her house. I remember her saying that sometimes you just deal with what you have and do the best you can.

[Jovelisa]

Years ago, I was a brand new nurse when I experienced this horrifying situation. I approached this newly admitted male resident for admission swabs. As per his welcome note, the gentleman has a history of sexually misconduct towards staff. I knocked and entered his room. He was up and standing right beside his bed. The resident was mobile with no walking device needed. I introduced myself and asked him if I could collect some swabs…….. explained to him which part of his body which will be swabbed. Res. smiled and suddenly pulled down his pants way down to his ankles. I ran out of the resident’s room and called for help. I looked back while I was running down the hallway, the resident was chasing me in slow pace since his pants is down to his ankles. The DOC, ADOC (their offices were side by side), came out and took over to assist with the situation. I realized, I should have another staff with me at that time as support. I strongly and it has been one of the cautionary situations that I must remember to have another staff as support when dealing with resident with responsive behaviors. Especially when they are in their rooms/space.

[Norma]

Thanks for all the wonderful engagement in sharing all your stories and how they shaped or impacted you as nurses. I have always learned so much from the stories of other nurses about how they handled complex and challenging situations.
Jovelisa, I have found myself learning from a similar situation in the community where my gut told me things were not right, and I made changes to how I approached client care when in the community from that point on. True to your story, Shannon, you do not always know what you’re walking into and must stay aware of your surroundings.

Lisa sharing the details of the patient with new members of the circle of care is so important, as it helps them become aware of the triggers to mitigate risk when caring for the patients. Jamie, I really liked what you shared about your mentor taking the step to support a client who was seen as negative and challenging, only to learn that they had a sensory impairment, and creating an environment where they could thrive as best as they could. It reminds me how important it is to get the full picture and have strong assessment skills. As well as acting in the best interest of the patient. A story helps us understand things in a new way and connects us to the teller Eikenberry, K. (2007)

Thank you all for sharing your stories, looking forward to reading all your posts for next week.

[Stephanie]

I think nurses very much learn by sharing stories. Connecting information to a memory or story does so much to help you remember. I remember a teacher I had in nursing school that taught a theory class and for each lesson/class/scenario she related it to a story from her nursing career and I just found it made learning so much easier.
A story that has impacted my nursing career came from a Geriatric Mental Health nurse. She told a story of a patient with advanced dementia and how instead of asking question after question which was overwhelming for this person. She just sat with them and participated in the puzzle they were doing. As the person felt at ease, she was able to ask some questions and do her assessment of this patient. This taught me to not rush and not get frustrated when a patient wasn’t able to understand what I was asking them to do. Instead, I slow down, get on their level, sit with them, show them that they have my attention. Talk with them about things that interest them.

[Nathalia]

Hi Stephanie, I have worked in Dementia units and can appreciate how overwhelming the unit can become, specially when clients are affected by sundowning. Instead of becoming aggravated or shutting down because of the clients reactions, I was able to become familiar with my clients over time and was able to recognize their needs as their attitude and reactions changed due to sundowning, which allowed me to connect with them differently to assist with their needs. Over time as I moved floors and we had other nurses being assigned on the floor I realized that if I had someone who would’ve given me some tips during report it would allow me to service my clients positively and effectively. So, I took it upon myself to provide this new nurse with some previous experiences and tips on how she could navigate the floor and the specific needs of the clients. The nurse was appreciative as when you start at a unit you seldom get any specifics, instead we receive a general report and it’s our duty to read our clients files to begin shift. I was able to offer some insight which allowed the nurse to start and not feel completely lost, all I asked was that she would pass along the tips and information to the next nurse so that the clients were well cared for and prevent nurse burnout. Just like you I became personal with the clients to ensure my interactions were meaningful and client-related.

[Erin]

I believe that sharing stories and experiences do help nurses learn. One story I find that I have told before is from when I was a nursing student and I had a clinical placement on one of the med-surg units. A call came up from ED stating that a pt was coming in with paramedics and they were VSA. They asked if our teacher wanted to bring us down to perform CPR on this pt to feel what it was like to give CPR on a real body. Our teacher took us down and each of us did a round of CPR on this patient. A decade into nursing and I haven’t experienced a situation where I needed to give CPR, but this experience I shared that day as a student has stayed with me, the sounds, the feelings, it is something I like to talk about with other nurses when discussing nursing experiences.

[Chantelle]

That must have been a really intense experience, especially as a student. I can see why that stuck with you for so long. I agree that stories like this really stay with you and teach you things you wouldn’t get from a textbook. Just hearing about it makes you think about how you would respond in that situation. It’s interesting how experiences like that shape how we see nursing and how we share what we learned with others.

[Aysha]

I completely agree on sharing stories or experience with nursing team members. As nursing is a holistic approach, we really can’t depend on the theoretical knowledge. Some people like to learn by reading, some are more productive with hands on learning.
In my practice, I found telling stories or sharing the experience helps team members to understand and to connect with the information more. I believe, human emotion always triggers by stories.
As a behavior support nurse, I try to connect with my resident to support in their life at the LTC. My struggles are to offer the support to the resident from my team members. Some of the team members are not aware of their actions. They are highly skilled with nursing knowledge but sometime they really forgets to connect with residents and they try to correct them. Residents in LTC having dementia may not the right people to correct as they are already having memory loss with other co-morbidities.
For example, one of the resident was crying for her mom and was exit-seeking. A registered staff was reassuring and comforting her by telling that resident’s mom has died long before. The mom is in heaven and is with GOD. Which definitely triggered her emotion and became more behavioral. Whereas it was our responsibility to listen to the person, acknowledge her concerns and validate her emotion. Then eventually reassuring of safety and redirect her thoughts of loneliness.
Unfortunately, this was not only one time, It happened couple of times.
I started telling this story in the training sessions at our facility and found the same staff were connecting with the thought and were understanding their miscommunication and misconnection with the resident.

Storytelling is a vital part of nursing because it allows us to make meaning of the human experiences we share in everyday. When we share our stories it gives us a space to learn and have a connection with our colleagues. When mentoring others it also makes the lesson more real. Nursing is based on trust and by storytelling we can support one another and grow in our practise. A story that I have told, as it had a lasting impression on me, is when working in palliative care, a clients’ family had stated that their mother must have been given more hydromorphone and that’s why she passed. When the Doctor came to pronounce, I told him this and He stayed with me until 3am counting and reconciling all of the narcotics. He showed such professional courtesy towards me that I will never forget it.

[Nathalia]

Do you think nurses learn by sharing stories? Have you ever shared or heard a story that had an impact on someone else or yourself? Share a story on the online discussion forum that had an impact on your nursing practice. It can be a story someone has shared with you or one you shared with others. (you may use pseudonyms to retain confidentiality).

I agree that nurses learn by sharing stories. We build ourselves as nurses and our practice based on previous experiences that have shaped nursing into what is over the years, because of previous errors, successes and situations that help us question the outcome in order to grow, correct and learn different ways to be better at what we do. We can take Florence Nightingale for example, she reformed the hygiene practice and living standards of soldiers during war and decreased the death rate by making suggestions and changes to her current practice which reflected in the hospitals and patients health. Thanks to these innovations in practice, nursing was able to evolve and decrease the mortality rate due to infections while in hospitals. Over the years we have discussed Florence and her addition to nursing in many classrooms, along with other experiences from professors and students alike that allow room for discussion and solutions to be brought forward to current issues or possible scenarios we encounter in our day to day practice. Thanks to discussions as such during school and working as a nurse I was able to stop and think when situations came up; for example, during school I had a partner in our placement hospital, we were assigned to the palliative care unit where we debriefed with the nursing team as well as our preceptor. We were assigned 4 clients each to monitor vitals, provide personal care, administer medications and provide care as required. Over the next couple of weeks we became “comfortable” at being student nurses and interacting with clients with professionalism and respect as their caregivers. We had formed a routine and we always has debriefing with our preceptor before the day started and at the end to go over any situations we encountered in order to learn from each other. One day after debriefing we began our personal rounds. We were supposed to get report, review what’s necessary for the day for our clients, any tests or labs and introducing ourselves to our clients. As I was completing my rounds and the set of vitals for my clients to begin medication administration, we heard a code blue. After the rush of the nurses to aid the client, our preceptor removed us from the floor and we were to meet to review the event and learn how we could better react and discuss possible reactions to help the client. However, this did not occur. We were sent away from the floor because my partner had gotten too comfortable and forgot to check the file and vitals with current medications as the client in question had a warning in his file for medications which my partner missed. My partner administered medications we was not supposed to due to the current changes in the clients file which caused a reaction and the client to be deceased. Unfortunately, my partner was removed from the hospital and was not allowed to continue with nursing school, Our preceptor came back to meet with us and debriefed us in the situation that had transpired and the actions that should’ve been taken to avoid the scenario and what steps needed to be taken to appropriately care for a client with the risks that were noted. This situation has helped me along my career to ensure I triple check my medications, charts, report and clients to prevent medication errors. I have shared this story with peers and employees as a way to demonstrate that a new nurse or a skilled nurse can easily encounter a scenario as such, but if the appropriate steps are taken mistakes can be avoided even death. As nurses we are bound to inflicting no harm and care for clients and I know my partner did not mean to harm, but by not paying attention to the smallest detail, the consequence was fatal. This story has never been to inflict fear or discourage anyone from being a nurse or performing as per standard of practice, but it has helped me and many to acknowledge the fragility of life and the responsibility we share as healthcare providers to ensure clients are cared for responsibly and appropriately.

[Terrinah]

I believe nurses especially RPN’S learn from hands on experience and that includes by watching and listening. I remember when I was a trainer, every time I trained people and showed hands on experience it made me more confident in what I did. Every time we had a new shift we would always give shift report and sometimes the patient that I had left in my night shift is no longer with us and this is always sad to hear.

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