The nurse and the use of narrative: an approach to caring

Accessible summary•  Nurses at all levels of nursing practice can utilize the principles of narrative in the nurse–patient relationship. •  The nurse can help patients discard negative story lines and rewrite the story with a preferred outcome. •  This can be accomplished through the use of three main techniques: deconstruction, externalization and re‐authoring.Abstract The use by the nurse of the principles of narrative therapy to help patients re‐author their personal narrative, and change it from a problem‐saturated story to one that is more preferred, is explored. Three main narrative techniques: deconstruction, externalization and re‐authoring are described. Examples of these techniques are provided to help nurses at all levels of nursing practice assume the role of collaborator in the re‐authoring process.