Open AccessThe use of creative writing and staged readings to foster empathetic awareness and critical thinking
Author(s) -
Kirsty Freeman,
Bríd Phillips
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the asia pacific scholar
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2424-9335
pISSN - 2424-9270
DOI - 10.29060/taps.2021-6-3/oa2366
Subject(s) - thematic analysis , experiential learning , critical thinking , psychology , narrative , empathy , pedagogy , creative writing , active listening , health care , medical education , medicine , sociology , qualitative research , social psychology , psychotherapist , visual arts , social science , linguistics , philosophy , art , economics , economic growth
Healthcare requires its practitioners, policymakers, stakeholders, and critics to have empathetic awareness and skills in critical thinking. Often these skills are neglected or lost in current educational programs aimed at those interested in the field of health. Health humanities and, in particular narrative medicine, aim to redress this omission.Methods: We used a mixed methods approach to explore the experience of health humanities students in creative writing and staged readings to foster empathic awareness and critical thinking. Data was collected from 20 second-year students enrolled in an undergraduate health humanities unit via a post-assessment survey, and thematic analysis of a reflective paper.Results: 92.9% of the students felt that writing a creative piece helped them to understand the health topic from a different perspective, with 85.7% reporting that the use of creative writing helped to create emotional connections. From the reflective paper, six themes were elicited through the thematic data analysis: (1) The value of language; (2) Insights into the patient experience; (3) Giving voice to the patient; (4) Creating empathic exchanges; (5) Illness and emotion; and (6) Reflective practice. Conclusion: By offering a mode of experiential learning involving both creative writing and staged readings, students develop empathic ways of thinking and being while deepening their critical engagement with a range of health topics. Students were able to understand the need to make humanistic sense of the health and well-being narrative, providing them with a range of transferable skills which will be an asset in any workplace.