Narrative Medicine as a Faithful Response to Suffering - An Introductory Workshop
Elizabeth J. Berger, MS, APBCC, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
In a recent interview, Dr. Rita Charon, Founder and Executive Director of Columbia University’s Program in Narrative Medicine, identified the role of the humanities in illuminating the “savagery” of illness for medical professionals: “I want every physician to ask him or herself, ‘What is stalking my patient?’ and not to ever not know that there is some terror, mystery...ghost stalking them.”
Inherent in Dr. Charon’s remark is the recognition of illness as something more than a biological event. It is a call to medical professionals to recognize suffering—and the story through which it unfolds—for the existential crisis that it is.
Narrative competence (attention, representation and affiliation) (Charon, 2005) is not a primary objective of medical education. Although considerable strides have been made in recent years to expand medical education curricula to include topics from the medical humanities, the undercurrent of desire for scientific objectivity and the pressures of ever- increasing time constraints in the clinical encounter do still engender a view of the patient's personal story as distinct from what is clinically relevant. Perhaps most notably, medical professionals are frequently ill-prepared by their training to engage with patients who are trying to make meaning of their circumstances. This meaning-making is an essential goal of spiritual care.
Narrative medicine is a set a practices that draws upon the use of literature and reflective writing to deepen awareness and improve relationships in medicine and healthcare. Due to its emphasis on meaning-making, it is also a highly effective vehicle for the delivery of spiritual care in ways that transcend religion. It is therefore appropriate for populations across a wide spectrum of belief systems.
This workshop is an experiential introduction to the tenets of narrative medicine. The overarching goal of narrative medicine is professional development and the narrative competencies leading to improved patient care. However, the practice is also associated with improved provider well-being and its attending connection to patient safety. Narrative medicine is beneficial to healthcare professionals for identity formation and interprofessional team building. It is also used for its therapeutic effects within patient populations.
Inherent in Dr. Charon’s remark is the recognition of illness as something more than a biological event. It is a call to medical professionals to recognize suffering—and the story through which it unfolds—for the existential crisis that it is.
Narrative competence (attention, representation and affiliation) (Charon, 2005) is not a primary objective of medical education. Although considerable strides have been made in recent years to expand medical education curricula to include topics from the medical humanities, the undercurrent of desire for scientific objectivity and the pressures of ever- increasing time constraints in the clinical encounter do still engender a view of the patient's personal story as distinct from what is clinically relevant. Perhaps most notably, medical professionals are frequently ill-prepared by their training to engage with patients who are trying to make meaning of their circumstances. This meaning-making is an essential goal of spiritual care.
Narrative medicine is a set a practices that draws upon the use of literature and reflective writing to deepen awareness and improve relationships in medicine and healthcare. Due to its emphasis on meaning-making, it is also a highly effective vehicle for the delivery of spiritual care in ways that transcend religion. It is therefore appropriate for populations across a wide spectrum of belief systems.
This workshop is an experiential introduction to the tenets of narrative medicine. The overarching goal of narrative medicine is professional development and the narrative competencies leading to improved patient care. However, the practice is also associated with improved provider well-being and its attending connection to patient safety. Narrative medicine is beneficial to healthcare professionals for identity formation and interprofessional team building. It is also used for its therapeutic effects within patient populations.