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The Narrative Practitioner 2011 Page 1

The 5th International Narrative Practitioner Conference

Bringing Theory and Practice Together

Catrin Finch Centre, Glyndr University, Mold Road, Wrexham, LL11 2AW

20th-21st June 2011


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Monday 20th

June 201110.00am Registration opens10.30am Chairperson and Keynote Address Professor Alexander Carson11.15am Coffee break11.30am Concurrent Sessions and Workshops12.30pm Lunch and poster viewing1.30pm Keynote Presentation John Given, Northumbria University

2.15pm Concurrent Sessions and Workshops3.15pm Coffee break3.45pm Symposiums and Workshops

Tuesday 21st

June 20119.30am Registration opens10.00am Keynote Presentation Karen Lewis,University of Glamorgan11.00am Coffee break11.15amConcurrent Sessions and Workshops12.15pm Lunch and poster viewing1.15pm Workshops and Symposiums3.00pm Coffee and close of conference

Concurrent Sessions

Monday 20th

June

11.30- 12.30

Room 1 Theme: Narratives in a Practice Context

1) Paul Taylor: Narrative Inquiry: The Potentialin Sociological Analyses of Mental Healthwork

2) Paula Pope: Discourses from youth work practice:theyouth workersstory

Room 2 Theme: Narratives of Disability

3) Lucy Reynolds: Disability narrativesin the UK press

4) Larry Lee: Whatis Challenging About Challenging Behaviour? An Exploratory Story.

5) Cassie Ogden: Transcending civility:storied experiences ofleakinessin childhood

2.15pm-315pm

Room 1 Workshop:

6) Andre Hutchinson: Involving service usersstoriesin developing mental health services:theprocess of capturing, enabling and supporting service users'expertiseand experiences.

Room 2 Theme: Narratives and Creativity

7) Helen Newall: Dreaming the Silence:an audio-visualexploration into therepresentation ofdeafnessand tinnitus

8) Jan Woodhouse: Interiorityand theinnerchild - artas narrative

9) Sarah Mackay: Between Two Worlds: Exploring theexperiences ofyoung people with autism


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3.45- 4.45 PM

Room 1 Theme: Narratives in a Nursing Context

10) Joanne Pike:A Phenomenologicalstudyexploring the holistic meaning impending surgery

from patientsand nursing staff perspectives.

11) Nikki Lloyd Jones: Competency, Contingencyand Choice: Decision-Making in Nursing

Practice

12) Sharon Edwards: Learning from practice:thevalue ofstoryin nurseeducation

Room 2 Theme Narratives of Identity

13) Rose Shepherdson: Obligateassumed Identity: narrating the darkeruntold side of unfoldingdementia.

14) Denise Proudfoot: I am justa normal mother. Mothersliving with HIV, telltheirstories

15) John Reynolds: Jimmy Hendrix orAristotle (performer, storytelleroreducator). Who am I

Tuesday 21st

June

11.15-12.15

Room 1 Theme: Telling stories in ways that make us stronger

16) April Harper: Stories of Education.

17) Liz Lefroy& Yvonne Ekersley with members of Outside In Animated Narratives workingwith social work students, service usersand carers to develop narratives of exclusion and

participation

18) David Coyle:Narratives ofrecovery:impact of person-centred approaches

Room 2Theme: Narratives in a Social Work Context

19) Karen Roscoe and Kirsty Perry: TransitionalNarratives: Discourses ofsocial workstudents

20) Rose Mathews: Fiftyyears of poverty observationsand associations

21) Wulf Livingston: Not from a Book: Social workersacquisition ofknowledge on alcohol

1.15-3.00

Room 1 Workshop: Professor Alex Carson/John Given/ Karen Lewis Critical ConversationsSymposium


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Poster Presentations

22) Grace Farrington: Bibliotherapyin a Modern Mental Health Context

23) Pat Hibberd:From thestart ofthe first page.Constructing research identitythrough

autobiographical narrative

24) Sinead OToole A Narrative Analysis of Stories of Dying with MotorNeurone Disease

25) Sinead OTooleNo room attheinn: A Story ofseeking careattheend oflife fora personwith MND.

Abstracts

1)Paul Taylor and Cassandra Ogden:Narrative Inquiry: The Potentialin Sociological Analyses ofMental Healthwork

AbstractThis article explores how mental health workers experience their work on a day-to-day basis. Itengages with the multifarious nature oftheirwork, and how they cometo terms with theexpectationsthatare placed upon them. Moreover, although the sociology of mental health establishments hasbeen extensivelyapplied amongst service user perspectives, the plight of mental health personnelhasreceived much lessattention in thesociological context. Thisarticle focuses upon how the use ofnarrative interviewing and analysis has provided illumination on how mental health personnels day-

to-day workisstructured and the physical, practicaland ideologicalinfluences which effectit. Hospitalbased and community treatmentsare complex socialarenas with arange of demands placed uponthe front-line workeratany onetime, emerging from both formal governanceand informal workplacenorms. A series of six normative orders of mental health work have been developed in order toprovide an analytic lens by which mental health work can be more deeply understood. From thisstudy, narrativeinterviewing of occupational groups can beseen as making an important contributionto the understanding ofsuch a workforce. This paperadvocates that those who direct occupational

imperativesshould considertheimportance ofemploying such a method of data collection in additionto already established analytic tools studying the welfare and effectiveness of mental health careprofessionals (MHCPs).

Keywords: Occupational Culture, Mental Health Care, Qualitative, Narrative Inquiry

2)Paula Pope:Discourses from youth work practice:theyouth workersstory

Introduction: Youth workis aboutbeginningsand notend products. Assuch, itis a privilegeto workwith young people according to youth workers when they take the opportunity to reflect on thechallengesand rewards of youth work in the currenteconomic climatethat is reducing funding forservice provision and professionalyouth worktraining programmes. Their insights into the nature ofprofessionalyouth work practiceareshared in this paper.

Aims of the project: This pilotstudyaims to use youth worker narratives to raise the profile of thevalue ofyouth workto young people in the community. Itseeksto generateknowledgeaboutyouthwork processesthrough collating vignettes of practicethat willassistyouth workersin training. Ittests

outresearch methodsin preparation forthe nextstage oftheresearch.

Methods: Using purposive sampling, ten youth workers were recruited for the pilot, five fromMerseyside in the UK, five from Victoria in Australia. Two researchers conducted separate semi-structured interviews, developing a conversation about youth work experiences and realities,innovative practiceand notions of their legacy. The findings were subjected to a thematic contentanalysis derived from Ritchieand Spence (1994).


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Results: Four main themes with descriptors were produced, identifying the youth worker role,professionalethos, youth workskillsand approachesand impact ofyouth work.

Discussion and conclusion: Youth workers narratives show personal commitments to making adifference in young peoples lives. This isachieved despite the instability of resourceallocation andgenerallack of understanding aboutyouth workin society.

Implications forpractice: By documenting examples of good practice, youth workers can contributetoestablishing evidence ofitsvalueand attract future funding forservicesand workersin training.

3) Lucy Reynolds: Disability narrativesin the UK press

In this paper I explore the ways that both disabled and non-disabled people perceive therepresentation of disabilityand disabled people in the British press, using themesthat havearisen from transcripts of focus groups with disabled peopleand non-disabled people.

In the paper I will discuss a newspaper article from The Daily Telegraph that I haveshown to the focus groups. Thestory carried the headline:I want my girl to have the AshleyTreatment (Davis, 06 January 2007). It featured Katie Thorpe, ateenager who hassevereCerebral Palsy that affects her both physically and intellectually. Katies mother, Alison

thought that if Katie was to have a hysterectomy, it would benefit her by preventing herhaving periods. In the newspaperarticle, Alison told the difficultiesshe would have caring forKatie if she had periods and said that Katie did not have the ability to understandmenstruation.

So far, many different narratives haveemerged from the discussions I have had with the focusgroups. In this paper, one of thethemesthat I will discuss willbethe patronising tonethatis oftenadopted by newspaper articles about disabled people. The article about Katie Thorpe showed aphotograph of heratthe hairdressers with hermother. Thisarticle contradictsthe content ofanothernewspaperarticle, which talksabout how difficultitisto lookafterKatie. Anothertheme I will discussis personalisation and individualisation. Katie Thorpe was personalisedand individualised in thearticleabout Katie I have used in myresearch, because her mother wanted to treat her differentlyfrom both herdisabled and non disabled peers.

Davis, C. (2007) I want my girlto havethe Ashleytreatment, The Telegraph. 8 January. [Online]Availableat: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/core/Content/displayPrintable.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/Glover, J. (2004)Choosing Children: Genes, Disability, and Design. Oxford: Clarendon Press

4)Larry Lee: Whatis Challenging about Challenging Behaviour? An exploratory Story.

Thisthesisexplores challenging behaviourwith emphasis on whetherlearning disabledstudents canassume responsibility for managing what is deemed by professional experts as their challengingbehaviour. Having reviewed the literature, challenging behaviour represents disruptions to thelearning process. Student accounts, however, reveal they view challenging behaviours as Acts ofResistanceto subjugating educationaland psychological practices.

Thisresearch explores, firstly, how somestudents deliberately usea defensive disabilitylanguagetoassert power over the learning environment; secondly, how some students purposefully assumedefensive positionalstancesand use powertacticsin responseto theinequitable distribution of power

between them and professional expertsto assert poweroverthelearning environment.

Three case-studystudentsand 12 focus-group students participated in thisstudy. Accounts of theirchallenging behaviours were gathered using semi-structured interviewsand focus group discussionsovera period of 10 weeks. Interviews wereaudio taped and transcribed priorto analysis.

Grounded in students accounts, a thematic analysis yielded five themes relating to the researchquestion: can students manage their challenging behaviour? Ive got a problem, I cant, Imdisabled, I told staffand Im not normal. A Foucauldian and DiscursiveAnalysis highlighted five


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Acts of Resistancethatrelateto studentslevel of differentiation from BBANN, PSI and MSN; namely,Conditioned Response, Role Specific, Inner-Conflicted, Retreating and HigherOrder.

The findings reveal students are capable of managing their challenging behaviours or Acts ofResistanceif opportunitiesto do so are madeavailableto them and if professional expertstakeintoaccountstudents understanding ofthesebehaviours. Providing these measuresaretaken, studentsand professional experts can collaboratively address Challenging behaviour with emphasis on

students managing themselves.

5)Cassie Ogden: Transcending civility:storied experiences ofleakinessin childhood.

Elias details in his seminal work The Civilising Process (1939) how thresholds of shame andrepugnance helped shapethe modern conception of manners. His historicalvolume highlightsatimein which nose picking, breaking wind and thevarious products ofleakybodies were notsocialtaboos.In contemporarysociety ourviews ofbodily fluids have changed quiteradically. From a Foucauldianperspective, bodiesare now more disciplined than everand through the politics ofbiopower, bodiesare both surveyed by others and the self which can constrain the lives of those deemed other,different ornotin control oftheirbodies.

This narrativeexploration of children with leakybodies (two children with the label of inflammatorybowel disease were interviewed) highlightssome of the ways in which children areencouraged to

control their motions, despite living their lives through bodies which makes this difficult. Discursiveanalysis of childrens stories who experience bowel disruption at regular intervals of their lives,highlight how theart of hiding their inherent weakness can be more damaging than the weaknessitself.

Furthermore thestories highlight possibilities of queering theirexperiences of leakybodies to helpthem feel more comfortable within their bodies. Despite queering usually being associated withembracing difference overtly, itisargued that children may chooseto queertheirbodilyexperiencesin a covert manner. In doing so this empowers the children by allowing them access to peernormality whilst conversely enabling them to feel comfortable and open about their body realityamongst close peerand family groups.Such analysis does not demand an immediate changeto contemporarysocietys hegemonic ideas ofcivility and normality, yet within chosen circles of the childrens lives, bodily differences become

accepted. A de-civilising process may be required before the norms of society become moreinclusive onceagain.

6) Andrea Hutchinson: Involving service users stories in developing mental health services: theprocess of capturing, enabling and supporting service users'expertiseand experiences

Whataretheexperiences ofservice usersand can thesebe collected in such a waythatinformsmental health planning and practice?

Despitealong tradition ofsupport forservice userinvolvement, thereislittleevidencethatitisanintegral part ofthe Mental Health services. Furthermorelittleinformation isavailableregardsitseffectiveness, itsimpact on thoseservice users who becomeinvolved orthe outcomes fortheserviceitself.

An action research approach with emphasis on fullintegration ofaction, reflection and collaborationbetween userand researcherinvolved in an enquiry process hasbeen adopted in orderto focusonboth processand outcomes;including:-.

- Hearing theservice user'story' (narrative- theaim ofthis narrativeto focusattention on thelivedexperience)and itseffectivenessin identifying issuesthatare of directrelevanceto theindividual.TheNational Modernisation Agency piloted thisapproach, in orderto learn how to use patientstoriesto improve care. The Study claimed intensiveinterviews with patients generated farmorevaluableideas forservice changethan traditional patientsatisfaction surveys (Mahoney 2003).


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- Thisresearch then goes furtherin thatthe narrativeis heard byservice-userresearchers.Thereisaccumulating evidence which illustratesthatengaging service usersin obtaining thenarrative hasenabled and strengthened validity ofresponses from otherservice users.

- In orderthattheservice usersareenabled to undertakethisrole within theresearch willincludeaprocess ofinterviewing and appointing service userresearchers followed bya programme oftrainingworkshops, provision ofsupervision and discussion group/peersupportthroughoutthe programme.

The main focusis on theservice userstory, how itis obtained and analysed bytheservice userresearchersand translated into effecting changein services.

If mental health servicesare to be shaped by users views, then methodologically sound ways ofobtaining their views and encouraging people to come forward and present them are needed(Richards 1999).

7)Helen Newhall: Dreaming the Silence:an audio-visualexploration into therepresentation ofdeafnessand tinnitus.

The focus of this investigation was an interrogation of Jastreboffs belief that tinnitus isunrepresentable (Jastreboff, 2008). SinceNewallexperiences tinnitus, and Lauke isa sound artist,this projectaimed to testthisthrough theattempted creation -- viatranslation of described phantom

sound into synthesized sound -- ofan accuratesimulation oftinnitus.

Sincetinnitusisa phenomenon which can onlybeexperienced byits owner, and, as farasisknown,each tinnitus phenomenon is unique (although similarin manifestation to theexperiences of others),the method wasself-reflexiveand involved internallistening (counterto all medicaladviceto tinnitussufferers) followed byverbal description ofsound. This we described asa form oftranslation, whichwas translated back into sound in ProToolsby Lauke. But, something was lost in translation and it

was concluded afterextensiveexperiment with computer generated sound produced in Pure Data,and with studio recordings of naturalsound (vibrating glass, forexample), that Jastreboff was right:theexactsounds oftinnitusarebeyond synthesis.

However, during theexperiment, a different dynamic emerged: it was found that theexperience ofphantom sound could beiterated, in soundscapes which did notreplicateexactexperience, butratheroffered a metaphorical version of it. The visual element was introduced to facilitate delivery of

accompanying academic commentaries detailing findings and insights, but also to offer personalnarrativeratherthan merelyaccounts ofimpersonalinvestigation.

The presentation consists of a soundtrack and PowerPoint, which as critical and creativeautobiographical artifacts support the thesis that while phantom sound cannot be absolutelyaccurately replicated, it can be effectively captured and communicated. To date, work has beeninstalled in both artsand health settings, whereanecdotalevidencesuggeststhatthe pieces haveasignificant capacityto raiseawarenessabout hearing lossand/ortinnitus.

8)Jan Woodhouse: Interiorityand theinnerchild- artas narrative

Background and context:The use ofartto tellastory is wellrecognised, as demonstrated bythesaying a picture is worth a thousand words. This paperexplores how images can enable narrativeand recall of pastemotions, asexperienced bythe presenteron a Healing through art course.

Aims and objectives:

y To givebackground details ofa Healing through Art course

y To illustrate how art can enablea narrative

y To highlightaspectsthatarose on the course

y To discusstheissues forpractice

Outline of main content:


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The first part ofthe paperwill give details ofattendanceata Healing through Art course, undertakenin 2009, in orderto setthescene. Photographs willbe used, in a narrative mode (Emmison& Smith,2000), to illustratethesetting.Thesecond part ofthe paperwillexploretheart work produced. Theart worksareembodied images,according to Schaveriens (1992) definition, and appearabstract, howeverthe presenterwill givethenarrativebehind the images.Notions of interiorityand the inner child willberevealed. Aspects thatarosein the production oftheimages, such asrecalling pastemotions, w illbe highlighted along with

ideas oftransferenceand counter-transference (Edwards 2004).

Thethird and final part ofthe paperwill considertheissuesarising from reflecting on theexperience

and concludes on recommendations forpractice.

Conclusion: The making ofimagesin known to havetherapeutic qualities. Theimage can promoteanarrativeand explore forgotten emotions. However caution mustbe used, asbringing emotions intothe present may have consequences. This paper reports on the lived experience and makesrecommendations forpractice.

ReferencesEdwards D. (2004)Art Therapy. London, SageEmmison M, Smith P. (2000)Researching the visual. London, Sage PublicationsSchverien J. (1992)Revealing image, analytical art psychotherapy and practice. London, Routledge

9) Sarah Mackay: Between Two Worlds: Exploring the Experiences of Young People with Autism

[autism] makes me feel like I wanna get a kitchen knife, get my arm, stab myself, nobodyunderstands me normal teenagers dont have occasion to feel like that what is it that theyve got

different? Hannah, aged 16Autism isalifelong disorderaffecting language developmentand difficulties with social understanding.Intense fixationsand ritualistic and repetitivebehavioursarealso associated with the condition.Young people with autism arealso frequentlyaffected by feelings of depression and anxiety, and 1 in3 adults with autism havesevere mental health difficulties (Batten etal 2006).weve had some really horrible comments from people as well, because he looks so normal I feel I

need to explain to say to people look, he has autism Ruth, parent of ThomasThereare no visible cluesto the presence ofautism, and acquisition ofa professionallabelremains

the primary method ofsecuring supportand services. Social production ofautism, instigated bymedical obsession with diagnostic criteria, servesto enhanceautismsvisibilityin thesocialrealm.Unfortunately, social production and creation oftypified individualsalso mean thatyoung people withautism are often viewed in terms oftheirlimitations, ratherthan theirpotential.

The good and thus wholesome danger is the nighness of the singing poet. Martin Heidegger,philosopher

Although an academic and nota musician, I will presentthe findings of my doctoralresearch in theform ofsong. Stripped oftheepistemologicaland methodological woes ofthestandard researchpresentation, my hopeisthatthevoices oftheyoung participants mightbe heard, and theirstoriestold.References:Batten, A., Corbett, C., Rosenblatt, M., Withers, L. &Yuille, R. (2006)Autism and Education: theReality for Families Today. London, National Autistic Society.Heidegger, M. (1971) Poetry, Language, Thought. (Hofstadter, A. Trans.)New York, Harper& Row.

10) Joanne Pike:A phenomenologicalstudyexploring the holistic meaning ofimpending surgery from

patientsand nursing staff perspectives

Research suggestssurgicalstafftakea medical modelapproach. Whilesurgical nursesareaware ofdaysurgery patientsanxiety priorto surgeryand nurses on the wholeappearto beaware of patientsspiritual needs, theissue of identifying these hasbeen largely neglected (McSherryetal., 2004), andparticularlyasregards daysurgery.

Aim of the researchTheaim isto explorethe meaning and significance ofthesurgicalexperienceand to identify patientsspiritual care needs priorto surgery, from theviewpointboth ofthe patientand thesurgicalstaff.


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MethodsQualitative data has been collected from 27 adult patients invited by letter to participate in post-operative semi-structured interviews. The patient sample was recruited from patients in a welshhospital, undergoing day-surgery. The next phase of research will involve a purposive sample oftwenty multi-disciplinary staff from the surgical unit to attend one of three focus groups in order toexplore their perceptions of spiritual care needed pre-operatively. Results willbe compared across

groups. This is importantresearch in the light oftherecent RCNspiritualityresearch (McSherryandJamieson, 2011).

Results and conclusionInitialresults from the pilotstudysuggestsspiritualissuesarise from awaiting surgery, but patients donot identify theseas spiritual, though they discuss what is meaningful to them. They wish to havesurgicalintervention in orderto return to their normallivesas faras possible. Thereisa concern thatthespirituality literatureto date focuses on delivering and assessing spiritual need in patients with adisease, disorderordisability. This may welllead to issues with applicability ofexisting theory.

Implications for practiceThe impact on service organisation and delivery should be positive, in that patient care will beenhanced through clearunderstanding oftheexperience of undergoing surgery.

ReferencesMcSherry, W ., Cash, K. & Ross, L. (2004) Meaning ofspirituality: Implications forpracticeJournal ofClinical Nursing13 934-941

McSherry, W., & Jamieson, S. (2011) An online survey of nurses perceptions of spirituality andspiritual careJournal of Clinical Nursing (online) 9 MAR 2011 | DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03547.x

11)Nikki Lloyd Jones: Competency, Contingencyand Choice: Decision-Making in Nursing Practice

Nurses perception of choice: Decision-Making in Practice

The contention of this paper is that we currently have two main paradigms that structure our

decision-making;a personaland a professional. Myaim is to present my current understanding ofwhattheabove looks like in practice. As part ofan exploratorystudy investigating nurses decision-making in clinical practice, nursesat differentstages of their nursing careerwereinterviewed. UsingHarold Garfinkels (2004)entho-methodologyasa way of making influences on theirdecision-makingmore explicit, the narratives gathered in conversation demonstrate both these personal andprofessional resources as used in everyday practice. Characterised by the rules of reciprocalassumptions, participants showed the decisions they made towards being seen as a competentstudent or qualified nurse. Garfinkel points to the narrative as a situated account of what reallyhappenedand foretold in light of what might havebeen doneand whatbecame ofthosealternativedecisions. As such, the narrative is theend product or decision that isstructured with reference to

both the personaland professional. Using some of the quotes from theempiricalstage of thisstudy,the argument is made that this approach offers an opportunity to see more about competency,contingencyand choice.

Garfinkel (2004) Studiesin Ethnomethodology.Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Oxford.

12)Sharon Edwards: Learning from Practice: The Value of Storyin Nurse Education

Abstract

The paperbegins, with an examination ofthe current nurseeducation curriculum in highereducationand how learning and teaching takes place within it. My dissatisfaction with nurseeducation in itscurrent form led meto return to my own experiences from clinical practicei.e. my own stories. Inconjunction with theliteraturein this field I examined my own stories from practice, and the


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development ofa personallearning process. I then applied thelearning processto student nurseparticipantsto explorein more detail how it worked. This paperconsidersthevalue of using studentstories of practicein nurseeducation.

The methodologytakesa narrative form (Hollowayand Freshwater, 2007; Calman, 2000; Clandininand Connelly, 2000). The methodsemployed in thestudyinvolvesthe collection ofstudent nursestories from practice, analysis ofthesestoriesbythestudent nursesthemselves drawing on Reasons

(1994) work, and focus groups. My own analysis ofthe datalooksinitially forthetypes ofthestoriespresented (Riessman, 1991), and then employs holistic contentanalysisand holistic analysis of form(Leiblichet al, 1998)to examine more deeplytheindividuallearning and the process oflearning

through stories. In the finalanalysis I return to the participantsstoriesand learning accountsandexplorethem through poetry.

This papersuggeststhat when studentsareengaged with theirstories of practicetheybecomeattuned to them and theirlearning isenhanced both in terms ofsubjectknowledgeand self-development. The process oflearning thatemerges providesinsightinto how learning through storyoccursand how nurseslearn in practice overtime. Thereisevidencethatstories givestudentsavoice, although forthem to truly haveavoice morespaceis needed in the curriculum forthem to telltheirstories. The paperconcludes with a numberofrecommendations forpractice, including theneed to rethinkthe nurseeducation curriculum to enabletheinclusion ofstudent-centred approaches,such asstory, which valuesindividuallearning and emotional development.

ReferencesCalman K C (2000)A study of story telling humour and learning in medicine. London: The StationaryOfficeClandinin, D. J., Connelly, F. M. (2000)Narrative enquiry: experience and story in qualitativeresearch. San Francisco: Josey-BassHolloway I and FreshwaterD (2007)Narrative research in nursing. Oxford: Blackwell PublishingLieblich A, Tuval-Mashiach R, ZilberT (1998)Narrative research: reading analysis, and interpretation.Thousand Oaks: Sage PublicationsReason P (Editor) (1994)Participation in human inquiry. London: Sage PublicationsRiessman, C. K. (1991) Beyond reductionism: narrative genresin divorceaccounts. Journal ofNarrative and Life History1, pp.41-68

13) Rose Sheppardson: Obligate assumed identity: narrating the darker untold side of unfoldingdementia

Speaking and writing your own narrative maybe usefulto few othersthan yourselfand close familyunlessby chanceyou areaskilled diaristawaiting discovery. On the other hand, reflecting on oneaspect of your life and tying this up with high quality published literature has proved useful forexample McBean (2009)Love in a cold climate . In that worka personalloveaffairwith nursing andeducating student nurses was explored against the literature about a passionate approach toteaching.

Theauthor is developing expertise in using published biographicalstyle narratives (booksand othermediasources)to uncovernew insights into lifelimiting d isorderssuch as dementia, motor neuronediseaseand locked in syndrome. She proposes that where theauthorsare publiclyrecognised aswordsmiths prior to the illness experience such narratives givea considered account different to

conventionalrelativelyshort, taped, interview analysis.

Sharing stories dayto day in difficult circumstancesthrough social networking methods can besafewhen a pseudonym is used, or in password protected professional discussion forumsespecially ifsearch engines cannot access these contributions. Publishing openly in your own name createsethical dilemmas regarding thevulnerable person who is illand also prohibits full disclosure of theexperiences. Theauthor has much to share that willbe useful fordementia work particularly formaland informal carers. Publiclyspeaking and writing undera pen nameisan obligatestatei.e.abletosurvivein onlya particularrole orenvironment.


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Milestones of insight willbe presented from a personal journey of being thespouse of a man withdementia unfolding over a period of years. A new vocabulary is proposed that is potentially quiteshocking unlesstheintegrityand compassion oftheauthoris understood. New terms willbeexploredin relation to dementia caring such as lodgerstatus, vandalism, bodging, parasitism, black ice, toxicnuclear fuel release and how experts can mistakenly label the early dementia process as simplymaritalbreakdown.

Additionallythevalue of writing and speaking undera pseudonym willbesummarised looking ata fewfamous users.

14)Denise Proudfoot:I am justa normal mother. Mothersliving with HIV, telltheirstories.

This narrative study exploresthe challenges faced by mothers living with HIV (MLH). Few studieshave considered their lives as they juggle HIV disease with the responsibilities of caring for theirchildren. An Irish study of mothersliving with HIV (MLH)is warranted because:

y Women now represent over a third of the Irish HIV positive population. Most have beeninfected through heterosexual transmission and many have children (ODonnell, Moran&OHora 2009).

y HIV is not justa health issueasitinfluencesallaspects ofa motherslife.

Aim Of Research

To explore the dynamics of HIV positive mothers lives in Ireland through a narrative qualitativestudy.

Objectives Of Research Study

This narrativestudy willspecifically consider:

y The mothering experiences oftheresearch participants whileliving with thesocialimpact ofHIV.

y An account of how the lives of MLH be understood theoretically in relation to existingliterature on living with HIV.

Methodology

The focus ofthisstudyisto gain an understanding ofthelives ofthe participants, using a narrativeapproach. The collected narratives will allow for the womens experiences to be documented.Through telling theirstories people defineboth themselvesand theirexperience (Murray, 2009). Apurposive sample is being used and the women are being recruited from a HIV peer supportcentre in Dublin. The sample size willbe no more than 15 mothers. Semistructured qualitativeinterviews with be conducted with each participant. The transcripts will be analysised using anarrative framework. Preliminary findings from thestudy willbe presented. Thestudy findings will:

y Address the gap in theevolving body of knowledge in relation to the lives of mothers whoare HIV positive.

y Gain an understanding of these womens experiences with a view to inform those who

provide care/support forthem in avariety ofsettings.

References

y Murray M (2009) Telling storiesand making sense of cancer. IJNP Spring 2009 Vol (1) 1.

y ODonnell K. Moran J &O'Hora A (2009) HIV & AIDS in Ireland 2008 Annual Summary.National Disease Surveillance Centre (NDSC), Dublin Ireland.


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Data came through a narrative methodology (Hollowayand Freshwater 2007) with transcripts fromparticipantinterviewsbeing read within a narrative frame developing core, progressiveand regressivenarratives (Bury 2001).

Results.Stories revealed experiences of control choice and sense of journey from users andpractitionersalike.

19) Karen Roscoe and Kirsty Perry: TransitionalNarratives: discourses ofsocial workstudents.

In adult and continuing education qualitative research is a popular approach to scholarly inquiry.

Literaturesurrounding narrativesand social workis predominantlybased on a casestudyapproach inworking with services users. Reissman, (2005) who critically reviewed Narrative in Social Work,points out that research utilising narrative methods orientated towards issues of pedagogy wasconsiderablyscarcein social workliterature. Whatlittlethereis, appearto discussa changetowardspostmodern approaches in the curriculum (see for example, Laird, 1993). This paper exploresnarrativesapproachesin social workin the context of how narratives changeand develop throughoutthelearners journeyas wellasexploring how theserelateto the widerculture ofsocial work practice.Driven by culturally- orientated methodologies, this study adopts discourse analytic methods toexploretheaccounts of contemporarysocial work practice who work orhave had practice placementswithin adultservices.

Mishler (1986) describes how narrative based research focuses on context, beginning with theresearch situationsinterpersonal context, buttaking in broaderhistorical, socialand cultural contexts.In social work, many levels of contextsare involved, that is, educational, cultural, professionalandpersonal. Both experiencesand realities derived from accounts ofsocial workassumethat narrativesof social work represent a multitude of both cultural and social domains. Stories operate within

interpretative communities (Squire, 2000: 55) ofspeakersand hearers thatare political, as wellasculturally crafted. Researchers who exploreexperience- centred narratives (Squire, 2008)locatetheiranalysis in the interactions between the researcher and the research participant. Ricoeur (1991)describesthisasintersection oflife-worlds ofresearcher, research participant, and arguesthatthisisan inevitable, constitutive characteristic of narrativeresearch.

Social Work practitioners deployarange of narratives during theirtraining and practice when makingsense of contemporary practice demands. This paper explores how social work students adopt

discourses throughout their socialisation within social work education and placement opportunities.Specific discourses can be identified in early training in the understanding of social work, whilstcultural discourses, drawn from wider social and practice discourses emerge during year two oftraining following a practice placementexperience. It isthesevery discourses which this paperaimsto exploreand refers primarilyto theseas transitional narratives.

Ricoeur, P. (1991), Lifein Quest ofNarrative, in D.Wood (ed.)On Paul Ricoeur: Narrativeand Interpretation, 2033. London: Routledge.Riessman, C.K. (2005), Narrativein Social Work: A Critical Review, Qualitative Social Work, 4(4): 379- 390.Mishler, E. (1986), Research Interviewing: Contextand Narrative, Cambridge, MA, Harvard:University Press.Squire, C., Andrews, M.and Tamboukou, M. (2008), WhatisNarrative Research? In M.Andrews, C.Squire, and M. Tamboukou, (eds) Doing Narrative Research, London: Sage.

20)Rose Mathews: Fiftyyears of poverty observationsand associations

IntroductionThisinstallation combinesartand creative writing in aseries ofthree-dimensionalsculpturalvignettes prompted by observationsand associations. Thesevignettesspan fiftyyears (19602010),providing a personal, autobiographical narrative on poverty. Theyreflect professionaland personallifeexperiences, in differentrolesand identities (carer, police officer, social worker, academic).

Thevignettes providea graphic illustration of povertyand disadvantageand a powerfulexpression ofresilienceand survival. A centralthemeisthe potential formarginalisation through socialexclusion,


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and/orbecoming aservice user/carer/patient/prisoner. Therole of positive deviancein defiance ofoppression, and defence ofautonomy, isalso highlighted.Thethemes oftheinstallation are:Bed and breakfastDomestic appliancesHome maintenanceLifeand death

Aims of the installationTheaim oftheinstallation isto presentand prompt personalreflectionsand recollectionsrelating to

poverty. Thoseviewing the workareinvited to respond byidentifying theirown observationsandassociations. They can then develop and record a personalvignetteto add to theinstallation.

Discussion

Memoriesand reflections prompted by observationsand associationsare often ephemeral. Storiescapturethesein words, buttheimpactis heightened if multiplesensesareengaged. Thisinstallationrecreatesscenariosby combining words with three-dimensional objects. Associationsinvoked bytheworkareextended through audienceinteraction and the creation of new narratives.

Implications for practice

Empathyin health and social care practicerequirestheactiveengagement ofthe creative, affectiveimagination. Thesharing of hitherto hiddenstoriesisintended to stimulate others peoples personal,professionaland theoreticalreflections on poverty, dis/empowermentand survival.

21)Wulf Livingston: Not from abook: Tales ofevery day drinking by Social workers

Social workers havesince Shaw etals (1978) original workrepeatedlybeen identified byattitudinalquestionnaires to demonstrate expressions ofa lack of role adequacy, support and legitimacy inworking w ith clientsexperience problemsassociated with alcohol (Galvaniand Hughes 2008, Rassoland Rawaf 2008, Richardson 2008 and Watson et al 2003). The usual conclusion of theseresearchersisthen thatsocial workerstherefore need moretraining in alcohol work.

This presentation will tell both a researchers narrative of explorations of assumed typologies ofknowledge leading to fundamental methodological shifts and the consequential social workersnarratives ofknowledgeaboutalcoholbeing drawn from the personal, culturaland experientialratherthan the formal and codified. Tales of drink, drinkers and drinking, which go onto informunderstanding, practiceand reflection.

It will offerthesubstantiveelement ofanalysisand data from an on-going PhD thesis, which adoptsan instrumental single case study design (Stake 2005), to explore social workers acquisition ofknowledgeaboutalcohol, through a methodology utilising grounded theoryapproaches within semistructured interviews following a biographical narrative framework. It will demonstrate how thenarratives offered bythesocial workersthus offerconfirmatoryechoes of propositional considerationsas well as induce some new theoretical understandings. Finally it will reflect on the researchparticipantsexperience oftelling a narrativeand safe placesto tell personalstories forprofessionals.

Poster Presentations

22)Grace Farrington:Bibliotherapyin a modern mental health service:aresearch study

Theresearch questions forthisstudyaretwofold, thusasking i) how robustarethetheoreticalfoundations forbibliotherapyin the English literarytradition, fordetermining itsapplication in modernhealth contexts;and ii) can the practice ofshared readingbesaid to constitutea form oftherapy, andifso, whatisthe nature ofthistherapeutic intervention? How mightan understanding and recognitionofthisaffect orchangethestatus oftheactivity within a health service?


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23) Patricia HibberdFrom thestart ofthe first page.Constructing research identitythroughautobiographical narrative.Introduction:Studiessuggestthatthere maybesometransformation to identity during the process ofsuccessfullyundertaking aresearch degree;examplesincluding altered and broadened perspectives, moreconfidencein voiceand writing and a more criticallyreflectiveapproach within the workplace (Leonardetal 2005). Asa midlife, female nurseeducator I wanted to understand and prioritise competing

demands on selfin orderto givespaceto a research identitythat could flourish and grow within myprofessional development.Aim

Theaim ofthe posteristo providearationale forusing autobiographical narrativeasalayeredprocess fordeveloping criticalinsightinto the personal development ofresearch identity during theprocess of doctoralstudy.MethodsThe posterpresentsa model ofautobiographical narrativethat hastheintention of deepeningpersonal understanding oftherolethatidentityis playing in shaping research learning and actionsand to understand and influence changesto this overtime.Thisisbased upon an auto ethnographicapproach reflecting multiplelayers of consciousnessthat connectthe personalto thetheoretical,socialand the cultural (Ellisand Bochner 2000). Bloomerand Hodkinsons (2000) concept ofalearning careerprovidesatheoretical framework foranalysis.Implications to date: The modelis currentlybeing used to enable personal construction and

reconstruction ofresearch identity within a professional doctoral portfolio.ReferencesBloomerand Hodkinson (2000) Learning careers: Continuityand changein young peoplesdispositionsto learning.British Educational Research Journal26 (5), 583 - 597Ellis, C and Bochner, A.P (2000) Autoethnography, personal narrative, reflexivity.Researcheras

Subject. Chapter28 in Handbook of Qualitative Research London, Sage Publications LtdLeonard, D., Becker, R., &Coate, K. (2005). To prove myselfatthe highestlevel: Thebenefits ofdoctoralstudy, Higher Education Research & Development, 24(2), 135149

24)Sinead OToole

Poster 1: A Narrative Analysis of Stories of Dying with Motor Neurone Disease

The purpose ofthis posteristo presentthe findings ofthestudy. Briefextracts from fourofthestories

from this data set are used to illustrate different constructions of dying with MND. Theyhighlightthe diversity ofexperiencesrecounted bythe narrators.

Poster 2: No room at the inn: A Story of seeking care at the end of life for a person withMND.

The purpose of this poster is to present one of thestories of dying with MND from this dataset. This narrative was provided bythebereaved husband ofa woman who died of MND. Hisstory was concerned with theirexperience ofseeking carein thelast week of his wifeslife. Ithighlightsthe difficulties ofaccessing palliative carein Ireland within thelast fiveyears.

MotorNeurone Disease (MND), although rare, isthe most common fatal neurodegenerative diseaseof midlife. It israpidlyand relentlessly progressive with no curativetreatment. The person with MNDusuallyretainsan active mind butisincreasingly unableto moveany muscles. Death usually occurswithin two to five years. There are diverse and conflicting discourses on dying with MND. Thedominant discoursesare those of the media a terrible death involving choking and starvation andmedicine a peaceful death. To date constructions of dying with MND from the perspective ofrelatives hasreceived littleattention.


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The data were derived from the narratives of twenty-onebereaved relatives. A combined thematic,structuraland performativeanalysis of narratives was conducted. These narratives, characterised bypluralityand diversity, revealed no accounts of choking orsuffocation atthetime of death, althoughone participant recounted a narrative of a painful death. While almost all of the narratives relatedaccounts of dying quickly, peacefully and without pain, they were interwoven with experiences ofsuffering that occurred during the long trajectories of dying related by these research participants.Suffering was theorised asbeing both physicaland iatrogenic in origin, related to the intermeshed

components of the physical manifestations of MND and to the systems of health care, and theindividuals within thissystem, upon which the dying person and his or her family were dependent.This study contributed to existing knowledge by focusing on relatives narratives of dying which

revealed detailed constructions in which dying with MND was considered to encompass theentirediseasetrajectory.

Thisresearch wassupported bya joint grant from The Irish Hospice Foundation and The HealthResearch Board.

final np programme 2011

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