Digital Storytelling

     Digital storytelling has become a relatively new method utilized in nursing education.  Through digital storytelling, educators can focus attention on key points of a topic.  Digital storytelling allows for the learner to not only hear the information, but be exposed to emotion and circumstances that may promote remembering a point, as well as clinical application and understanding.  Digital storytelling seems to be particularly effective when related to caring practices or how to improve communications within nursing.
    IU Health has utilized a career advancement ladder system, with a review board which I am privileged to be a member.  Briefly summarized, this process of advancement has required that nurses write stories of their practice, so that the board may stage their practice from novice to expert, as defined by Patricia Benner.  While these stories are not digital, they are often very revealing of one's thoughts, emotion and "what the nurse is up to" as she/he practices.  Because of these connections, I remember clinical nursing stories from areas in which I have never worked.  These stories, and this process have had great impact on my own clinical knowledge as well as professional development.  (As a side note, I have become very entrenched in Benner's work).    My experience with digital storytelling is very limited, but given the connection I have had with written stories, it seems reasonable that when more senses are engaged, the connections, memory and application of the story stands to only be stronger.
    Over the past two weeks as I have gotten more familiar with digital storytelling, and have learned many things.  One of the most significant points to emphasize with creation of a digital story is to first write a clear story.  If the writer gets caught up in music, transitions and computer "fanciness", the point of the story can be overshadowed or lost.  Additionally, there are many ways to create a digital story.  The possibilities are as endless as the creativity and individuality of the storyteller. Here are a couple of videos describing methods and key points in creating a digital story:

   

 By engaging nursing students and creating a connection to a situation, patient care interaction or critical thinking process, students are more likely to apply the information to their own practice.  It is a way of modeling behaviors and simulating more than the clinical information gained from rote memorization.