The written words as a nursing act

Writing down one's thoughts is one of the oldest methods of systematically processing strong impressions and emotions. In this project, research is being conducted on the experience of writing a diary for someone who is acutely, seriously ill and on the importance of receiving this diary as a former patient and feedback from the time when the person was seriously ill.

After acute and difficult situations, writing down one's thoughts, structuring them, allows time for reflection, which can lead to increased well-being and reduced suffering. In nursing research, the written word can be used to explore the learning that can occur through writing and reflection. The Gibbs reflection cycle helps people to reflect on events that have affected them, the thoughts and feelings they have had, and the lessons they have learned. By compiling these thoughts and reflections, strong impressions from difficult situations can be processed and understood. In narrative analysis, the result is a story, such as episodes of a person's life as diary entries. According to Polkinghorne, the researcher's task is to configure the data into a narrative that unifies and makes sense.