Reed, H.

Way, Sue

Bournemouth University Research Online

ONLINE ARTICLE 2Innovation and creativity are key skills that are seen to underpin and drive change in the NHS. It is therefore important to facilitate ways for students in their undergraduate programme to hone these skills in preparation for employment and their future career. In this piece, the authors describe an innovative approach that requires students to develop an individual, four-minute digital story of their choice, and create the narrative of the storyline and set it to relevant images, sound and text.CREATING AND SHARING DIGITAL STORIESBRINGING TOGETHER THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MIDWIFERY THROUGH ASSESSMENTINTRODUCTIONWomen’s experiences of midwifery care and the context within which it is provided are dynamic and evolving. Midwives must respond to these challenges, not only with the knowledge they have acquired – the science – but also with compassion and creativity – the art.Story sharing has been an integral part of the curriculum at Bournemouth University for over 20 years. Students share stories via oral or pictorial means within small groups, where it is used to encourage creative processes to reflect and develop new ways of thinking about the cultural, social and political context of midwifery care. Increasing evidence from the literature supports the contribution that storing sharing can assist students to integrate and enhance their experiential learning (Moreau et al 2018).WHY A DIGITAL STORY?A digital story is a short video that uses multimedia to share a stand-alone and first-person narrative (Moreau et al 2018). Stories can convey clear and powerful messages that can be used to expand the skills, knowledge and understanding for the storyteller and those listening to the story (Yoder-Wise and Kowalski 2003). The aim of creating a digital story is to provide a means for the student to develop their problem solving, creativity and analytical thinking in a new way, supporting current health leadership policy in the UK, which is driving forward creativity and innovation as key skills to underpin change (The King’s Fund 2011; NHS Leadership Academy [LA] 2013; NHS England 2017). Communicating information via a digital platform can improve information exchange, and is on the increase in the health and social care sector (NHS England 2016). The assessment provides a platform for students to hone these skills in readiness for employment.CREATING A DIGITAL STORYIn their final year of undergraduate study, midwifery students complete a 20-credit module, titled Health, leadership and innovation, where the assessment extends the student’s skill of reflective practice and story sharing by being required to create a four-minute digital story. It needs to demonstrate a person-centred storyline; comply with professional practice ethical principles; articulate academic quality and rigour for a year three (academic level 6) assessment; and illustrate meaningful learning with creative opportunity. The student selects a topic they wish to understand in more detail and chooses an audience that the story would be shared with. This could be fellow students, qualified midwives or women and their families. Once the audience is identified, the digital story needs to reflect suitable language and content in order for the message to be understood. The student then creates the narrative of the storyline and sets it to relevant images, sound and text.Students have shown extraordinary resilience in producing an assessment that, for many, was completely out of their comfort zone. They have demonstrated creativity and imagination that has bought the story sharing to life. Some stories have been shared recently at a local conference, and feedback from the Head of Midwifery included, ‘Your student video clips made a big impact and all those who hear about them are keen to see for themselves’.AN ORIGINAL POEM CREATED FOR THE DIGITAL STORYThe following is an original poem created by student midwife Harley Reed which, for the assessment, was incorporated into a digital story using the digital platform, VideoScribe. The focus of Harley’s story was postnatal depression, as she knew it affected 10-15 in every 100 women having a baby, so a midwife was more than likely to care for women exhibiting the signs and symptoms of postnatal depression (Royal College of Psychiatrists [RCP] 2015). There is also evidence to suggest midwives have a gap in their knowledge and understanding in this area (Royal College of Midwives [RCM] 2017). Her target audience was postnatal women; Harley wanted the digital story to be a source of information and education for women.Let me tell you a story about how it came to beThat I suffered with depression postnatallyMy name is Jane and I am here amongst the crowdAnd I stand here to tell you my story stood proudAt first things were great, my baby’s birth had gone wellThen as days went by, my mood gradually fellI felt a black cloud come over and darken my moodI felt tearful and tired, so I could only concludeThat baby blues had set in as my midwife had warned meWhen hormones play havoc around day number threeMy milk had come in but my mood got in the wayWhich made feeding my baby harder and harder each dayThey asked me at my appointments if I was feeling okayBut as each one went by I found it harder to sayThat I wasn’t bonding with my baby, as I felt all too lowThat I felt a bad mother, a secret no-one should knowI thought no-one could help me that I could pick myself upThat life could be a half full not a half empty cupI was restless, not sleeping, anxious thoughts filled my mindI couldn’t eat, I couldn’t drink, and I had started to findI wasn’t enjoying being a mother, I thought they’re better off aloneI felt unworthy, a failure: in, the towel had been thrown‘TELLING TALES’ DECEMBER 2019 4140 THE PRACTISING MIDWIFECREATING AND SHARING DIGITAL STORIES> AUTHORSProf Susan WayProfessor of Midwifery Education at Bournemouth UniversityHarley ReedThird Year Student Midwife at Bournemouth University at time of writingA few weeks had gone by, my confidence had goneNegativity consumed me, I would never get better.But I was wrongSomeone picked up on my feelings, my postnatal depressionMaybe it was my mood, my disconnect, perhaps my expressionShe asked me some questions to which I confessedI’d felt terribly down, hopeless and depressedI felt scared and exposed to say it out loudTo expose my illness, my unwelcome black cloudWhich hadn’t been my plan as a new parent and motherBut since I’ve had the support I have gone on to discoverThat postnatal depression affects more than one in 10 mothersIn their first year after birth and there may even be othersOthers struggling day to day, finding it hard to copeReluctant to speak out but living in hopeBut I tell you my story to reach out to ‘the others’To say that you’re amazing and incredible mothersBut please reach out and talk about how you are feelingGet some help and support, start the process of healingTell your partner, your midwife, or see your GPTell a health visitor, or someone in your own familyThere are organisations that are available tooThey listened to me and they’ll listen to youTalking change, iTalk, PND and MeMind and The National Childbirth Trust (NCT)Hampshire Lanterns, PANDAS and NHS ChoicesLocal groups to share and hear women’s voicesThings can get better, the key is to shareTo unload those feelings of never-ending despairI’m Jane, and thank you for listening to meAbout how I became depression freePlease talk about your black cloud if it darkens your dayShare your feelings, your worries and cast it away TPMONLINE ARTICLE 242 THE PRACTISING MIDWIFECommunicating information via a digital platform can improve information exchange, and is on the increase in the health and social care sectorREFERENCESThe King’s Fund (2011). The future of leadership and management in the NHS: no more heroes, London: The King’s Fund. https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/default/files/future-of-leadership-and-management-nhs-may-2011-kings-fund.pdfMoreau K, Eady K, Sikora L et al (2018). ‘Digital storytelling in health professions education: a systematic review’. BMC Medical Education, 18(208): 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1320-1NHS England (2016). National maternity review. Better births. Improving the outcomes of maternity services in England. A five year forward view for maternity care, London: NHS England. www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/national-maternity-review-report.pdfNHS England (2017). Developing people – improving care: a national framework for action on improvement and leadership development in NHS-funded services, London: NHS England. https://improvement.nhs.uk/resources/developing-people-improving-care/NHS LA (2013). Healthcare leadership model: the nine dimensions of leadership behaviour, Leeds: NHS LA. https://www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/resources/healthcare-leadership-model/nine-leadership-dimensions/RCM (2017). More action needed for mental health in pregnancy, London: RCM. https://www.rcm.org.uk/news-views-and-analysis/news/more-action-needed-for-mental-health-in-pregnancy%E2%80%99RCP (2015). What is postnatal depression? London: RCP. https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/problems-disorders/post-natal-depressionYoder-Wise P and Kowalski K (2003). ‘The power of storytelling’. Nursing Outlook 51: 37-42. https://doi.org/10.1067/mno.2003.2

Creating and sharing digital stories; bringing together the art and science of midwifery through assessment

http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33289/1/TPM_DEC19_Way_OL2_p40-42_v1.pdf

Creating and sharing digital stories; bringing together the art and science of midwifery through assessment

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