The reciprocal relationship of self and practitioner: a narrative inquiry self-study

In an increasingly demanding environment like healthcare, nurses may often be meeting their professional responsibilities at the expense of their personal needs. Existing research shows the benefits of engaging in experiential learning, such as reflective practices. By using reflective practices, nurses can reveal challenges in the workplace that affect their professional performance, opening discussion for how these could be mitigated. By engaging in a self-study, using Connelly and Clandinin’s Narrative Inquiry, I explore the mutually informing nature of personal and professional formation. I tell personal stories of my childhood and professional stories of my time as a nursing student, new graduate and current practitioner. Using the analytical framework of Narrative Inquiry, I identify two narrative patterns (vulnerability and belonging) in my lived and told stories. I highlight how social interactions influence our personal and professional identities, and how this understanding offers development opportunities to benefit the nurse-client relationship and society.