Learning to act like a nurse

LEARNING TO ACT LIKE A NURSE.

Dr Debbie Roberts & Dr Richard Talbot.University of Salford.

ECE conference July 2011.

Learning to act

Acting like a nurse

Imitation.

• developing a set of performance skills that enables [students] to imitate what they see happening in the workplace

• adopting the practices of qualified nurses in a largely uncritical way (Alexander 2001).

• copying varying standards of practice without solving problems for themselves (Taylor 1997).

Mimesis.

Playing for an audience.

Studentmanship:

“playing for an audience by processes of divining appropriateness, of choosing alternative modes of projecting and finally exerting the self”

(Olesen and Whittaker 1968. p183)

Each successive performance involves fewer painful deliberations, and embarrassing blunderings.

Being authentic.

Initially the student is said to be like an actor when

“[a] lack of conviction and quality of inauthenticity felt about his (sic.) performance, will somehow communicate itself to the audience and ‘give the show away’.

“In other words, will the audience dismiss his performance as ‘mere front’ or ‘show’ and accordingly view him as inept and untrustworthy?”

(Davis 1975. p126).

Flow.

“what is difficult becomes habitual, the habitual easy, and the easy beautiful…habit can unburden attention, freeing the performer.”

(Stanislavski in Whyman 2007. p117)

The unruly body.

The docile body.

Learning to act, learning to care.

Conclusions.

• A simulated and relatively safe rehearsal environment, which is nevertheless open to the unknown, the unexpected, and the excessive, through an agreed approach to improvisation with these social scripts and nursing rituals may produce opportunities for “relaxation” and “flow” by actors/nurses.

• This may provide a mutually beneficially educational environment for actors and nurses to learn to fully invest in roles and learn from each others disciplines and technical preparation.

Please Wash Your Hands