Stories of inter-professional working from the University of Nottingham

These stories were created in a Patient Voices reflective digital storytelling workshop in 2010, which was intended to facilitate the sharing of stories between and within groups of service users, carers and professionals.

A safe pair of hands
Working as a physio in a Secure Hospital, Ann recalls teaching a particularly withdrawn patient how to give a simple shoulder massage.  The experience affected Ann deeply but when she later tried to discuss a further workshop on self-awareness, she was reminded that there is now a NO TOUCH policy between patients and staff.

Gretel’s exclusive club
A routine 20 week scan revealed that Marissa’s baby had a serious heart condition. They were advised to expect her to be a bit blue when she was born, but at two weeks’ old, Gretel stopped breathing. Now Gretel has celebrated her first birthday and is waiting to have further open-heart surgery.

Going on the psychiatric ward: Rachel’s view
Rachel describes her fear at finding herself in A&E at 1.00 a.m., not understanding how she got there. She has multiple personality disorder and the psychiatrist wants to admit her to the psychiatric ward – a place she has heard described as ‘bad’. But when Rachel gets there she finds a place of calm and safety, one that gives her hope that maybe things will start to get better.

Precious life
This is Susanna’s story.

Going on the psychiatric ward
This is Andrew’s story.