Narrative Essay
Purpose: To construct a narrative about the formation of your own professional identity, following the basic style of “Narrative Matters” accounts
The assignment is to write a narrative essay which tells your story while attempting to connect your story to a broader issue. It will start your writing process, help you understand how stories are structured and constructed, and begin to bridge your “home” voice to your new, emerging “scholarly” writing voice.
This is assignment requires reflection on and writing about your own professional identity. Allowing you to explore where that comes from, how it was shaped, and how to write about it.
References are optional, however, the addition of references may help you to practice tying in your point of view to available evidence about the issue or problem you are discussing. The use of evidence, data, or conceptual support may also be helpful in explaining your narrative.
Use some of the following question prompts to develop the central idea of your paper:
- Why did you decide to become a nurse? For example, what past experiences motivated you to pursue nursing or what goals do you have?
- How did you become a nurse? For example, what was your journey into and through school? What challenges or setbacks did you go through? What triumphs and accomplishments did you have in your journey?
- What past experiences shaped you into the professional nurse you are today?
- What was your worst day in school, or the day you almost quit?
- What is a story about a good day at work that reminds you of why you love nursing? What motivate you to keep working as a nurse?
- What are some key moments in your life and/or work that formed your professional identity as a nurse?
Basic structure of narrative paper:
- Open with a ‘scene’: a concrete moment that illustrates the issues you want to talk about.
- Begin telling your story. Be as descriptive as you desire.
- Next, unpack the scene and describe to the reader what is going on.
- Connect your story to a broader system issue. Name the issue(s).
- Then, present the “aerial view”. Show the reader the context, i.e. what is the bigger picture?
- Define the system issue. Explain what it is.
- Then, focus on what is next, or the “so what” of the story and issues. Why does it matter?
- Explain its impact beyond the individuals involved. What types of things does the issue affect? Who are the stakeholders?
- What are the broader forces that create these kinds of situations? Why is this important?
- Lastly, return to the concrete about what happened in your story. Concisely summarize the key issues and your suggestions for change.
- What needs to change at the system level? What could we do to prevent or encourage this kind of situation in general? Is anything being done currently to address the issue? Is it working?
- Tell the end of your story. What was the outcome?
