‘Poetry in motion’ a place in the classroom: Using poetry to develop writing confidence and reflective skills

Background Non-traditional students entering nursing programmes at university often experience difficulties with the academic literacy requirements of their courses, in particular academic and reflective writing. Levels of student anxiety may also be affected by other issues including the pressures of managing work, family and study commitments. Objectives To explore how classroom-based poetry writing activities might support students in developing their skills as student-writers and reflective practitioners. Design A qualitative approach was employed to explore emergent themes in students' poems and students' reactions to creative writing teaching strategies. Setting A university based in the South East of England. Participants A cohort of 25 students undertaking a Health Science Foundation Degree. Methods Data collected from student poems were analysed thematically using the framework of Braun and Clarke (2006). Results Students found the experience of writing poetry challenging at first, but ultimately rewarding. Compared with writing more formal academic reflections, many students valued the opportunity to express their emotions and experiences more freely. Analysis of the student poems also revealed a rich bank of data relating to key professional themes and students' lived experiences. Conclusions Poetry writing helps students to develop writing craft and reflective skills. It encourages students to articulate often complex emotions associated with their professional worlds, thereby providing invaluable insights into the everyday lives of healthcare workers. This paper should provide others working in nursing education with a deeper understanding of possible benefits of incorporating poetry writing into the curriculum.