Perspective through Poetry
Blog by Mark Harris, Inspired by Hopkinson, C. (2015) Using poetry in a critically reflexive action research co-inquiry with nurses. Action Research, 13 (1). pp. 30-47.
Poetry as a narrative tool resonates with me because of my exposure to verse in its many forms at a young age. Poetry, like music, food and laughter was woven into the very fabric of my life. Beyond poetry as an art form, this article attracted my attention because my mother has been a nurse for all of my life and although the profession can be rewarding, it can also be very demanding. The uncovered messages and the powerful images created by the poems in this article did an amazing job at capturing some of the most frustrating and draining parts of the being a nurse. For example, in the poem “Just Another Pair of Hands” the writers discuss the often paradoxical nature of compassionate care to patients while controlling the spread of pathogens.
Careful not to contaminate
Warm and sweaty
Behind these latex gloves
Furthermore, the data produced made their stories accessible to those outside of the field by putting a very human face to the challenges of being a healthcare professional and a human being. By covering topics like ageism, health in its most basic sense of the word, and “Neck Cancer”, the poetic expressions opened a doorway for many perspectives to be seen and reflected back to a non-healthcare audience.
Being a visual person, any method that provides an opportunity to paint a vibrant picture of another person’s experiences captivates me in a way that no other art form can. I sometimes struggle with simplifying things that I innately view as nuanced, but poetry allows for multiple interpretations, which I feel adds to a more robust discussion of ideas. For me, whether poetry has a single line or 1,000 lines, it must have room for interpretation. One of my favourite poetic lines from Langston Hughes’s Mother to Son is the line “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair”. The notion that life is a staircase, some grand some dilapidated and bare, creates an opportunity for each reader to mentally create their own stair.
In a PhD program we can often find ourselves in self-imposed information-silos—immersing ourselves in a specific area of research for years. For this reason alone, I would encourage anyone outside of the medical field to delve into this piece, which provides a valuable peek into the lives of healthcare professionals who deal with some of the most unimaginable circumstances. Outside of academia, everyday people could benefit from understanding what medical professionals deal with on a personal level, which could improve the overall healthcare experience for those on both sides of the check-in desk.
Mark Harris is a full service Realtor, partner and doctoral student at University of the Incarnate Word. When he is not helping making his clients dream of homeownership come true, he enjoys spending time with his family.
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