1. Telling Stories for Positive Engagement
David Andrews
and
Jeff Flowers

2. Personal Stories

3. What is your story? Who are you? Why are you telling your story?
What are the main points in your story?
What is a good memory that is part of your story?
What is an unpleasant memory that is part of your story?

4. What makes a good story? Easy to understand and follow
Something other people can identify with or are moved by - engaging
It has significance beyond the story teller.
Makes a clear point – usually just one, seldom more than two or three
Suggests an implication or action – a tension that moves people to want to do something

5. Different types of stories serve different purposes
What is a Story?
Different types of stories serve different purposes

6. Why Tell Our Stories?
Goal of Patient- and Family- Centered Care is to change the culture of medical care delivery
Stories change how people think by engaging emotions and not just the rational
Stories help level playing field - provider/patient relationship becomes a partnership
Stories bring individuality to each patient
Stories can highlight both positives and negatives

7. Stories help providers recognize the importance of making an emotional connection resulting in increased job satisfaction.
Stories help reduce the fears and anxieties of patients, families and providers about acknowledging emotional needs
Stories can save lives by bringing to the forefront treatment errors and how to avoid them.
Stories can improve treatment outcomes by inspiring providers with what is possible when provider/patient/family relationship is developed.

8. Stories bring awareness that patients/families have more needs than just medical care.
Stories can educate providers as to what reactions or behaviors are comforting and diffuse anxiety
Stories can educate providers as to what reactions and behaviors are not helpful and even hurtful.
Stories give people permission to demand being treated with dignity, respect and compassion.
Stories can identify changes that are needed and may specifically improve healthcare.

9. How to Prepare your Story
Who is Your Audience?
What is the timeline?
What are the expectations of those who asked you to tell your story?
Keep the story to 2-3 main points at most.

10. To Help Comfort Level
Be aware your story may trigger an emotional response in participants and/or yourself – be prepared to deal with that
Bring a friend or family member if this will alleviate anxiety.
Be prepared with some humor to break any tension at the beginning.
Practice
Observe someone telling their story.
Try to create an environment and a tone that makes it feel like you are informally telling the story to a friend – not reciting a script

11. What do I do first? Greet members of the audience - Model AIDET
Set the context
Ask them to think of questions to ask you as you tell your story
Set any guidelines you wish

12. What do I do if I am asked a question I don’t want to answer?
You can simply say that you are not comfortable answering the question.
What do I do when I am finished telling my story?
After answering any questions, you can participate in consideration of what has been learned and what are positive qualities in the experience and what can be done to improve overall quality.

13. WIIFM? (What’s in it for me?)
The feelings that you and your ideas are valued and will contribute to improved healthcare.
Suggested changes may be implemented – and everyone will benefit
Patient and Family Advisors and Staff tend to become good friends
You learn about yourself and your story in the course of telling it.
Etc., etc., etc.

14. Collecting and Using Stories
Good stories highlight important issues and should be preserved and used
Ideally stories are used by retelling by the person who originally told the story
Stories can be catalogued for use in pertinent situations and in printed material
Stories can be available to patients – education and inspiration
Stories can be used for marketing

15. Healthcare Story Exercise