OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, the reader will be able to:

The benefits of journaling in nursing and other fields have been well documented (Charles, 2010; Fritson, Forrest, & Bohl, 2011). According to Hiemstra (2001), journals may include insights, personal thoughts, and experiences. Journaling is a process by which a person engages in self-reflection through written accounts of positive and negative personal experiences. Through the process of critical self-reflection, a person may reflect on the meaning of what has been learned and expand his or her worldview. This type of activity may help to relieve stress and guide the person in the continued holistic development of self (Scott, 2011). Journaling has been utilized in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs to help students develop critical thinking and personal development (Charles, 2010). In this chapter, the use of journaling for self-development as well as for student development is presented. The key components of journaling are also discussed; however, because personal journaling is a unique experience for the individual, there is no definitive way to keep a journal. Nevertheless, when utilizing journaling as a teaching and learning strategy, faculty may assign formal or informal journals.

JOURNALING FOR SELF-DEVELOPMENT

Journaling is the process of writing down one’s lived experiences. Journaling is done for many different reasons. For example, some nursing students keep journals because it is a requirement of a course. Many people keep a journal as a means of self-reflection. Writers keep journals to write down snippets or ideas for future story ideas. Many people keep journals to document their academic or professional journeys. Evers (2008) states that journaling can be a way to put something to rest as one can let go of problems by writing them in a journal. For some, there may be a spiritual element whereby they meditate or pray through their journaling. Journaling may also be used as a catharsis by writing down negative events or feelings. Journaling may also be used for self-development. Smith (2009) discusses the relationship of narrative journaling and emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence relates to noncognitive skills and has been associated with the ability to become successful in one’s life. Indeed, successful individuals need to have both emotional intelligence and cognitive intelligence (Freshwater & Stickley, 2004). The inclusion of emotional intelligence in nursing has become increasingly popular and Freshwater and Stickley (2004) recommend that it be included in all the nursing curriculums. They suggest the following examples of what should be included in the curriculum: reflective learning, self-inquiry, narrative, and mentorship. “Conceptualized by two psychologists, Salovey and Mayer, they define emotional intelligence as being able to monitor and regulate one’s own feelings, understand the feelings of other’s and use that ‘feeling’ knowledge to guide thoughts and actions” (Smith, 2009, p. 84). Journaling in this respect is an activity that allows for reflection and integration of the experience, which, in turn, helps the person develop critical thinking skills. Although this study focused on student development, it also has applicability for the nurse educator. It is very helpful to write down one’s thoughts and feelings in regard to one’s academic journey. Reflecting on one’s personal journey is an important step in self-development and the continued development of emotional intelligence. The transition from clinician to academic may be a smooth path for some and a bumpy road for others. Journaling can help you analyze your experiences and let go of some of the stress and negativity. Furthermore, when you look back at an event, you can usually look at it more objectively, which helps you be more realistic. A problem that seemed major at the time it occurred may be viewed differently after some time has elapsed. Reflecting on areas you have excelled in and areas needing improvement helps you continue your personal and professional development. Sometimes, you are so busy with day-to-day activities that you do not realize how much you have accomplished over 6 months or a year. However, if you have kept a journal, you can actually see how you have developed. This can also be helpful when applying for promotion and tenure as you will have a written account of the various activities of teaching, service, and scholarship. Osterman and Kottkamp (1993) discuss reflective practice and self-awareness in faculty. They posit that faculty who engage in reflective practice have dual roles and use the analogy of the actor and the critic. On the one hand, the educator is immersed in his or her role similar to an actor; on the other hand, the educator can analyze his or her performance much like a critic. By doing this, the faculty member can become more aware of his or her actions and behaviors, which may have a positive impact on personal growth and development. Stress reduction is another benefit of journaling. Although there are many ways to keep a journal, the act itself can help you become grounded and as you write you may notice that you are becoming less tense. Keeping a journal also helps you develop writing skills because your thoughts will be flowing, and as you place your words on paper or type them into a Word document, you become totally immersed in your task. It is a very personal experience and can be done in any format wherever and whenever you have the desire to journal. Although scholarly writing is a more formal process than writing in a journal, journaling does help you develop as a writer because all types of writing are beneficial. The adage “to be a writer you must write” is very true. In summary, keeping a journal has personal and professional benefits.

Some ways to journal for self-reflection include:

JOURNALING AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

The use of reflective journaling (Blake, 2005) and narrative pedagogy (Brown, Kirkpatrick, Mangum, & Avery, 2008) has been embraced by many nurse educators in undergraduate and graduate programs in an attempt to enhance critical thinking, self-awareness, and self-development (Grendell, 2011). Students may be required to journal formally with specific guidelines, or informally with freedom to develop their own journals. Reflective journaling often involves a more formal process and faculty may provide specific guidelines for students to follow. Many students prefer guidelines, especially if they have never kept a journal. Providing clear guidelines can help allay their fears of journaling (Epp, 2008).

Narrative pedagogy is somewhat similar yet is different than journaling (Nehls, 1995). Grendell (2011) describes narrative pedagogy as interpretive and something that requires in-depth analysis of a situation that promotes discovery and problem solving, for example, a clinical experience. “Narrative pedagogy can enhance research-based curricula, especially through use of innovative technologies that promote holistic thinking and problem solving, to prepare nursing students for the complexity of the profession” (Grendell, 2011, p. 66). Because narrative pedagogy may promote critical thinking and reasoning, it has great applicability in nursing programs. Ironside (2006) conducted a hermeneutic study on student’s experiences in courses where teachers utilized narrative pedagogy. Ironside describes narrative pedagogy as “community interpretive scholarship” (p. 479), which brings together phenomenology, critical theory, postmodern theory, and feminist theories. She concluded that utilizing this type of pedagogy encourages students to think and interpret and create multiple perspectives on situations. As faculties understand the limitations of traditional pedagogies, they are beginning to embrace narrative pedagogy as a means to enhance the development of critical reasoning and thinking in their students. Kirkpatrick and Brown (2004) posit that a paradigm shift in utilizing narrative pedagogy as a humanistic approach for reflection and critical thinking entails a shared reflection and interpretation between faculty and students. This pedagogy is recognized as an innovative method for fostering a collaborative learning environment. Kirkpatrick and Brown (2004) demonstrate how this pedagogy can be applied in a geriatric course through the use of stories and reflection. Listening to and reflecting upon the stories of the geriatric patients helped students and patients develop therapeutic relationships. Narrative pedagogy is becoming increasingly popular and may be used in a variety of courses (Brown, Kirkpatrick, Mangum, & Avery, 2008). It is especially beneficial in theory/clinical courses and helps students develop critical thinking and reasoning skills, which can be quite challenging; to solve problems; and provide holistic care. Some studies have demonstrated the positive relationship between journaling and critical thinking (Burrell, 2014; Zori, 2016).

Blake (2005) completed a review of the literature on journaling and noted that although journaling is widely embraced, there have been few quantitative studies on journaling. Although there were more qualitative than quantitative studies, further research is warranted. Blake identified several benefits of journaling, which include discovering meaning of an experience, making connections between theory and practice, instilling values such as altruism, understanding perspectives of patients, reflecting on the nursing role, improving writing and critical thinking skills, developing affective skills such as empathy, and the ability to care for oneself in response to human suffering. Lauterbach and Hentz (2005) describe journaling as a way to enhance self-reflection in nursing students. This is probably one of the most beneficial aspects of journaling, especially in nursing. The nature of nursing means nurses deal with a myriad of personal and patient emotions. They may be witnessing the miracle of birth or holding a patient’s hand as the patient dies. One day may be filled with joy and the next filled with grief. When students have an opportunity to write down their experiences and then reflect upon them, it can help to put things in perspective. “As an educational process, refection facilitates students’ leaning to identify, discover, explicate, and develop the requisite knowledge and values that will provide the foundation for their practice” (Lauterbach & Hentz, 2005 p. 31). Because of the complexity of nursing practice, students who journal can synthesize and integrate knowledge and apply it in the care of their patients. Many of us reflect on our experiences even if we do not journal, but journaling offers a broader dimension of reflection.

At first, students may not embrace journaling but once they become comfortable with the process, most of them will realize the benefits and continue to journal throughout their nursing careers. Lauterbach and Hentz (2005) recommend that students and faculty alike develop a habit of journaling as frequent journaling and reflection will help the person become more reflective and improve critical thinking. Students should be comfortable with the process and share only the information they feel comfortable sharing with others. Of course, there are many ways to journal as discussed in the next section. However, students need some type of guideline for their journals and faculty should support students as they engage in this process. They should also be assured that their journals are confidential and that they will not be shared with others unless they give permission. For example, sometimes during postconference, the students may share snippets of information that were especially meaningful to them. However, they may choose not to share their innermost feelings on the topic. Therefore, faculty have the responsibility to protect their students when reading journals and be careful not to violate their rights to privacy and confidentiality. This might be accomplished by having students reflect on their journals and write a brief summary of what they would like to share with you and perhaps their fellow students. Students should feel comfortable when writing in their journals and be able to choose what they wish to share. Waldo and Hermanns (2009) discuss how journaling can be used to address fears during the psychiatric clinical experience. Beginning in 2007, they piloted a program in which students would journal and also participate in some form of creative expression. The students are given specific instructions and have the option of sharing their creative work. To date, they have piloted this activity for five semesters and their results have been positive. The students consider this to be a valuable experience that has helped them provide holistic care, think critically, and deal with stressful situations. Van Horn and Freed (2008) investigated the use of journaling and dialogue pairs in 39 nursing students who were in a clinical course. They found that the combination of working in pairs and journaling led to increased reflection and was beneficial to both students. This is a new approach and the authors noted that no other studies were found on this topic. However, the results of this study support it as teaching strategy that warrants further evaluation.

In summary, journaling, narrative pedagogy, and reflective practice should be included and threaded throughout the curriculum. Benefits of these activities include self-reflection, development of critical thinking and reasoning skills, integration of theory and clinical work, stress reduction, and growth and development. Involvement in these pedagogies may also help individuals develop emotional intelligence, which has been linked to successful people. There are many ways to engage in journaling and narrative pedagogy and it is important to be clear about your expectations and maintain confidentiality in addition to protecting the student’s right to privacy.

WAYS TO JOURNAL

Journaling can be done in many different ways and there is no right or wrong way to journal. Journals may be structured or unstructured. Journal assignments may have specific guidelines and grading rubrics. Or they may have broad guidelines with pass/fail grades. Sometimes, faculty recommend that students keep a personal journey but do not make it a mandatory assignment. In this type of journal, the students just write at will whenever they feel like writing and they do not share their reflections with anyone. As a nurse educator, you will need to consider several factors before you develop your assignment, for example:

Developing an assignment takes time and planning. Thinking about the purpose and intent of your assignment will help you create an assignment that is relevant to your course. It is important to review the literature and sample assignments that can be tailored to meet your needs. Because evidence-based evaluation is important, you will want to measure the effectiveness of your assignment in achieving your goals. It is a good idea to pilot an assignment and revise it as necessary. Fritson and colleagues (2011) recommend keeping the journal impersonal so as not to cause discomfort. If you feel it will be beneficial to have students write down negative events and feelings, you may limit what they will have to share. Deciding how much or how often you expect students to journal is another area to consider. Fritson and colleagues (2011) suggest that if the journals are being graded, the faculty should consider their ability to grade journals in a timely fashion and to consider the workload of the student. Journals, whether structured or unstructured, formal or informal, graded or ungraded, are beneficial in the academic and personal lives of faculty and students. Fritson and colleagues (2011) posit: “The learning relationship becomes more reciprocal and students become more reflective of both the course material and how to best learn that course material” (p. 160). The art and science of journaling takes time to cultivate in students, but once the foundation is set, many students continue to journal even when it is not a course requirement. Engaging in journaling has many positive benefits and should be considered as a teaching and learning strategy, especially in clinical courses. There are many ways to incorporate journaling into your courses, so be creative, think outside of the box, and be sure to relate your assignment to the curriculum and course objectives.

SUMMARY

Journaling has many benefits and can be used across the curriculum. Journaling may be done for personal or professional growth. Both faculty and students may engage in journaling, which may help them improve emotional intelligence, critical thinking and reasoning skills, and problem solving. Additional benefits include self-reflection, self-evaluation, and stress reduction. When faculty uses journaling as a formal means of teaching and evaluation, they should consider the overall goals of the assignment (see the sample assignment in Appendix A at the end of this chapter).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

SUGGESTED LEARNING ACTIVITIES

REFERENCES