Using poetry in a critically reflexive action research co-inquiry with nurses

Abstract

There are few reports of healthcare action research using collaborative or co-operative inquiry (co-inquiry) while research featuring poetry is also rare. This paper presents a cycle from a critically reflexive action research co-inquiry that explored the tensions and possibilities of nurses’ reflecting during care-giving where poems emerged as data. These poems were inspired by reflections, observations, co-inquirers’ stories and interviews. They formed part of a first-, second- and third-person co-inquiry. Applying Bourdieu’s concepts of doxa, habitus and field to the poems revealed cultural aspects of nursing practice. The poems resonated with nurses’ experiences producing deeper conversations and powerful reflexive co-inquiries about practice. The poems evoked suppressed emotions and empathy. I argue poems derived from practice are embodied knowledge and thus have a legitimate place in healthcare action research. Practice-based poems could be valuable for other practice-orientated professions in producing practice learning and change.