The Value of Story Theory in Providing Culturally Sensitive Advanced Practice Nursing in Rural Appalachia (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION The focus of nursing is caring in the human health experience (Newman, Sime, & Corcoran-Perry, 1991). Each caring relationship is unique, as nurse and patient are both individuals, shaped by past experiences, environment, and the cultural orientation of their people. Culture is the lens through which the world is viewed. When people of different cultures interact, each may find the other's cultural perspective foreign and illogical. The human health experience is shared within the nurse-patient relationship and the focus of the experience is the health concern of the patient. The nurse is called to visualize the experience from the patient's point of view. Story theory (Liehr & Smith, 2008) proposes a structure to guide the nurse-patient health promoting process. As the patient's story unfolds, beliefs and values underpinning health choices are illuminated.