The power of story: Narrative inquiry as a methodology in nursing research

The aim of this paper is to explore the essential elements and value of narrative inquiry in nursing research. We propose that understanding a previous experience allows the nurse researcher an “insider view” and hence a deeper understanding of the issues that arise in the relationship between participant and researcher. We suggest that narrative inquiry in nursing research offers a particular way of caring about how knowledge is produced. Nursing science would benefit from the understanding that health and nursing practices are dynamic processes characterized by the continuous interaction of human thought and behaviour that continuously ‘pumps’ into personal, social and material environments. Narrative inquiry as a methodology in nursing research is exceptionally useful to uncover nuance and detail of previous experiences.