Presented By: Mary Mathew, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)
Co-Authors: Russell Franco D'Souza, UNESCO
Surapaneni Krishna Mohan, Panimalar Medical College Hospital & Research Institute

Purpose
In contemporary medical and nursing education, fostering empathy is pivotal. Narrative medicine using storytelling is a tool for cultivating empathy among students. This study aims to uncover the current state of engagement with narrative medicine among medical and nursing students. By exploring their experiences and perspectives, the research seeks insights to enhance the integration of narrative approaches in medical education for fostering more empathetic and patient-centred healthcare.

Methods
This cross-sectional study involved medical and nursing students in India, utilizing a structured 40-item questionnaire categorized into general cognition, knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The data was collected online through Survey Monkey ensuring anonymity and after obtaining informed consent. Reliability was established (r = 0.993). Descriptive statistics, T-tests, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied using SPSS version 17 with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results
In our study, 35% of students were "somewhat familiar" with Narrative Medicine, while 35% were not aware and 30% learnt about it through the internet. Despite low exposure,57% understood that narrative medicine was related to patient-centred care. Most participants (80%) believed that health professions students should learn about narrative medicine, recognizing its potential to improve patient understanding (77.5%) and medical experiences (72.5%). However, 50% felt that practice of narrative medicine would increase doctors' workload.21% engaged in reflective listening with patients, 15.3% contributed to narrative medicine projects, and 20.4% explored the emotional aspects of patients during medical training. The majority (62%) found limited use of narrative medicine in their medical curriculum.

Conclusions
This study exposes limited familiarity with narrative medicine among medical and nursing students. Despite this, their positive attitudes signal receptiveness to its principles. The findings underscore the need for integration in healthcare education and practical training to improve patient care. Furthermore, addressing workload concerns is crucial for successful implementation in practice and teaching.