Type: Journal
Weight: 35%
Task: Blog about the lived experience of chronic illness
1. Select a chronic illness from the list provided in UTS Online Assessment 1 and select a different ethnic or cultural perspective to your own.
2. Research the selected disease, lived experience and ethnic or cultural background of the person by sourcing at least six high quality and appropriate qualitative research papers and online patient blogs and discussion forums.
3. Introduction – In 100-150 words define and explain the chronic illness including incidence and prevalence; and describe the illness trajectory.
4. Background – Based on what you have learned, imagine that you are the person with the identified disease. Select a name, age and gender for your ‘persona’. Use a narrative (storytelling) first person approach to clearly and creatively describe your yourself and your ethnic or cultural background (for example: where you live, where you were born, who you live with, your appearance, work and leisure activities, aspirations, regrets, religious beliefs and personal values, and future life goals etc). Clinical information and details about your ethnic or cultural background must be accurate and well researched.
5. Blog entries – Using a first person narrative style write a series of at least four blogs. Describe the meaning of ill health to you and how your ethnic or cultural background influences the meaning of your illness experience. Explain how your disease impacts your life and your interactions with health professionals over a period of 1- 4 months. Do not focus only on the disease; also include some day to day events and interactions. Provide meaningful insights into your experiences, perspectives, thoughts and feelings. Ensure that all details about your imagined life experience are authentic and well researched.
6. You can write four long blogs or multiple shorter ones.
7. Conclusion - In 300-400 words discuss what you have learned from writing the blog and how this knowledge will influence your future nursing practice. Provide at least three specific nursing actions that you will take in your practice as a result of what you have learned from undertaking this assessment item.
8. Use a ‘third person’ writing approach for the introduction and ‘first person’ for the background, blog entries and the conclusion.
Length: 1500 words