Volume 3 issue 3 is on Project MUSE

Please see table of contents for issue here.

This issue of Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics explores a series of bioethical topics through a narrative symposium, a case study, and two qualitative research articles.

What is the experience of living with the label of “disability”? The narrative symposium, edited by Naomi Sunderland and Jeffery Bishop, presents a collection of stories from authors with both visible and invisible “disabilities.” These authors share deeply personal accounts of how their lives are affected by their disabilities and the way society views their disabilities. This collection of stories is fairly unique insofar as it explores a wide range of conditions, often labeled as amputation, autism, blindness, brain injury, deafness, spastic cerebral palsy and other conditions. The collection of stories not only allows us to read about diverse experiences, but to identify some common themes, which are explored in commentary articles by: Elizabeth R. Schiltz; Lorna Hallahan; Nicole Matthews, Kathleen Ellem, and Lesley Chenoweth; and Jeffery Bishop, Rachelle Barina, and Devan Stahl.

How Do Deployed Health Care Providers Experience Moral Injury? Susanne W. Gibbons, Michaela Shafer, and Edward J. Hickling, and Gloria Ramsey address this question in their research article. The authors gathered narrative responses from a sample of recently deployed nurses and physicians that were analyzed help better understand individual perceptions of moral dilemmas that arise in combat. In the discussion section the authors draw out areas where healing efforts should be focused.

What are the perspectives of healthcare providers caring for patients with disorders of consciousness? The research article by Catherine Rodrigue, Richard Riopelle, James L. Bernat, and Eric Racine is based on their qualitative study involving healthcare providers with different backgrounds. They conclude that there is a need for greater awareness of contextual, institutional and social aspects and focus on these issues in training programs.

What does a families’ request to “do everything” mean when the patient has no chance of survival? In his case study H. Rex Greene discusses this common request and how to help both patients and families in such cases. He draws on Buckman’s SPIKES format to help unearth the real needs of the family and resolve the dilemma in a way that respects all parties concerned.

For a list of current Calls for Stories and Author Guidelines, please visit www.nibjournal.org.