Edinburgh Napier University

  In recent years there has been increasing interest in the interconnection between the performing arts and the performance of care. Applied drama has been used by educators to enable students to engage with concepts such as person centredness, compassion, empathy and dignity and to enhance communication and therapeutic relationships. It has also been used to help healthcare students to develop understanding of the political and policy forces that shape experiences and access to care, as well as how interprofessional education across the healthcare professions enhances working in interprofessional teams.
Despite these emerging initiatives, there is a general lack of guidance for educators on how to meaningfully incorporate applied drama to fully realise its potential to support a holistic approach to teaching, learning and assessment in healthcare professional education and, ultimately person-centred care. Our proposed text unlocks this potential.
The aim of our book is to inspire and equip educators of nursing and healthcare professionals to enhance their educational practice through drama-based approaches. Our book provides readers with the evidence, examples, and educational strategies to initiate, integrate, evaluate and sustain drama-based approaches in their educational practice. The text responds directly to the growing interest in the performing arts in healthcare education and environments and the need for guidance for educators.