Storytelling as an educational strategy for midwifery students.

This article describes the use of purposive storytelling as a creative teaching strategy in the nurse-midwifery education program at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego. Student evaluations over a 4-year period showed overwhelming support for the inclusion of storytelling into a weekly didactic midwifery course. Benefits, such as increased cognitive learning, enhanced role transition, and emotional clarification were identified in the students' comments. The students' comments further supported the efficacy of incorporating storytelling into midwifery education. A review of the literature confirms the growing popularity of storytelling in both health care and education, and a conceptual framework is also provided. Further research is needed to examine the benefits of this worthwhile technique in promoting learning, stimulating interest, and facilitating the development of critical thinking.