Background: There is an international effort to develop understanding from human factors theory and implement this in healthcare to improve person-centred care and patient safety.

Aim: This project aimed to evaluate the use of narrative pedagogy to teach human factors to perioperative personnel in the workplace.

Methods: Using the action research model, an interactive learning session based on lessons from serious incidents was developed and delivered to perioperative staff in an NHS Trust within a practice development programme. Data were collected in the form of questionnaires and peer reviews to evaluate the learning session, and thematically analysed.

Findings: The use of narrative pedagogy to explore human factors theory empowered participants to speak up, and this influenced the workplace safety culture.

Conclusion: Narrative pedagogy reconnects healthcare employees with compassionate approaches to person-centred care, and this provides powerful motivation to improve the safety culture. Further studies should focus on different applications of narrative pedagogy in workplace learning, and creative approaches to teaching human factors.

Implications for practice:

• Narrative pedagogy can be a conduit to develop person-centred practice
• Engaging staff through interactive practice development sessions can encourage expansive learning about human factors and their application in practice
• Narrative pedagogy motivates healthcare staff to improve the safety culture in practice

This article by Joanna Holland and Nita Muir is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 3.0 License.