The process of creating an ethnodrama highlighting late life potential through nursing student and older adult collaboration
Published online on November 03, 2016
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to describe the process of creating an ethnodrama focusing on possible selves. Twelve older adult residents of an assisted living facility were paired with 12 nursing students to conduct semistructured interviews on the topic of possible selves. Interviews were analyzed in an iterative process involving in vivo and pattern coding. Themes relating to late life potential were identified, including hopes, fears, barriers, and aids to possibility. The ethnodrama was outlined from these themes and composite characters were created to represent findings. Ten final interviews were recorded with student adult dyads reading the script and providing feedback as member checks. The final draft was work shopped with a theatre company. Ethnodrama has the potential of increasing innovation in research but methodology must be clarified to improve consistency and rigor leading to greater acceptance in the research community.